Burlesque

When going to watch Burlesque you first have to know a few things:

1.) You are watching this movie, knowing the acting isn't going to be great, but to see great musical numbers and fantastic costumes.

2.) The acting is partially terrible because of the cliche ridden but not mind-numbing storyline, and corny writing.

3.) Cher is great, but understanbly only contributed two songs. Would have loved to see more Cher action, but she hadn't recorded original songs for 7 years. She is also aging, gracefully, but aging nonetheless. This movie was made for Christina Aguilera.

4.) Christina Aguilera. I have a love/hate relationship with her musical career, but you cannot deny the power of her voice in this film and just in general. Her range, control, vibrato and power are just astounding and really shine in the musical numbers. She also looks fantastic here, and does a great job of playing a believable small-town girl trying to make it big.

4.) Stanley Tucci is a national treasure, and is delightful throughout the film with most of the best lines. The whole cast did a great job as well, but Stanley Tucci is great at playing these types of rolls and you can tell he has total fun with it.

This movie is great if you like musicals and don't mind sitting through a cute but predictable storyline. As a seamstress I am in love with the costumes, particularly the green silk dress Christina wears 3/4 of the way through the film. It's dramatic, got a really beautiful built in corset, and with the minimal makeup, hair and jewelry she is transformed into a goddess.

Burlesque may have started out as a dazzling, lip-sync singing French twist sensation but when a talented girl from a small town takes center stage belching out loud piercing notes screaming with soul, "You know something got a hold of you and won't let go."

The director starts out with scenes in dingy, crusty locations, overshadowed with filtered sunlight to create an outdated, old fashion look. These scenes failed to capture a unique cinematic vision, instead the views were dark and dull. His blend of melodrama and music worked better than Chicago because singing was sung only on stage. No phantom of the opera to bring tears, just a busting out movie that went straight to the point--I want to sing!

Ms small town girl named Ali, played by Christina Aguilera, changed cities but couldn't quite change her waitress uniform. She worked her way to that familiar job, when charmed by neon lights, she opened the door to a new world, Welcome to Burlesque. As she looked around, she watched the bickering and cat fights among the dancers and how shamefully patrons weren't getting their drinks. So, she took charge by befriending Jack the bartender played by Cam Gigandet, then moved from the unemployment line to waiting on tables and serving drinks. Tess, the club owner played by Cher, told her she has great enthusiasm and terrible timing. However, in the midst of all this tension whiplash, Tess told Ali to take off her coat and get to work.

Ali studied hard by reading every burlesque book ever written. She demonstrated a fierce determination that she could do every dance, every scene, step by step better than the other girls at the audition . She was impressive and landed the job. Now here's the catch 22, people pay to see the dancers lip sync to the great stars like Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend." There is no live singing at Burlesque. What is a girl to do with all that vocal talent? Well, she could be lucky to have a vengeful enemy like Nikki who turns off the pre-recorded music during her lip sync stage performance. Surely for Nikki that has to be the biggest mistake, huge mistake, right? Right. So the rest, as they say, is history! Tess rewrites the whole show around Ali's voice and the small town girl is now center stage on Hollywood Sunset Stripe.

Cher's performance was better than great, it was awesome. She delivers a warm touchy feeling convincing me she owned the club, she loved the club and she wasn't selling her club. Hard set and beautiful, standing tall and confident, singing " You Haven't Seen the Last of Me;" Cher is a true goddess, definitive of stage and production. I needed to see more and more of her . You can't get enough of Cher and her makeup, her hair and her famous, I know everything attitude.

Christina is the sweetest part of the movie. She worked Burlesque from the beginning to the end with an Eminem's 8 mile state of mind, you only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. Without a doubt, she definitely lost herself in the music, the moment, and the dancing. When you know you got it, you go get it. She wore skimpy cultured pearls, juicy bareback couture glittering with diamonds, and holding ostrich feathers only, as she paraded the stage singing slow songs, old songs and hip hop songs. Her roommate Jack, black eyeliner by night, is the movie's secret eye candy. Well built, nice teeth, and shy, he gives us a little touch of burlesque with his steamy and lusty private moves. And of course we need to mention Sean played by Stanley Tucci. He held the movie together or should I say he held Tess together.

Burlesque is an eye-popping never boring cinematic experience that will entertain you with grandeur songs from the present and the past. As you experience this razzle dazzle movie, you can actually feel the music. To me, Burlesque mirrors Purple Rain's electrifying energy that generated from a club of talented, struggling performers and a sidekick love affair. Christina and Cher in Burlesque will be remembered like Prince in Purple Rain. You have to see it again and again, because true talent never ages, its ageless. I just loved every mind- blowing performance and I'm sure you will too, so GO see it!!

The musical numbers reminded me of "Sweet Charity" and the camera moves around the Kit Kat Klub style room like Fosse's camera did in "Cabaret" The similarities stop there. The film is a brave attempt but the writing walks a very, very thin line. Was Steve Antin trying to be funny? Some of the lines were received with loud guffaws and there is no way to know if that was the intention because, personally, I felt like cringing. Never mind. It was fun. Christina has a powerful voice but not film presence and Cher is a fearless icon but she had so little to show for it. The best performance is, without question, by Stanley Tucci. The songs work at the moment you're watching them being performed but I couldn't hum a tune now, 48 hours later, for the life of me. So, I was entertained and in the big scheme of things, I guess that's enough

Cliche ridden and amateurishly written, "Burlesque" still has a talented cast who gives it the "old college try" and does their best to elevate the material. Cher and Stanley Tucci, both usually excellent in their acting roles, really ham it up here, probably because that was the only way they could make their silly dialogue seem somewhat interesting. Christina Aguilera looks like she graduated from the Dakota Johnson school of acting, which isn't saying much. Among the others, Eric Dane does manage to come across with his acting dignity intact, but he is not given enough screen time. The sole saving grace is the dance numbers which are very entertaining. All in all, not a bad movie to sit through while you are eating a long lunch during the weekend. Just whip up a ham sandwhich with lots of spicy mustard, grab a soda pop and a bag of chips, and go for it. The only real way to get through this one.

At times I can be a bit snobby about movies. I am more attracted to slow artsy fartsy movies that try make grand points about society or existence. However, not all movies are to meant to challenge social structures or deliver underlying meanings and here there certainly is none of that.... and I liked it!

Burlesque is a little cheesy, yup, filled with clichés, uh huh, predictable, you betcha! That is all part of it's charm though. It set out to be a fun romp with some sexy outfits and entertaining song numbers and it delivered. There is no great villain, there is no great backstabbing - which in someways is more realistic. It doesn't try to have an overly deep plot. It knows it's superficial and embraces it. Did anyone ever doubt Christina could sing? Her voice is amazing and her acting ain't bad either. Cher is well, Cher and how can anyone not love her? Stanley Tucci certainly steals the show while Cam Gigandet provides some delicious eye candy. If you want to be visually and audibly entertained for about an hour and a half, shut your brain off, sit back and enjoy Burlesque. Disclaimer: this recommendation does not pertain to men, unless you are a man of the Cher-loving variety. Despite a burlesque club technically being a 'strip club' this movie is certainly geared for the ladies.