REVIEW: Film features charm and all-star talent
By this time of year, I am expecting to see Christmas carols and Nativity scenes, but I settled for an all-star talent show. I walked in with low expectations and walked out with pleasant surprises. “Burlesque” was pure entertainment.
Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small-town girl from Iowa with a big heart and big dreams. With no family and no job, she spontaneously moves to Los Angeles with hopes to pursue singing in the big city. She finds Burlesque, a night club with “the best view in town without windows.” It has a sort of cabaret and “Moulin Rouge” feel.
Unfortunately, with payments due that cannot be met, the club is at risk. Co-owner and former dancer, Tess (Cher), gives Ali a chance on stage. With the help of her newly-made friend, Jack (Cam Gigandet), Ali has a place to stay and money to do so.
At first, Ali is just another backstage dancer that lip-syncs to the classics until she replaces a regular. Then, jealous performer Nikki (Kristin Bell) pulls the plug and the music stops. Aguilera’s incredible voice is revealed. From then on the entire show is centered around her. Bills still couldn’t be paid even though Ali’s wow-worthy talent gained more customers and positive feedback for the nightly entertainment.
“Burlesque” was a little too promiscuous for my liking, but it seems to be the trend these days. I don’t think it added to the film but it accurately portrayed what a night club would look like. So, props to the props.
It was a great piece of entertainment: loud, musical, bright and some slight humor. I wasn’t falling off my seat and rolling on the floor with laughter but honestly, if this was a real club it would be very popular in places like Las Vegas. With clever choreography and beautiful and silly songs, I sure wasn’t bored – but how could you be with Aguilera’s astonishing voice?
The scene where Ali’s voice is heard for the first time in the club would have been 10 times better if we, too, were hearing it for the first time. Aguilera left us in awe, as usual, but at the very beginning of the film, so there was no anticipation, we knew it was coming.
As her debut as an actress, Aguilera did not disappoint. Then again, I wasn’t expecting much in comparison to other pop star acting debuts like Britney Spears in “Crossroads,” Mariah Carey in “Glitter” – Beyonce not included, “Dreamgirls” was exceptional.
Aguilera splendidly portrayed the sweet small-town gal with charisma and tenacity. It was believable that she was a normal girl with big hopes and dreams that had no family and no money. All she possessed in the world was a suitcase and her talent. She knew she had what it took and when Aguilera stepped onstage, boy, did she belong. Her character, and in reality, Aguilera, steals the show. It’s like everybody is amazed that that booming voice comes from such a petite blonde girl.
There were times I felt that Aguilera was a little cheesy in delivering her lines but that could have been bad direction or just a bad line. I guess every movie has got to have at least some outrageous and cliche dialogue.
I have never been a fan of Cher. She hits the notes just fine, but lady tenors are not my thing. Her acting skills, on the other hand, were pretty good. I admired her commitment to her character from a strong businesswoman to a caring co-worker and friend. Sharing a film with successful pop stars like Cher and Christina could be hard. Fighting for a spotlight doesn’t sound fun but the other actors weren’t outshined.
It was perfectly cast; Cam Gigandet, who looks completely different from his role as James in “Twilight,” was pretty to look at. No, he didn’t sing, but wearing a vest with no shirt underneath and a classic black hat did it for me. His acting skills weren’t too bad either.
To add to this all-star cast, you have Stanley Tucci, Peter Gallagher, Alan Cumming and “Glee’s” Dianna Agron. It was really fun to see who would pop up on screen.
In the end, the vocals were amazing, the choreography was clever and it was worth watching. Though predictable, “Burlesque,” had its charm. Job well-done Christina, and Cher, it was good to see you again.
– anike.pullens@aggiemail.usu.edu