movie review
Burlesque
Aging diva and young ingenue meet in this plot-lite musical
There’s a pivotal scene in the ‘Burlesque’ trailer where tiny Christina Aguilera takes the stage and releases a powerhouse voice, at which point the entire nightclub stops what they’re doing and takes notice. I would probably see the movie again just for that scene, but the remaining 115 minutes is sort of a hazy fog.
It’s a well-worn plot that finds aging diva Tess (played by Cher; seriously, her face is completely immovable, which is totally distracting) struggling to save her dying Burlesque Lounge in Los Angeles as flashy new buildings spring up around it. Tess is stressed to the max trying to pay two mortgages as creditors and real estate mogul Marcus (Eric Dane a.k.a. McSteamy on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’) are breathing down her wrinkle-free neck.
Enter Ali (Aguilera), a small-town girl who books a one-way ticket to L.A. in the hopes of making it big. With the help of kindly bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet, a.k.a. James in the ‘Twilight’ movies), Ali starts waiting tables at the club and thanks to a slacker dancer (Kristen Bell), manages to land a spot on stage.
Then comes the pivotal scene – the one where things fall apart on stage and Ali takes a chance and starts singing with that big voice of hers. “Raise the curtain!” says an awestruck Tess, and a star is born.
Remember when Cher knocked us out with her performances in ‘Silkwood’ and ‘Mask’? Don’t look for that here. It’s like she’s just playing herself in this movie, which I guess is the whole point. Aging star gives young ingénue a chance to follow her dreams. That’s all good, but the thin plot leaves something to be desired, especially when the young ingénue SAVES THE DAY! with the penultimate Big Idea.
Dane’s real estate shark is kind of a one-note character, and Peter Gallagher shows up for about two seconds as Cher’s ex-husband, as does Broadway great Alan Cumming. The stand-out males here are Stanley Tucci as Tess’s gay stage manager (what’s not to love about Tucci?) and Gigandet as a bartender who could have been seedy but ends up being sweet and nice with a big crush on Ali. It’s like puppy love, only taking place at a burlesque bar with half-naked dancers.
‘Burlesque’ would work better as a Broadway musical, only with writers who can produce better dialogue than “I will not be upstaged by some girl with mutant lungs!” Still, there is that pivotal scene, which is probably worth the price of admission if you’re a fan of musicals.
Comments on Burlesque
You know, my friends think I’m crazy, but I want to see this movie.
Posted by sarah henry on Dec 10, 2010
Post a Comment