Burlesque

This film is about a small town girl from Iowa who goes to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of dancing and singing.

"Burlesque" is very enjoyable on many levels. The costumes and sets are dazzling, and the dances are great. The moves are seductive but not erotic, and I commend the choreographers for getting this fine balance right. Christina Aguilera has always been known for her powerful voice, and in "Burlesque" her voice and singing skills are brilliantly displayed.

In some films, the abundance of songs can make the film like an extended music video, or is awkward or forced. In "Burlesque" there is no such problem. The speaking scenes and singing scenes transit smoothly from one another. Another thing I really like about this film is the witty lines, they made me laugh so many times! I never thought "Burlesque" could be so good, I think it should have made a lot more in the box office.

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.

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

Well this movie is amazing. The entire feel is Moulin Rouge meets Sex and the city.

From the dances, the costumes, the make up, the hair dos, everything was so freshly daring. The entire look of the movie was so perfect for the entire dramatic effect that this movie required and could easily pull off.

Both the actresses, Christina and Cher, were splendid with their vocals and their acting. Although Cher has been seen on and off the silver screen, this was Chistina's first major venture and she sizzled on screen.

The only pitfall for the entire movie was its very predictable and very sugary story line. There were no real black moments. Maximum it touched was a few shades of gray.

But if you enjoy musicals and have a penchant for dramatics, this is a perfect watch.

Christine A's music knocked this movie out of the park. Who cares about the story? Those pipes carry you from start to finish. Other fun stuff in there too. Stanley Tucci ALWAYS delivers. If you like to hear Christine A sing, don't miss this one. It's fun. Burlesque with an incredible twist!