Burlesque (I) (2010) User Reviews

Entertaining

[angie_l · 7/10 · 11 April 2011]

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.

Entertaining

[bjones · 7/10 · 17 February 2011]

I waited a long time to write this review. I liked the film a great deal but I'm not so sure everyone will. It is entertaining in the way of old fashioned entertainment. Other people in the theater I attended liked it a lot also. That was easy to ascertain by the loud comments both during and after the film.

The story, itself, is a little shallow, mainly it's there as a means to fill in the space in between the elaborate musical numbers. However, the story is enough for the vehicle it carries, happy ending and all.

Cher, as the club owner Tess, has top billing but the entire show is undoubtedly Christina Aguilera as country-girl turned burlesque performer Ali. I'm old enough to say that in my life I've seen most of the premiere singing performers of modern times, many in live concert. Little Christina Aguilera is not just in a class by herself. Ms. Aguilera is in another universe, perhaps even another dimension. Her voice has a tonal quality, a power and a range that is nothing short of staggering. But the best part is that she knows how to make fullest use of that magnificent instrument.

Every second that Christina Aguilera is on screen she is absolutely riveting. You can't take your eyes off of her; and not just because she's remarkably beautiful. Here she is in this film, surrounded by a good number of extremely beautiful and talented women, yet they all seem to fade into the background fog when she is on. She has something more than beauty. She radiates raw animal magnetism and positively smolders in some kind of unidentifiable sexual power that just plain overshadows everything around her. In short, this film is well worth watching just for Aguilara's screen time.

If you can tear yourself away from watching Christina, there is more here to see. All the participants turn in great performances. All the dancers surrounding her are talented and wonderful to watch. All together they create very memorable entertainment. Kristen Bell as Nikki and Julianne Hough as Georgia are great but it's Bell who is the surprise. Being so used to seeing her as the usual blonde adornment in romantic comedies she surprised me with her dancing talent. She's really good. And, Hough is a given in a dancing costume; as flawlessly great as she is beautiful.

For me, the performance I enjoyed the most other than Christina's was Stanley Tucci as Sean. Mr. Tucci is a great talent who adds character and charm to everything he does and he won't disappoint anyone here.

I saved any negatives for last and none have anything to do with the cast. I found I didn't like the sound the way it was presented. The techniques they used tended to make the performances almost look like they were all canned/lip synced. I'm sure they thought the vocals had more power the way they did them but it truthfully detracted from the overall presentation.

The decision to make a PG-13 rated film was, no doubt, made to try and capture the kiddie ticket buyers. I honestly feel that if they actually pulled out the stops and made an honest R rated film with a more adult slant it would have been better and more profitable in the long run. To me, trying to make anything called "BURLESQUE" anything other than an adult film just seems ludicrous on the face of it.

In spite of the negatives it's still entertaining. I'll take friends to see it with a clear conscience.

By Bruce L. Jones

http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/

Almost Bob Fosse

[markdelguado · 6/10 · 27 November 2010]

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

Great cast, great songs, great costumes, why do people hate this movie?

[jess211-172-281805 · 29 September 2011]

i have just watched this movie for the first time today, and I must say that I don't understand why I listened to the other reviews. All I heard was that the acting was horrible and the story was bland and so on. I will say that the opening scene is a bit too empty, but then Christina starts singing and you forget all about it. The cast is amazing: for the guys we have Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell, Julianne Hough, Chelsea Traille and the rest of the girls, even Dianna Agron; for the ladies we have Eric Dane and of course the sculptured Cam Gigandet; of course we can't forget about the acting powerhouse that is Stanley Tucci playing the gay best friend that every woman wishes she had (especially if he is that good looking); and we can't forget about Peter Gallagher and Alan Cumming. There is a lot more eye candy from all the boys that work at Burlesque. The story is somewhat predictable but I find that the way it is told, between music and extra little drama in the background, makes it perfect. Just hearing Christina Aguilera singing is enough to carry the story along. Cher has a solo about halfway through the movie that brings you back to one of the main issues in the background which makes for a very powerful solo thanks to that story and the power of Cher's voice makes it even more dramatic. The writing is exquisite due to a main reason, it is perfectly real. It is not full of extra fluff and puff just to create some kind of big moment. It has lots of funny in it, but very subtle . Bottom line is, the script is simple, to the point and every line sounds like something you would hear somebody say in real life. Many films have all that dialogue that you know nobody would ever say but it makes for those big moment, but the simplicity in this movie is what makes me like it so much. It is a simple film, with an amazing cast, that I believe has been completely overlooked. I have a theory as to why it has been overlooked...the marketing for it wasn't very good, it only focused on Cher and Christina and it made very little reference to any of the other amazing people in it or even to the story. The trailer makes it sound like it is all about the dancing and sining, but there is an actual story behind it all. The love story is only partially shown on the trailer, there isn't even one image of Eric Dane or Peter Gallagher, there is too much information about the dancing part as well, I personally think they should have left a little mystery on the dancing and singing and added some more of the story into it.

That's just what I think. Enjoy.

Great singing and dancing....

[anthonymichaelbangert · 6/10 · 26 August 2014]

A burlesque is basically a classy cabaret strip club where no private areas are shown, only teased. Christina Aguilera plays a stereotypical small town waitress girl who moves to the big city for a new opportunity, where she becomes a waitress (go figure) at a burlesque parlor. However, she soon discovers the beauty and fun that being a burlesque performer is. She auditions for a part, and once in, she starts to make changes to all involved while also trying to save the lounge from a financial crisis. This movie is a predictable and clichéd tale with mediocre acting from some, and superb acting from others. I could actually guess what was coming most of the time. Fortunately, this movie makes up for it's flaws with amazing performances in both dancing as well as singing, to the point that the performances almost seemed to become a character themselves.

Soundtrack: 10 Script: 4 Originality: 2 Cinematography: 8 Casting: 7 Acting: 5

Life is a Burlesque... new chum.

[Quietb-1 · 6/10 · 25 November 2010]

If you like old fashioned musicals this is for you. Small town girl comes to Hollywood. In the tradition of "Cabaret" the music is performed in the venue rather then the characters bursting into song like dialogue. Unlike "Cabaret" the bad guys aren't Nazis, but unseen evil banks and real estate developers.

The story is thin, fluff, and predictable. The only thing stiffer then the dialogue is Cher's face. The musical numbers are high octane entertainment.

Christina Aguilera will be recognized by the Golden Globes for her performance and a song she wrote seems poised for an Academy Award. Stanly Tucci always looks like he is having fun.

It's not "Chicago". It doesn't measure up to the classic Hollywood musicals but it's a good try. See it.

Great music decent story

[sage4676 · 7/10 · 17 November 2018]

Christina Aguilera and Cher signing tunes in the same film has to be tough to top. The tunes are all pretty great and the storyline is pretty good too. Anyone a fan of Christina's and musicals will love this.

No cliché left unturned

[JamesHitchcock · 5/10 · 5 October 2012]

Although "Burlesque" is set in what is basically a high-class strip club, it is a film on the hoary old theme of "A Star is Born" and treats its theme in a very traditional way, with no cliché left unturned. It starts by emphasising its heroine's humble background. Alice "Ali" Rose is an orphan from a working-class background in a small town in Iowa, where she works as a waitress. Like all girls from humble backgrounds in films of this type, Ali harbours longings for fame and fortune, so she gets on the bus to Los Angeles where she hopes to find work in showbiz.

Like all girls in films of this type who long for fame and fortune, Ali finds that they do not (at least at first) come easily. She auditions for a number of showbiz roles, only to be consistently rejected. She eventually finds work in a burlesque club, but only as a waitress, doing the same sort of work as she was doing in Iowa. Eventually, however, her persistence pays off and when one of the dancers becomes pregnant the club owner agrees to take Ali on as her replacement. And then- like all girls in films of this type- Ali gets her big break to become the star of the show, not just a backing dancer.

One might think that the above synopsis contains more than enough clichés for one film, but just about every character is a cliché in his or her own right. We have the heroine's tough, feisty boss (in this case a woman) who turns out to have a heart of gold. We have the heroine's jealous, bitchy rival who turns out to have no heart at all. We have the heroine's kindly best friend (here, in one of the film's few breaches with tradition, a gay man rather than another woman). And then we have the two men in the heroine's life, one poor but caring and sensitive, the other rich but selfish and materialistic. (No prizes for guessing which one turns out to be the heroine's true love).

"Burlesque" reminded me in some ways of "Showgirls", another film about a girl with showbiz ambitions who eventually lands the leading role in the sort of song-and-dance show whose performers wear as few clothes as possible. And yet, although "Showgirls" was almost universally panned by the critics, I actually preferred it- at least dramatically, if not musically- to "Burlesque". At least "Showgirls" had some sort of satirical value, achieved by making its leading character Nomi Malone a thoroughly nasty little slut with the morals of an alley cat. Ali, by contrast, is described by another character as "beautiful inside as well as out", and even though she earns her living by wearing revealing costumes and performing provocative dance routines comes across as just too sweet and wholesome to be true.

This film marked the debut of pop singer Christina Aguilera as an actress. She doesn't reveal too much talent in that direction, although to be fair to her any actress would have had difficulty in making Ali interesting, as she is less a character in her own right than a compendium of clichés drawn from every showbiz movie ever made. Xtina is also no worse than most of the others on display, including Cher (as club boss Tess), who has far more acting experience but whose contribution here won her a "worst supporting actress" Razzie nomination. Cher's main problem with acting these days appears to be her addiction to plastic surgery; her mask-live face, strangely smooth and unlined for a woman of 92 (or whatever age she is), is not the best instrument for expressing emotion. Kristen Bell as the heroine's bitchy, jealous rival Nikki is required to do little except adopt an angry, resentful expression every time Ali does anything. Stanley Tucci's role as the heroine's camp male best friend seemed to be a reprise of his similar role in "The Devil Wears Pravda", although in that film his character's homosexuality was not made explicit as it is here. Tucci appears to be getting typecast in roles like this, so I was surprised to learn that he is actually straight in real life.

"Burlesque" is a musical along the lines of "Cabaret" or "Fame", the sort where the characters only sing or dance in situations where people normally sing or dance in real life, and therefore demands a setting in the world of show-business. The song-and-dance numbers are all very professionally done, and whatever Aguilera's limitations as an actress she has a very fine voice, not only melodious but also powerful and expressive. In her musical numbers she was able to convey her character's emotions much more strongly than she could through her acting. Aguilera performs most of the songs, although Cher (also very expressive) contributes two. In one of them she strips down to a revealing costume to show us just what a fine figure she has for a woman of 117 (or whatever age she is). Oddly enough for an entertainer who is well-known both as a singer and as an actress, this was Cher's first cinematic musical.

The film's saving grace, and the one thing which prevents it from getting a lower mark, is that, musically speaking, it is actually not at all bad. Its great fault, and the thing which prevents it from getting a higher mark, is that, dramatically speaking, it is completely lacking in originality, a badly acted rehash of hackneyed themes from every showbiz film you've ever seen. It is a pity that the energy of the musical sequences could not have been put to use in the service of a better story. 5/10

Great musical numbers, costumes and set design, mediocre acting

[rachealsews · 8/10 · 25 December 2019]

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.

Can I Have Some Mustard With That Ham ??

[montgomerysue · 6/10 · 17 July 2022]

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.

There's 2 hours I won't be getting back.

[prosebank · 3/10 · 30 November 2010]

This movie wore out both my BS detector and my suspension of disbelief.

It should be prosecuted under the Trades Description Act, and sued by Rob Marshall and the estate of Bob Fosse for plagiarism. Because it ain't burlesque, and it rips off too many elements from Marshall's film of "Chicago" and Fosse's choreography, for me to count.

This movie is as true a glimpse of the real burlesque scene, as "Showgirls" was of the real traditional Vegas showgirl scene. But "Showgirls" had a slightly more believable plot.

Here's a suggestion for Steve Antin: How about making a movie called "Girl Group", with only one musical number in it? After all, you've given us a movie called "Burlesque" with only ONE actual burlesque number in it. The rest is just a rip-off of your sister's Pussycat Dolls routines. Especially that final number. THAT was the song that took so long for the hero to write??? THAT was the song that was so deeply personal that he couldn't share it with anyone until he felt it was perfect??? No wonder my BS detector wore out.

The costumes are gorgeous (hence the 3 stars from me), but they're the only things that made this movie remotely tolerable. And the camera never held still long enough for me to get a really good look at them. (Note to all directors: If you're spending that much on costumes, for god's sake, let us see them and appreciate them!) Also, as someone who is active in the burlesque scene, I must point out that merely wearing a burlesque style costume does NOT make someone into a burlesque performer any more than wearing spike heels and a miniskirt makes a nun into a streetwalker.

Vocally, Christina Aguilera and Cher both have amazing voices. But does every song they sing have to be a power-ballad with all those full-out wails and cadenzas? Enough, already! Those songs and vocal gymnastics lose their dramatic power when they're all we ever get to hear.

All in all, "Burlesque" was 2 hours of my life that I won't be getting back.

Excellent, sexy, electrifying film

[davispittman · 9/10 · 6 June 2015]

Burlesque achieved absolute greatness! I am a huge Cher fan, so naturally I just had to see this movie. Cher blew it away here, not only with her magnificent voice, but also with her acting! I saw where Cher was nominated for a Razzie for this film........ I don't know what those Razzie people were on when they decided that, or maybe they just didn't watch the movie, that's probably it! I didn't know a thing about Christina Aguilara before this movie, and now I can say I am a big fan! Her acting was spot on, her dancing was very sexy and exciting! Every burlesque dancer was unbelievably great and always spot on with their performances! Stanley Tucci handled his character wonderfully. I loved how they showed Tess's relationship with Sean, a very sweet and close friendship. And then there's Cam, I LOVED his character! There couldn't have been a better love interest! He was very sweet, friendly, warm and above all---sexy!! As the main love interest should be! The music was so electrifying! The dance moves were perfect! The whole film was just soo entertaining and enjoyable! Get your ass up, show me how you Burlesque! ;)

Small Town Waitress Becomes The Voice of All Reasons

[jordiojoystar · 7/10 · 22 January 2014]

Alice "Ali" Rose (Christina Aguilera) quits her job as a waitress in pursuit of her dream to be a singer-on-stage in future. She travels to Los Angeles and tries to secure a job and a new home, but things seems fruitless. As she was walking down the streets, the Burlesque Bar caught her attention.

In there, she approaches Tess (Cher), the owner of Burlesque Bar but she was ignored. So Ali talks to a bartender named Jack (Cam Gigandet) and tries to use him to get Tess attention. She became a temporarily waitress. Tess is surprised that Jack allows her to do that.

One of the dancer, Georgia (Julianne Hough) was pregnant and Tess has no choice but put on an audition to replace her. Ali auditions for the role. At first, Sean (Stanley Tucci) and Tess did not really like it until she hears her sing with a strong voice. Tess finds her unique with an unusual potential talent and Ali is hired.

Ali also found a place to stay but her apartment was robbed and she puts a night out at Jack's home. They had their own funny moments of regulations. Ali feel safe with Jack because she assumes he is gay because he wears make-up. Jack denies that he is gay simply because the make-up is part of the show for the working environment.

One night, Nikki (Kristen Bell) was drunk and sober and she was replaced by Ali. And believing that no one is allowed or can replaced her, she turns off the music so Ali can not go on without the music. The girls at Burlesque only does lip-syncing together with the music but Ali is different. But what Nikki did not know is, Ali can sing well. Her voice shuns everyone at the tables. Therefore, becoming the new starlet in the bar.

Successful businessman Marcus Gerber (Eric Danes) buys her gifts to date her. She becomes even more famous when she is with him. Originally, he was dating Nikki. And Nikki becomes jealous and furious and rivals with Ali.

Back at Jack's home, he warns Ali that Marcus is not a good man as he is simply trying to use her so as he can buy Tess' Burlesque and build his hotels facing the sea. Ali disregard him and continues to be with Marcus.

Recently, Jack was upset that he just broke up with his long distance relationship girlfriend because of Ali. In the beginning, it was not nothing until at some point, he feels that he is in love with her.

When Ali heard about Burlesque is being tried to be bought by Marcus, she realizes that Jack was not jealous but telling the truth about the sneaky businessman. Ali confronts and confess her love to Jack. And they make up together.

Ali came out with an idea to prevent Burlesque from shutting down by selling the air rights to Marcus' business rival. Burlesque Bar never had to close down and Tess made profit and keeping her bar alive. Ali continues to work at Burlesque.

--

Burlesque will remind you of Showgirls (1995) in many ways except this one comes with Cher and Christina Aguilera bringing a stage of songs and no nudity scenes. There's a weird romance going on in between.

But I just don't know how to rate this film. It's just another musical film + Showgirls.

SOURCE: Wee, J (2014). "Burlesque (2010) – REVIEW". Retrieved January 23, 2014, from http://blnbrd.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/burlesque-2010- review/#more-921

The grotesque state of the film musical

[st-shot · 3/10 · 1 December 2010]

The state of American film in the 21st Century has been generally abysmal but nowhere is it more evident than in the film musical. Taking the most honored of the period Chicago, a Fosse wanta be with bad performances and forgettable tunes as the benchmark it is more than evident all singing all dancing has lost its voice and more than a step. The latest entry and every bit the tepid much ado about nothing heat and light display of flaccid musical storytelling as the Oscar winner (an even bigger comment on the unimaginative state of the movie business) is the insipidly slick Burlesque.

Stop me if you've heard this. Young impressionable girl with massive hidden talent leaves the land of corn for the bright lights of LA where she stumbles upon a run down anachronism with a crusty but understanding owner still in it for love of the game who gives the kid a break and, well you can fill in the rest.

In the role of Judy Garland Christine Aguleria sings the blues with impressive voice but it's all plastic soul and slumming for the former mouseketeer who presents an unintentionally jarring visual context of an Aryan uber babe singing Bessie Smith. Speaking of plastic Cher all polished and waxed like an antique Oldsmobile splits her time offering sage advice and sarcasm. In addition she does a couple of tunes with her signature howl wrapped as always in distracting outfit and opulent stagecraft to soften its blow. There's some male characters whose purpose it seems is to stand around with expressions of awe for the divas and of course the serious pyrotechnics surrounding the noir dance numbers that attempts to put some make-up on this pig but in the end it is all forced Fosse.

Burlesque!

[Gordon-11 · 8 February 2011]

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.

Sugar, Spice and all things Niche

[bartireid · 6/10 · 23 December 2010]

From seemingly nowhere there has been a recent outburst of interest in all things Burlesque, transmogrified by fashion, dance and other mediums in an attempt to modify the niche into something more commercial and accessible. So it's no surprise that Hollywood would get in on the action with Burlesque (2010) a feature length debut for Christina Aguilera alongside fellow musical behemoth Cher.

Stylistically Burlesque is a musical, although luckily there are no spontaneous outbreaks of song and dance except for when Cher decides to sing us a song to signify how fed up she is. Ultimately everything is constructed around the theatre and performance, driven by a collection of music/cabaret video sequences glued together by what turns out to be a fairly interesting set of characters and stories. Centrally we have a little cliché, Ali (Aguilera) is a small town girl from Iowa who decides she wants to leave behind everything to pursue the dreams and promise of Los Angeles. Destiny guides her to would be mentor Tess (Cher) the divorced, struggling owner of a neo-Burlesque club "The Burlesque Lounge". Ali becomes enamoured with the club, as well as Jack (Cam Gigandet) a hunky barman whose already complicated love life is thrown into further turmoil when he find himself with Ali as a makeshift roommate.

The tagline reads "It takes a LEGEND... to make a STAR!" which is sort of embolismic of the Aguilera/Cher partnership, Cher herself has managed to put together a fairly impressive acting career and her young on screen protégé is quite impressive in this debut. We see Ali jumble the juxtapositions of her womanhood, love life, her career and the accompanying emotions they bring to good effect. Christina already has the look of a Hollywood star and the talent is on show here to suggest that she could have a substantial big screen future. Cher does her bit too playing the struggling business woman married to her struggling club which she faces losing, until Ali's hidden singing talents re-energises her club and show. The Sharks are circling meanwhile and Tess must fight them off if the club is to survive, among the predators are an Ex-husband (Peter Gallagher) she must buy out, an aggressive Tycoon (Eric Dane), and the destructive jealousy of her former star pupil (Kristen Bell).

There are some problems however, script and resulting dialogue are a little misjudged, often being overly fluffy and cute instead of really taking on some of it's themes with real bite. Hence the message of the film is a little lost somewhere between feminist empowerment and the true nature of Burlesque as an art form, with the latter summed up by the repeated lines "They're not here to hear us sing" which appears to fall on deaf ears. As a result Burlesque's audience is a little ambiguous possibly the price to pay when bringing a niche into the mainstream.

Could have been 10 minutes shorter ... but other than that, OK.

[winstonfg · 7/10 · 17 December 2014]

And I say that as an old fart who has never particularly liked Christine Aguilera, or her image or brand of pop (am I getting old?).

It's not 'Funny Girl' or 'Cabaret', but it's a bit of a mixture of both, with some nice moments for the supporting cast - especially Stanley Tucci, who once again gets to play "the gay" in that interesting, undemonstrative style of his - and not much needed from the leads, who do their jobs as required.

And if that sounds like a put-down, it's not meant to be. I enjoyed watching the film - it's just not up there with the ones I mentioned. And the business of it being too "Bob Fosse"-esque? Pah. If you're going to mimic, at least pick the best.

My preference would have been for a few more classic lip-synced blues tracks; but at the end of the day, it's a nice story, well told. And it reminded me that, even with all that prodigious female talent on display: It ain't what you got; it's how you use it.

Christina and Cher Still Got It... Do You Want It?

[neonboy619 · 6/10 · 17 November 2010]

Imagine Chicago and Cabaret with none of the social commentary but all of the sexy, flashy fun. This movie is "almost" that.

All great musicals have songs that help to push the story forward. This is not one of them. This movie has a lot more in common with Coyote Ugly and Flashdance. Flashdance especially. Not saying I didn't enjoy myself. On top of the 4 songs that actually do push the story forward, there are really some awesome pieces that just need to be seen to be believed. When the camera isn't cutting away from the dances, some real magic happens. Even Cam Gigandet gets to do a little striptease that has to be seen to be believed. Some of the lead-ins to the musical numbers were very unnecessary. When a movie opens with Christina Aguilera wailing away to cut away scenes burlesque dancers she has yet to meet, and follows with Cher wailing away with those very dancers, I think it's safe to say that if anyone is still in the theater, they get that these two ladies will sing and dance.

Christina Aguilera plays Ally who escapes from her small town life to Hollywood and finds herself in a club called "The Burlesque Lounge" which has an exterior that resembles a gay youth center I used to frequent as a teen. There she meets the owner of the club Tess (Cher), her gay companion Sean (Stanly Tucci), a sexy metro bartender (Cam Gigandet) and the star of "The Burlesque Lounge," the villainous yet redeemable Nikki (an underused Kristen Bell).

There should be no doubt about Cher's acting ability. This woman went through Moonstruck, Mermaids and Tea with Mussolini. She's an actor people. Christina Aguilera really surprised me with her portrayal of Ally. I thought what she did with the character was very real and honest and I can only imagine how hard that is to do with all the flashy set pieces and costumes flying about.

Director and writer Steven Antin (Robin Antin's brother) really has to be praised for just diving into this material. Musical movies can be really tricky and this movie in particular straddles a fine line between movie musical and movie with music in it. A weak script full of clichés, one too many montage scenes and a rushed third act really might put a damper on this movie, but the little homages to Cabaret (Alan Cummings in a featured cameo for example) and the awesome choreography really help lift the movie past mediocre.

Definitely watch if you love the burlesque style of dance, Christina and Cher, and if not... well you read this far, I think you can safely decide. Or...... you can buy the soundtrack.

Lofty, dramatic and musically ambitious, but also obvious, lame, and mildly entertaining

[napierslogs · 4/10 · 10 March 2011]

Like the name implies, "Burlesque" was lofty, dramatic and musically ambitious. Unlike the name, I think it was too serious to be much of a parody of stage-shows. Cher is an actress, an Academy Award winning actress at that, but there was minimal evidence of intentional self-caricaturing.

A small-town Iowa waitress pursues her dreams and high-tails it to Los Angeles. Ali has way too much audacity for her own good but it does get her a job, two scrumptious boyfriends, and into the burlesque show. Of course it does. Alice, you are in wonderland now. At least when lines like that are delivered by Stanley Tucci they are pretty funny.

The film did have a plot with questions along the lines of: Will Ali realize her dreams of singing and dancing? Will she meet the man of her dreams? And more importantly, will Tess (Cher) save her club from financial ruin? The latter storyline might actually matter if the rest of the film wasn't littered with outlandish sets, costumes and lighting. But "Burlesque" is also what it claims to be—entertaining. Well, mildly entertaining. Christina Aguilera can sing, Cher and Stanley Tucci have good comedic chemistry, and Cam Gigandet is one of the hottest young actors around.

"Show me your Burlesque".

[Bingedrinker · 8/10 · 3 December 2011]

First of all; I didn't know what to expect from this feature. I hoped it would be fun to watch at least. Normally I would discard the idea of watching a movie featuring singers in the leads.

But I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.

As a whole, the film was beautifully shot, the costumes, set decors were all wonderful. Christina Aguilera was never prettier than in this picture.

Concerning Aguilera, I was blown away by her acting (not implying it was Oscar worthy), for the simple, fresh and down-to-earth character, she put out there. She was believable as this nice country girl destined for bigger things - if you know Aguilera's life story, you know what I mean. And she pulled it off to a 't'.

Also a nice refreshing thing this movie did, in my opinion: were the core values it expressed. Although show business, and especially burlesque dancing, have a way of being over-the-top sexy and sometimes promiscuous. A typical story in that setting could have had more sleazy behavior, sleeping around, back-stabbing and such. But no. Even the antagonists had a way of being somewhat nice and apologetic in their own ways.

The clichéd rivalry has a place in this, but although being a cliché in itself it never becomes cliché as itself. You would expect dangerous backstabbing. It never happens like that.

At the end there even is a little plot twist, concerning the fate of the club. It's a semi twist. But it works.

Although I am enthusiastic and glad to have seen this, there is a huge plot hole, I was concerned with. Halfway through the movie Ali saves the show by beginning to sing. It's pretty clear that the mics aren't working, it being a playback show. But still there are mics on stage. So if we forget this one hole, there is an immediate second hole. As if she has a hidden portable mic she is singing, passing the mics to the front of the stage, being completely audible for everyone present. Which isn't plausible.

That said, I had a truly great time watching this. It certainly the best in it's genre (a musical romantic drama).

Certainly worth your time, if you like this sort of thing.

bit above average movie, fitting songs

[neosk · 7/10 · 20 March 2011]

OK, first of all - I don't get how people compare this to a 30's movie or whatever.

I didn't like Christina before much. I just didn't like her outfit along with the "pop-ish" music she made. Neither I did Cher.

But hell, when Christina opened up her mouth on the stage for Tough Lover I got thrilled. The sing performances are simply amazing and show the vocal qualities of both singers. Honestly, I can't stop listening to the soundtrack. The arrangements of the songs within the movie are amazing as well, incomparable to those in "Step Up" series.

But sadly besides that, the screenplay is typically Hollywood - I knew how the movie was going to end since beginning. Shallow story and I really lol'd when Cher was singing her 2nd song in the movie... Just came along to the empty club, where the most probably loyal sound guy was waiting for her to rehearse something. And she sang something about something and then she went off. I was like: "wow great singing, but ... where does it fit the context?" I give it a 7 just because I enjoyed the songs and voice along with arrangements.

Not great

[jamesraesimpson · 3/10 · 14 April 2020]

If you like Christina Aguilera, you will probably enjoy this movie. If you like movies, you probably won't enjoy this movie.

The issue is if you are looking at it objectively as film for watching, it's just not good. There is no drama, no depth, nothing to get you engaged or interested. But Aguilera is super talented - we know this - and I have chosen to factor her singing ability into this rating. Perhaps that isn't right, and instead I can just go and listen to her music separately to enjoy that.

Regardless of the music, I was bored. I didn't care for what was happening, what was coming next, and what might happen. And then when what happened happened, I just watched it happen with no reaction.

My suggestion: skim the in-between bits (the plot is so predictable it will be easy to pick up) and just listen to the Aguilera bits. Or probably better yet, just listen to the soundtrack.

Burlesque: The return of the movie-musical!

[iheart_ny · 10/10 · 30 November 2010]

When I originally heard of the concept for Steven Antin's Burlesque, a movie musical starring pop phenom Christina Aguilera and the legendary Cher, I was, if you could believe it, less than enthusiastic. I was under the assumption that this film would be not just bad, but god awful. Recalling horrid pop star film debuts (ex. Mariah Carey in the depressingly hollow Glitter, Britney Spears in the mind-numbing Crossroads) I thought I was in for a cinematic train wreck of epic proportions. And I'm happy to tell you today, that I couldn't have been more wrong.

First of all, what makes Burlesque unlike Glitter and Crossroads is its aesthetics. Christina Aguilera's strong voice is enough to carry a film, as it turns out. However, Burlesque has more to fall back on. Cher plays Tess, Aguilera's character's boss and mentor. She can make any film excellent. Secondly, this film is a musical, also unlike Glitter and Crossroads. It shoots for being something of a hybrid between Cabaret and Chicago, and doesn't completely fail. Thirdly, this film has an outstanding supporting cast, including the always great Stanley Tucci, Grey's Anatomy vet Eric Dane, Kristen Bell, Cam Gigandet, and Alan Cumming, and these folks bring enough liveliness to save even the worst film, but here, they only add to the fun and excitement.

The story is really nothing new. Small-town girl Ali (Aguilera) leaves her job as an Iowan waitress, and heads for the big lights of Los Angeles. She stumbles upon a burlesque club run by Tess (Cher), starts working her way up, and eventually becomes the main attraction, with her intense vocal range and elaborate interpretations of dance numbers, which turns out to be a godsend for Tess, who is about to lose her club. She starts living with the charismatic and sexy bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet), after her apartment gets robbed. Romance ensues, and things go from there.

Cliché, right? It's been done before, right? Right. There isn't a section of this film that isn't even a little bit corny. But, that's not to say it's not a load of fun. I'm sorry, Harry Potter, Burlesque is the film event of the Thanksgiving holiday. Christina Aguilera isn't a fantastic actress, but she's better than you would expect her to be, and her song-and-dance numbers, obviously, are fantastic, as one would expect.

She and Cher have fantastic chemistry, as well as Cher and Stanley Tucci. All of these actors blend together so well, that they seem to compliment each other, enhancing each performance. And, I was rather disappointed to see that Cher only sang two out of the film's ten musical numbers, but it's safe to say that that's not enough, considering that she can still belt the hell out of these songs. However, Cher's obvious plastic surgeries don't help her performance, considering that her face barely moves throughout the entire picture, but she's still able to pull this role off, somehow.

Steven Antin is a director whom I've never heard of, however, I was fairly impressed. The film is directed with impeccable taste, and the writing is very quick and clever, and humorous, even when a little corny.

However, what really saves Burlesque in the end is its elaborate song- and-dance numbers. Soon after the movie begins, you know what kind of film you're in for. Even as cliché after cliché presents themselves, Burlesque has enough razzle-dazzle magic to outweigh its faults, and to leave you dancing in the aisles as you leave this film.

Fun

[clarks58 · 7/10 · 20 June 2019]

Is just one of those great Saturday afternoon movies that i'll stop changing channels to watch no mater how long its been on. Good , fun escapism and how can you go wrong with this cast. I didnt know who Christina was the first time but think she did a good job.

Ooh, Look! Ali's Doing The Wagon-Wheel Watusi!

[strong-122-478885 · 4/10 · 14 August 2014]

According to the dictionary, the word "burlesque" is defined as being a variety show characterized by low-comedy and striptease.

Well, (unless there are 2 versions of this movie out there) this version of Burlesque (with its PG-13 rating) contained neither one of these forms of entertainment. (It might have helped if it did)

I guess that the reason behind this film's erroneous and (deliberately) misleading title has something to do with the fact that a word like "burlesque" has a very provocative and enticing sound to it.

From my point of view, I found Burlesque to be, pretty much, an up-dated, carbon-copy of Flashdance and something of a Cabaret-clone, as well, with the distinctive echoes of Dirty Dancing thrown in for good measure.

Burlesque's backstage, backstabbing story was so continually marred by clichés, predictability, dumb dialogue and trite personal dramas that this, in turn, quickly reduced its elaborately staged musical numbers to being nothing more than half-ass fizzle rather than full-throttle sizzle.

And speaking about Burlesque's mega-extravagant musical numbers, (when you clearly see the exterior of the building where they were being staged) you'll be quick to realize that there was absolutely no way on Earth that a dinky, little venue like that could ever possibly house these fantastic, "Vegas"-calibre productions. No way, Jose!

Anyways - Besides the fact that the 64-year-old Cher was never filmed in natural daylight (Gee. I wonder why??), Burlesque really killed me with its pretentious and snooty "I'm-so-classy" attitude.

This picture tried and tired (so earnestly) to firmly establish itself as a real class act. But, hey, once the glitzy trinkets and shiny tinsel got stripped away it was nothing but cheap and petty story-telling right to its very core.