Liz Goldwyn's new documentary on burlesque is a facile account of the golden years of striptease. To give the director some credit, the interviews with the performers are fascinating. However, Goldwyn's contribution to the topic was disappointing. Her commentary and her performances are so pitiful and shallow it is hard to believe anyone gave her money to complete this documentary. Many of the strippers came from troubled backgrounds and went into stripping because they needed the money. Liz Goldwyn's point of view seems to typify upper-class privilege. One of the strippers reminiscences in the film about how one of the Astors gave her 20 dollars and asked her to ring him up sometime- an obvious sordid appeal for cheap sex. The stripper was naturally offended by his effrontery. I don't believe Goldwyn's depiction is any less exploitative and self-indulgent than Astor's crass attempt at attention and sexual thrill. Lastly I believe Goldwyn never was able to stay focused on the topic of the documentary. Instead I was left with the feeling that Goldwyn was exploring her own obsessions rather exploring the history of Burlesque in America.
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