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http://www.santamariatimes.com/enter...cc4c002e0.html
Quote:
‘Burlesque’ not great, but quite entertaining
By Brad Memberto, Santa Maria Times
Friday, December 3, 2010
I guess one way to make a musical, as a screenwriter and first-time director of a big studio film, is to take the best from what came before and throw it all together.
That is what Steven Antin has done writing and directing “Burlesque,” starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.
Add one part “Chicago,” one part “Cabaret,” with an extra dash of Bob Fosse, a huge amount of the “Pussycat Dolls,” a bit of “All About Eve,” and you have “Burlesque.”
The original screenplay was written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody (“Juno,” 2007), revised by Antin, then revised once more by Oscar nominee Susannah Grant (“Erin Brockovich,” 2000).
All the clichés are in there.
Cher plays the aging superstar who operates a rundown cabaret in Hollywood. Christina Aguilera is the small Midwestern town girl who dreams of stardom. There is also a sleazy business man (Eric Dane) who wants to buy the club and tear it down. And of course there is an able assistant to the aging superstar, who gets all the funny lines, a mean and spoiled star who feels threatened by the newcomer and a bunch of chorus girls with different sets of problems.
But the amazing part of all this is — the film isn’t that bad. In fact I liked it.
Aguilera has one of the greatest singing voices in the world today, and the director wisely showcases that several times. And the girl can dance, too.
And another funny thing, she can act pretty well. Aguilera, who was deeply involved in the music production for the film, does a credible job in her first real acting job. She plays Ali, the young girl from the Midwest who has a lot of talent.
Arriving in Hollywood, she stumbles into the nightclub called Burlesque, owned by Tess (Cher). Of course the club is on the edge of financial ruin, but Tess will not sell, despite the pleas from her partner and ex-husband Vince (Peter Gallagher).
Tess is egged on and supported by Sean — wonderfully played by Stanley Tucci — as she tries to fight off Eric Dane as Marcus, a big shot developer who wants the property.
By accident, of course, Ali becomes the big star at the club with the hesitant support of Tess and to the disappointment of Kristen Bell as the alcoholic diva Nikki.
And of course Ali comes up with a plan to save the club.
Alan ******* is under-utilized as Alexis who works at the club, but he has a nice song performance which is a flat-out tribute to Joel Grey as the emcee in “Cabaret.” Ironically, ******* played the emcee in the 1998 revival of “Cabaret” on Broadway.
Julianna Hough does a nice job as Georgia, one of the featured dancers at the club. Hough will next star as the lead in the remake of “Footloose” next year.
Every cliché is utilized in “Burlesque,” but the film flows and is entertaining. Aguilera is charming as the young lead and her relationship with — will they or will they not — love interest Jack (Cam Gigandet) seems natural and breezy.
The dance sequences are spectacular. Antin is the brother of Robin Antin, who is the founder of the extremely successful “Pussycat Dolls” and the choreography is very reminiscent of what the Dolls do, with a huge nod to Fosse.
Cher performs a tremendous show-stopping power ballad called “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” written by six-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren, which shows she still has the chops.
But the star of the show is Aguilera, who can belt out a tune better than most. She succeeds much better than most singers have done on film since — well — Cher.
“Burlesque” is not a great film, but it is a very entertaining musical with a solid debut by Aguilera.
Score: B on the Brad-O-Meter
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Also Burlesque today enters 2010 BIGGEST DOMESTIC GROSSES! On #100.
