I was stunned to see this – Review: Burlesque Never Quite Gets There

In the grand tradition of Chicago , Evita and Showgirls comes the story of a small town girl with big city dreams. There will be tears, there will be dancing, and voila! What we have here is Burlesque , Christina Aguilera?s acting debut, the big-screen return of Cher and a new attempt at an old genre standby; the sexy dance film.

It’s been little over a month since her marriage ended, but Christina Aguilera has wasted no time moving on.

But did she get herself a modern version of K Fed? Aguilera plays Ali, an Iowa farm girl who heads to Los Angeles to become a star. If all goes well, plot should play second fiddle to sassy songs and suggestive dancing.

We agree that life is a cabaret, that camp trumps criticism, and that the sight of 64-year-old Cher in corset, glitter, and full kabuki make-up is its own reward. Oh yes you will, my tippling kitten in the black lace catsuit. Although the song was written about how the club owner shouldn’t be counted out too quickly, its lyrics resonated with the 64-year-old pop icon. Writer/director Steve Antin’s screenplay doesn’t sway far from formula, delivering perhaps one of the most tepid films about a burlesque club in movie history. She’s so fragile and isn’t seeing clearly. EW.com: ‘Showgirls’ the original ‘Burlesque’ So she packs her curling iron, boards a bus, arrives in the City of Angels, and almost immediately clamps mascara-ed eyes on The Burlesque Lounge. The geography of this joint? The film is filled with many cringe-worthy moments as far as acting and script is concerned, with several idioms and tropes being repeated at least twice, if not more, times. “You get lots of scripts, but you don’t get things you want to do.” But “Burlesque” director Steven Antin, who had written the script about a seasoned burlesque club owner with Cher in mind, relentlessly pursued her. Meditate upon it in your hearts and go forth into the world. And that Ali would, in short order, bag a job as a waitress, then as a dancer, then as a singer, then as a showstopper, then as the new girl in town who simultaneously charms a handsome, insecure musician/bartender with good values (Cam Gigandet) and a handsome, over-secure real estate magnate with bad values (Eric Dane)?

She plays the mentor to perfection and even gets a musical number of her own (although it does feel wedged into the movie), showing that the 64-year-old entertainer still has a little left in the tank. In Burlesque, never bet against the house. (Never count out the possibility of barking out a laugh where none was intended, either.) The relationship between Ali and her bartender beau is, for the most part, as old-fashioned as that of virginal teens sharing an ice cream cone. Indifferent Tess, the mother that Ali never had, tells the upstart, “You gotta make me believe that you belong up there!” And when Nikki unplugs the sound system while Ali is lip-synching, the Iowa gal belts out a rafter-raising song that earns her top billing. In the future, let?s get less plot and more high kicks please. Grade: C+ View the original article on film.com