Burlesque

Now this film was roundly panned by the critics as mindless and boring but I tend to disagree. I won’t argue that the storyline is really no different from a hundred other of this ilk, but there is something about it that somehow appeals. For this film is truly an escape from the daily grind of life and a feel-good story with zest.

Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small-town girl with a big voice who escapes her small town and an uncertain future to follow her dreams to LA. After stumbling upon The Burlesque Lounge while looking for work, Ali lands a job as a cocktail waitress from Tess (Cher), the club’s proprietor and headliner. Burlesque’s outrageous costumes and bold choreography enrapture the young aspiring artist, who vows to perform there one day.

Soon enough, Ali builds a friendship with a featured dancer (Julianne Hough), finds an enemy in a troubled, jealous performer (Kristen Bell), and garners the affection of Jack (Cam Gigandet), a bartender and fellow musician. With the help of a sharp-witted stage manager (Stanley Tucci) and gender-bending host (Alan Cumming), Ali makes her way from the bar to the stage. Her spectacular voice restores The Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, though not before a charismatic entrepreneur (Eric Dane) arrives with an enticing proposal.

All it all it’s largely predictable and falls down in some of the areas the other films in this list excel – the script is pretty average, the sets are ok and some of the acting is downright weak. But there are some scenes in this film that are just pure showbiz. When the backing music fails and Christina has to sing for real, rather than just lip-synch the words…. Wow. You knew it was coming but her voice just fills the theatre. Britney eat your heart out! And it becomes one of those seminal moments in any musical based movie that you could just watch over and over. Just like Eminem rapping in 8-Mile. It’s the same feeling you get when they just get it bang on right. It was worth watching just for that moment. Priceless!