Movie Review: Burlesque

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I was too stoked to see the film Burlesque so I was jumping with joy when Grai said she had a DVD of it. It's sexy and fun, hiding in the shadow of a little broadway musical which I loved - I wasn't disappointed.

Christina Aguilera has been one of my favorite music artists when I was a kid (she still is) because of her powerful voice which is a contrast to her petite body. She plays the Character of Ali, a small-town girl with a big voice and big dreams which she chased in the Burlesque Lounge, owned by Tess (Cher), upon coming to Los Angeles. She first landed the job as a waitress, but she longed to be up on stage with the other girls in sparkling lingerie.

The girls lip sync to the songs because according to them, they [the customers] don't come to hear them [girls] sing. Fortunately, Ali turns things around when Nikki (Kristen Bell) pulls the plug of the music during the time that Ali gets to perform. She [Ali] started to sing Tough Love just before Sean (Stanley Tucci) brings down the curtain. Soon enough, she starts wearing sparkling lingerie, learns how to do her make-up, builds friendships with the other girls, finding an enemy in a fellow performer, and gets the attention of Jack (Cam Gigandet).

Ali's tactics bring Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, and stops Marcuss (Eric Dane) from buying it.

The good:
- Cher and Christina had good on-screen chemistry. Tess looked like a mother who was proud of what her daughter, Ali, had become. The ladies reflected each other - they're both as determined as they could be: Tess did everything to keep her lounge despite her financial problems and Ali did everything she could to perform on stage.
- The film possessed humor that has been thrown in by Tucci's character here and there and I loved it!
- The production numbers are fantastic. It mimicked broadway, it was like Las Vegas in the screen. The wardrobe was amazing, although there was one number where Aguilera looked too much like Marilyn Monroe - not that I didn't like it.
- There were two eye candies in the film: Gigandet and Dane. I remember Dane from being McSteamy in Grey's Anatomy and Gigandet from the now-defunct TV series, The OC. Gigandet was just too much for me to handle! I was squealing silently when his and Aguilera's characters made love. A little bit disappointed though that there wasn't too much to see.
- Bell was refreshing to see, playing an evil character in Nikki, as opposed to her other roles. She's almost never evil, and in this film she was psycho. I loved that she was able to execute her role with grace and passion.
- Diana Agron played a little part on the movie in Natalie, Jack's fiance. I liked the fact that they starred Agron because she somehow mimicked Aguilera's aura - blonde hair, fair skin, petite frame - and shows that Jack has only one type.

The bad:
- The plot doesn't carry much seriousness into it. In fact, it's like a Cinderella fairy tale. A girl from Iowa quits her job to follow her dreams by traveling to Los Angeles, finds love in the friend who allowed to share his apartment with her, garners success and happiness, is given Louis Vuitton heels by a guy she's not interested in, all because she can sing like no other.
- Although Cher's character is a big role in this movie, she was only given two songs to sing - and I didn't like the second one. What's bad about this is that Cher is Cher because she is a music artist, a great singer, a legend. Not a movie star. So why does she have more lines to say than sing?
- Though I said I liked Bell's character, I think she looked a lot like One Tree Hill's Sophia Bush with her dark hair, curls, and red lipstick. I wish Bell didn't remind me of Bush because I loved them both a lot, and it would've been nicer if Bell's character deviated from Bush's looks in her 8-series running TV show.
- Like I said, the film is a little bit of broadway. But when I think of broadway, I think Moulin Rouge and Chicago. This movie falls short of the aforementioned films, I just wished it could be a little bit better.

Overall, the movie is a good watch. I immediately did my eye make-up and put on hot pink lipstick after watching it because I loved it so much. I'd definitely watch it again. Four stars.