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3 Stars

Small town girl Aguilera dreams of stardom but is stuck as a cocktail waitress in a fading cabaret, until the cliches enable her to land the lead in a Burlesque show and save the business. This may sound corny and it is, in fact the film relishes in it’s campy charms but that’s what makes the whole enterprise kind of endearing. Cher is given the ‘legend’ treatment here and it’s deserved, after a few minutes of screen time you can understand why this woman has been a celebrity for five decades. Lets be honest; this is a movie for people who like ‘old’ movies. The dance sequences are a knock-out, the choreographers seem to be recreating a Bob Fosse-esque vibe and they are successful most of the time. Aguilera is adequate in the dramatic moments and she has some real appeal on screen, her vocal styling aren’t my thing but it’s obvious the girl is talented in many areas. Stealing every scene he’s in is Stanly Tucci as the gay mediator to the head divas. A film like ‘Burlesque’ doesn’t offer too many surprises story-wise, it’s the level of style, energy and imagination in which the material is presented that set it apart. Fortunately ‘Burlesque’ has enough of all three to make for a pleasantly diverting couple of hours with some pros, old and young.

Director: Steve Antin
Stars: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Alan Cumming