As fortune would have it, Movie Buzzers acquired four free passes for an advanced screening of Christina Aguilera’s big screen debut in Burlesque, and I brought three girlfriends to see what all the hype was about. Although I might’ve been a little skeptical about the validity of the storyline amid glitz, glamour, cleavage, and fishnets in previous articles- I was mighty wrong to doubt the whirlwind prowess of Aguilera in a role that she was born to play! Hit the jump to check out the review!
It’s really beyond words how thoughtful, intelligent, charming, and inspiring the performance by Aguilera, who plays a struggling small-town singer, Ali, with hopes of hitting it big in Los Angeles, was. She fights to prove that she has what it takes to headline as a singer and dancer at a club fittingly called “Burlesque.” While Ali’s dreams start to come true, the club’s owner, Tess, played by the legend that is Cher, has dreams of her own that come crumbling down since her business has met serious financial difficulty and is about to close.
Without giving too much more away, it’s hard to overlook the dynamic that exists between Tess and Ali, both of whom learn in the film what it means to build a legacy based on chance. Their relationship blossoms into entertaining arguments full of raw emotion, surprising one-liners, and truly movie-moment-worthy heartfelt sentiment.
At first, I expected Cher’s presence in the film to simply be a nod to her veteran status as a performer, but in the songs that she brings to the table and her drive to keep the club alive no matter how many notices the bank sends, she reminds audiences that she’s still an original and relevant pop culture icon in a Lady Gaga / Katy Perry / Rihanna-dominated world.
Along for the ride is Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada), in one of his funniest roles to date, as Tess’ right-hand man who rallies all the performers together backstage each and every night. Any woman with any kind of struggle in life would be lucky to have a token gay friend like Tucci in his portrayal of Sean. What is perhaps the most delightful aspect about his character is his interactions with Aguilera’s love interest, Jack, played by Twilight alum Cam Gigandet. He’s got a boy-next-door smile and to-die-for abs, but he’s more than just a pretty face, delivering a relatable sense of sexual tension between his character and Ali. It’s very sweet and heart-warming to watch how he overcomes his gentlemanly ways while being in a waning long-distance engagement to an actress in New York. Here, a surprising and brief cameo is made by Glee’s Diana Agron as the fiancée.
So I’ve saved the best for last… The music was incredible! With booming musical theatre-inspired numbers, very reminiscent of Aguilera’s signature sound on her Back to Basics album, she must be bound for a Golden Globe nomination- at least! If she wasn’t the star we know her now as, this film would make her one. She solidifies the smart choices that she has made in her career by always only singing important ballads and powerhouse upbeat pop songs, featuring the impressive range of her naturally jaw-dropping vocal instrument. Burlesque continues to separate the starlet even more profoundly from the teen princess fad from which she emerged back in the 90s, especially seeing how little Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears have brought to the movie world.
The songs in this movie are what Aguilera was born to sing and hopefully will return to in the wake of her dance-heavy Bionic album that was released to mixed reviews earlier this year. If this film does anything right, it would be proving that only the right kind of performer can transcend the music world and successfully enter the movie world. I would even go so far as to say that Aguilera brings to the big screen the kind of acting chops that Jennifer Hudson brought to Dreamgirls.
What’s most impressive about this film is the way that director Steven Antin presents the film with a central struggle, tangible to anyone with a show-biz dream, yet at the same time, you feel as though you’re sitting in a large stadium, watching a real-life Burlesque show, both intimate and magnanimous in range. Through Aguilera’s wiles, Antin flirts with the moviegoers who are enthralled more and more with each flash of glimmering lights, belted musical note, and quick line of carefully played sarcasm by Cher, Bell, and Gigandet. Without meandering away from the story’s ultimate target, Antin delivers what will surely be one of the top ten films this season!
If you love Chicago, Nine , or Moulin Rouge, then this is, hands down, the movie for you. I can’t wait to see what else Aguilera has in store for us if she chooses to pursue more acting. She’s set up a very big precedent for herself as an actress with Burlesque in addition to having an advantage of being an accomplished Grammy-winning singer but, in my opinion, there’s definitely more to see from this star of many trades.
Rating: A musical number that’s worthy of hitting the top of the charts
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