This Tinseltown amalgam of Showgirls and Glitter—set on Sunset Boulevard in the almost-bankrupt Burlesque Lounge—focuses on the relationship between Tess (Cher), the club's cynical co-owner and resident diva, and Ali Rose (Christina Aguilera), an ambitious, nubile naïf from Iowa who charms the sensitive, mascara-wearing bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet) into hiring her as a cocktail waitress. Backstage melodrama erupts when Georgia (Julianne Hough) winds up pregnant—making room for Ali's G-string debut—and boozing Nikki (Kristen Bell) becomes insanely jealous of Ali's popularity. Meanwhile, ex-husband and business partner Vince (Peter Gallagher) wants Tess to sell out to a real estate developer, while Sean (Stanley Tucci), her gay confidante/stage manager, assures her that somehow things will work out. Surrounded by scantily clad showgirls, 64-year-old Cher's first campy number is “Welcome to Burlesque” (she later straddles a chair—à la Marlene Dietrich—to sing the Golden Globe-winning anthem “You Haven't Seen the Last of Me”). Unfortunately, the rest of the musical numbers center on Aguilera, who can belt out a song better than she acts. Director-screenwriter Steve Antin emphasizes the garish extravaganza's sequins-and-feathers naughtiness, but his characters are caricatures, spouting ludicrous lines like “How many times have I held your head over the toilet while you threw up everything but your memories?” Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Steven Antin, an alternate opening (7 min.), a blooper reel (5 min.), a jukebox feature with six full song performances, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are five additional behind-the-scenes featurettes on the cast and choreography (33 min.), the BD-Live function, and a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a silly backstage musical.] (S. Granger)
Burlesque
Sony, 119 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.95, Blu-ray: $34.95, Mar. 1 Volume 26, Issue 2
Burlesque
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: