Burlesque predictable but still entertaining

Burlesque

Director: Steve Antin

Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera and Alan Cumming

A predictable storyline, some awful acting, and painful on-screen chemistry make Burlesque a tough film to sit through. But on the bright side, the plethora of musical numbers and elaborate costume make the film anything boring.

The movies begins with small town girl, Ali (Christina Aguilera) moving from Iowa to make it in the big city of L.A.

After seeing a burlesque lounge owned by Tess (Cher) and ex-husband Vince (Peter Gallagher), Ali does everything she can to prove she has what it takes to make it on stage.

In the meantime she meets bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet) who later becomes her roommate and love interest. Despite their utterly awkward romance and lack of chemistry, the two slowly fall in love as Ali’s career begins to flourish.

With such a line-up of stars, it’s hard to believe the film is so disappointing. But while Aguilera’s acting is sub-par, not all the actors are painful to watch. Stanley Tucci, who plays Sean, Tess’ trusty best friend and wardrobe assistant, was by far the most likeable character. It was also easy to fall for Eric Dane’s charm, despite his bad boy persona.

As for the vocal and dance performances, Christina’s vocals were on point, while Cher had one nice, but slightly bland solo. All of the dancers were fantastic, especially Georgia (Julianne Hough) who seemed to own the stage.

The set design was visually appealing with glitter and stage lights, but with the sets being so dark, the lighting in the daytime scenes seemed out of place. It made it very hard to believe that the film took place in sunny L.A.

Overall, the film was cheesy and predictable, but was still entertaining. Although the acting left something to be desired, the song-and-dance numbers were delivered and produced well. But you won’t find yourself with them stuck in your head after you leave the theatre.