I finally got around to seeing the much-discussed movie musical Burlesque the other afternoon. The film is a delightful romp, if you don't look too close at the weak and overplayed plot.
Christina Aguilera is perfectly serviceable as Ali, a young girl from Ohio who drops her job as a waitress and buys a ticket to LA to find fame and fortune. It's a tale as old as film, but director Steve Antin does manage to obscure the frequently used plot under a layer of glitz and feathers. When Ali doesn't find a singing job during her first day in LA, she is intrigued by a glimpse of dancer Coco lounging on a balcony outside Cher's club.
The plot goes into overdrive, Ali forces her way into a waitress job and then her rented room is burglarized, leading her to stay with the bartender. When she realizes he isn't gay, a flirtatious friendship emerges. She lucks into an audition for a dancing position, then a singing job and a romance with Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane. Dane's Marcus wants to buy out the club, but Cher isn't selling. Even as her ex-husband and business partner (played Peter Gallager's Eyebrows) tries to talk her into it, because (plot point!) the business isn't making any money.
In the end, Cher [SPOILER ALERT] doesn't have to sell the Burlesque club and Christina is a stripping/dancing/singing triple threat and Stanley Tucci is funny as hell. So all is well, but the real reason to see Burlesque is for the amazing musical numbers. Cher and Christina each have a show stopping ballad and there are several jazzy stripteases. Plus, Cam Gigandent's naked with just a box of Famous Amos covering his cookies.
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