Saved by song and dance...
3 stars (out of 5)
Director: Steve Antin
Cast: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Kirsten Bell, Alan Cumming, Eric Dane, Peter Gallagher
Rating: (M)
Burlesque (Rialto) tells the age-old story of trying to break into show business.
Sweet young thing Ali dreams of becoming a dancer so she makes her escape to Los Angeles and finds her artistic calling in a rundown burlesque club run by Cher.
Ali just wants to be given a shot but no-one will listen to her, so she bides her time waiting tables at the club, longing for a chance to show her stuff. As Ali is played by Christina Aguilera, her looks of wide-eyed wonder at all the seedy showbiz around her are not that believable, but when the film finally gets around to finding out that, surprise, surprise, Ali can sing, Miss Aguilera's famous pipes really start earning their keep, keeping the film afloat.
If you are bothered by minor details such as plot, Burlesque is a terrible movie. If you just want to see Aguilera expand her cameo in Moulin Rouge! into an album's worth of show tunes augmented by dirty dancing, Burlesque is a triumph.
Best thing: Stanley Tucci and Alan Cummings are reliably watchable, but Cam Gigandet (James from Twilight) as Aguilera's love interest takes a wimpy, underwritten part and makes you pay attention.
Worse thing: The musical numbers are what saves this but, at almost two hours, they could have lost a few of them.
See it with: Someone who has never seen a show-biz-themed movie about a small-town girl with big dreams who tries to make it in the big smoke - that way, this will seem fresh and original.
- Christine Powley.
