Sony Pictures | 2010 |119 mins. | PG-13
While 2010’s Burlesque is certainly no Dreamgirls, or Chicago, it’s not Showgirls either. Truthfully, writer/director Steve Antin hasn’t infused this film with one ounce of originality. We’ve all seen the story—poor, small town girl long to make it in the big city. Along the way, she finds love with an incredibly good looking guy. Somehow though, the movie isn’t half bad. Though the script features some terribly underdeveloped characters, there’s enough catchy music and campiness to make Burlesque worth a watch. Besides, its got Cher in it. For many, that alone is worth the price of admission.
There’s no denying that Burlesque is a vanity project for Christina Aguilera. The girl can sing and dance with the best of them, and she does both while doing her best sexy vamp. Ali (Aguilera) is a small-town Iowa girl working as a waitress in a run-down diner. She decides to go to Los Angeles with a paycheck worth of cash and the dream of becoming a singer/dancer. She stumbles into “The Burlesque Lounge” a struggling nightclub run by a veteran dancer named Tess (Cher) and co-owned by her ex-husband Vince (Peter Gallagher). Ali finagles her way into a waitressing job, using the opportunity to learn all the dance moves, ready to pounce on any opportunity. When a dancer becomes pregnant, Ali once performs an impromptu audition, and wows Tess and her business associate Sean (Stanley Tucci) and lands the gig, much to the dismay of the troubled lead dancer Nikki (Kristen Bell). As Ali proves herself to be the star of Burlesque, she slowly develops a personal relationship with her roommate and co-worker, Jack (Cam Gigandet).
Though she was likely cast for her singing ability, Aguilera proves she has some acting ability. While she’s not Meryl Streep, the pop diva highlights her established talents and shows she has some potential as an actress in the right parts. Perhaps harkening back to her days as a Mouseketeer, she brings playfulness to the character that makes her more believable.
Never one to fade into the background, Cher brings a lot of chutzpah to what she’s given. She performs two songs, and though they feel out of place within the flow of the movie, they’re memorable. Much of the time though, it feels as though, it feels as though Cher is just playing a version of herself. All in all, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.The rest of the cast just fills out rather nondescript roles to facilitate the story. Stanley Tucci is solid as always, recycling his gay sidekick shtick from The Devil Wears Prada, and Kristen Bell clearly has fun playing the catty bitch.
Burlesque’s biggest problem is a glaring lack of depth for any of the characters. We don’t truly get to know any of them. But alas, Steve Antin doesn’t gives us much time to think about it, because every few minutes there’s another pulsating, hip-shaking musical number to take our minds off the films obvious deficiencies.
Burlesque comes to Blu-ray in 1080p at a 2.40:1 image size. While it does look glitzy and colorful, the film is often more dimly lit then one might expect. When color are on display, they literally pop of the screen, resolution is sharp and there is depth of field. Skin texture and tone look great, and though there isn’t a lot of grain, the digital enhancement hasn’t smoothed out the edges allowing a filmic look.
The main soundtrack is mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD MA, as is the alternate French-language track (dubbed in Quebec). The mix is amazing, with lots of effects and an incredible depth in the musical numbers. In the dance scenes, the speakers really work it, truly defining “surround sound.”
We get the following special features:
Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Steven Antin recalls the making of the film, discussing set design and following up on the process of reshooting based on test screening responses. He moves on to discuss the film’s editing, style, themes, pace, production design, dance choreography, the parallels to the basic story outline of Alice in Wonderland, and more. There are no dead spots here.
The Burlesque Jukebox (1080p): Allows viewers to watch full and uncut performances from the film. Segments include Something’s Got a Hold on Me (Dancers Version), Long John Blues, Guy What Takes His Time, Express, Jungle Berlin, and That’s Life — Deleted Scene.
Alternate Opening (1080p, 6:31).
Blooper Reel (1080p, 5:09).
Burlesque is Back! (1080p, 3:19): A look at the modern version of the Burlesque, described as before being “middle or low class theater.”
The Performers: The Cast of Burlesque (1080p, 8:50): Cast and crew praise the performances of Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Eric Dane, Kristen Bell, and Julianne Hough.
Setting the Stage: Production Design & Photography (1080p, 4:10): An overview of the film’s period-specific set design and photographic appearance.
Inside the Dressing Room: Creating the Burlesque Look (1080p, 5:46): A look at the film’s costumes.
The Set List: The Music & Choreography of Burlesque (1080p, 11:02): Cast and crew discuss the film’s music and the challenges of perfecting the intricate dance moves.
Previews: Additional Sony titles.
