Burlesque Review

I’m a fan of Cher and Christina Aguilera, and Burlesque just seemed like it’d be a little bit sexy and just fun to watch. I was not disappointed.

Burlesque is just an absolutely fun movie. There was nothing unlikable about it. The only thing that was unfun was the three minutes in the beginning where Ali was leaving Iowa, but it was a necessary evil in order to set up the story. It didn’t even last long. Once the movie really got started, it never slowed down. Everything was paced to stay exciting. There were many stories going on in the movie, but they were very clearly told and worked together and allowed all of the characters to shine.

All of the musical numbers were awesome, but I especially liked the first Burlesque song sung by Cher’s character Tess, and the final one that was performed by Christina Aguilera’s character Ali, which was written for her by her love interest, Jack. The songs just had so much energy and soul that made me want to sing and dance.

This was the first movie Christina Aguilera’s been in, and she did wonderfully. Ali as a character is both sexy and innocent, which is not an easy combination to pull off. She was also incredibly determined and was not going to let anyone tell her no when she knew that she could be successful. This was a great debut acting role for Christina Aguilera, who did a great job bringing Ali to life.

I loved seeing Cher on the big screen again as Tess, the owner of the burlesque club. Tess was all things that she needed to be. She was tough as nails, but she truly cared for the girls who danced in her club. She could come off as flighty about finances, but she truly cared. Tess is just as determined as Ali; even with the deck stacked against her, she is willing to do anything it takes to save her club. Cher and Christina Aguilera also had great on screen chemistry.

Stanley Tucci was lovable as Sean, Tess’s friend and the guy in charge of the costumes. Where Tess would be tough as nails where she needed to be, Sean would smooth things over with the girls if he needed to. He was also wise and could see people for what they were, and he was not afraid to call them out on it. Sean and Tess had great chemistry; I honestly believed they’d been the best of friends for years. Sean was also my favorite character in the movie.

Kristen Bell was Nikki. I can’t remember Kristen Bell ever being pure evil; I mean, she was pretty evil in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but nowhere near as vile as Nikki. I liked it. Kristen Bell should be pure evil more often. Nikki is the most popular dancer at the club and she knows it, so she knows that she can get away with anything. Tess tries to save her, but it’s clear Nikki doesn’t want saving. Then Ali comes along and knocks Nikki off of her pedestal, and Nikki flips and goes psycho. She does eventually redeem herself, but it was so fun to see someone who’s usually so clean cut being so bad. She also looks really good as a brunette.

Cam Gigandet was Jack, the main love interest of Ali. He’s the first friend Ali makes and is always there for her when she needs him, even if she doesn’t realize she needs him. Great demonstration of this is when she’s waiting for a bus in the rain when she has nowhere to go outside of his apartment. When she refuses to go back inside, he literally picks her up and carries her back in. The chemistry between Jack and Ali is just great, and it was fun to see the relationship grow organically. It wasn’t love at first sight for either of them; they were friends who ended up falling in love, and we got to see the whole thing on screen.

Overall, Burlesque is just a super fun movie that tells a pretty good story while being a little bit sexy. The music is awesome, the performances are great, and it’s a movie I’m excited to see again.