Christina Aguilera and Cher star in 'Burlesque': movie review
If you go to 鈥�Burlesque鈥� expecting a campy hoot on the order of 鈥淪howgirls,鈥� you may be in for a disappointment. It鈥檚 not quite awful enough, although it鈥檚 plenty bad.
It鈥檚 being promoted as the screen comeback of Cher, who plays the owner of a run-down L.A. burlesque house on Sunset Strip, but her role is relatively meager. This is unfortunate, since she, along with Stanley Tucci as her stage manager, give the only performances that rise above the level of a high school theatrical.
The ostensbile star is Christina Aguilera, playing an Iowa waitress who becomes the club鈥檚 prime hootchy-kootchy attraction. She belts out her big numbers while scrunching up her kisser and sidestepping the many hurtling bodies that writer-director Steve Antin places in her path. This movie has about as much to do with burlesque as 鈥�Dancing with the Stars鈥� has to do with 鈥�Swan Lake.鈥�
You鈥檇 be much better off renting the documentary 鈥�Behind the Burly Q鈥� or picking up Liz Goldwyn鈥檚 illustrated book 鈥淧retty Things.鈥� Or maybe you should rent 鈥淪howgirls鈥� and be done with it. Grade: C - (Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including several suggestive dance routines, partial nudity, language, and some thematic material.)
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