Bright Lights and a Big Voice

I started treatment this Thursday. So on Wednesday I went with a friend to see a movie. Choice of film was important – couldn’t have anything too heavy or o depressing (which left out anything Oscar-worthy). We couldn’t have made a better choice than “Burlesque”.

“Burlesque” is an extremely fun film. By the time I left, I had a smile on my face, a bounce in my step, and the soundtrack in my hand twenty minutes later.
As this year’s annual holiday musical offering, “Burlesque” is much better than last year’s “Nine”. This film is light and airy, and borrows rather liberally from other films. I found obvious references to “Moulin Rouge”, “Chicago” and “All that Jazz”, all of which are excellent in their own right. There’s also a corollary to one of my guilty pleasure films – “Coyote Ugly”.

The showcase here isn’t the plot – it’s the music and the choreography and the dancing. Christina Aguilera couldn’t have picked a better launching vessel. She’s listed as the “music supervisor” and her stamp is clearly all over the musical numbers. I am a self-proclaimed Aguilera fan, and I really liked the fact that she hit her “Dirrty” side as well as an Etta James tribute that she just nails. As far as her acting goes, she’s not half bad. This film could easily have become “Glitter” or “Crossroads” or even “Showgirls”, but it stays to the right of its path every time. Aguilera has learning to do, but I think she has a solid groundwork.

One of the other good things is that this film didn’t really try to hard – except in one or two spots. During the Cher ballad (it’s so bad I can’t remember the name or bother to look it up), I leaned over to my friend to say this was where they were trying to get the Best Original Song nod with yet ANTHER Diane Warren malady. The other serious misstep is the casting of Eric Dane. He seems so out of place, trying to be the smarmy developer out to take the club. All he needs was a mustache to twirl.

But where this film really paid attention was that it didn’t make people step too far outside their comfort zones. It doesn’t make actors sing and it doesn’t make singers act (too much or too badly). I think this is where “Nine” and “Mama Mia” fell WAY short. They even state that the girls are lip synching. Supporting players Kristen Bell (who gets props for her dance) and Stanley Tucci (who gets comedic props) know their roles well.

“Burlesque” is a fun romp and a nice little holiday diversion. When I buy the DVD (and I’m sure I will), I’ll create my own director’s cut – skipping through Cher and Dane to make a much more interesting film. The soundtrack, however, will be on repeat for awhile.