The story's not new: a small-town girl goes to the big city and overcomes adversity, saves the day and lands the man of her dreams to boot. But Burlesque brings something fresh to the genre in the pairing of Cher and Christina Aguilera.
Cher is Cher as Tess, the sassy, no-nonsense owner of the club the destitute Ali (Aguilera) lands at, who enthralled, makes it her mission to end up on the stage.
A lot hangs on these two stars - this is Cher's comeback role after years off-screen, and it's Aguilera's film debut. Tess is no challenge for Oscar-winner Cher, who portrays the matriarch's strength, sensuality and vulnerability with ease. She seems immune to time's corrosion, showcasing her impeccable figure and voice in a manner many starlets could only dream of. And yes, she even pulls off the humorous asides that suggest time hasn't been too kind to her.
Aguilera, meanwhile, shines like the gems that adorn her when she finally makes it onto the stage. While not too much is asked of her in terms of dramatic acting, she does convince in the singing and dancing, and blossoms beautifully from wide-eyed ingenue into the sexy big-voiced main attraction. Hers is a much better film transition than the attempts by songstresses like Britney Spears (Crossroads) and Mariah Carey (Glitter). She shows the promise of a singer who may move beyond singing roles in films, much like Whitney Houston, Carey (in Precious) and Cher herself.
That Tess and Ali could very well be the same character at different stages of their lives doesn't detract from the chemistry between Cher and Aguilera on screen.
The two stars are supported by a wonderfully diverse cast that includes ever-reliable Stanley Tucci as Sean, Tess' best friend and right-hand man, Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane at his McSteamy best as Marcus and Cam Gigandet (Twilight) as Jack, Ali's love interest. Kristen Bell is enjoyable as Nikki, one of the few characters with a full story arc.
Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming and Peter Gallagher aren't given too much to do, but they do it well.
The main flaws of the film are on the production side, and this first-time director Steve Antin, who also wrote the script, will have to answer for. Many scenes are obvious set-pieces for particular musical numbers or dramatic roles to move the story along, but don't help the flow of the movie (compare, in the same genre, to Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge or Rob Marshall's Chicago). The editing also feels jarring at times, but one can't be sure how much of that can be attributed to local cuts.
That said, the film is about song and dance, and here it doesn't set a foot wrong. The choreography is flirty, humorous and always classy, and the music is foot-tappingly captivating.
Burlesque is light-hearted fun, just the kind of inspiring, feel-good film we need at the start of a new year.
If you need just one reason to see the film, Cher performing You Haven't Seen the Last of Me is more than reason enough. Spine-chillingly touching, one isn't able to distinguish whether one's being addressed by Cher or Tess, and in that moment it doesn't matter -- we'll take either, or both. Welcome back, Cher.
