Legit

Rating: 10/10 (24 November 2010)

Over the last several years/decades, we've had various artists attempt musical comedy on film when they didn't, necessarily, have the talent to showcase in the film. It's almost killed the genre for me (which didn't have much going for it anyway).
But when there is a legitimate talent to be featured or simply vehicled, show me where to buy a ticket. The young Christina Aguilera has nothing to prove vocally, but everything was riding on her ability to act on screen and hold our interest between songs. As well, I've always found her performances physically static, while vocally unimaginably executed, so when the trailer put her in a line of chorus girls in a burlesque house (which is showing a rivival of sorts in San Francisco), I did have a question about whether she could be compelling. I shouldn't have worried and wonder why no one hasn't grabbed her before now and put her on the screen. She's mesmerizing and surprisingly demure (which is not a problem she has in interviews on talk shows); and when she mounts the stage she controls everyone watching. Her dancing is quite acceptable and isn't accomplished in the editing room as recent filmed musicals have slipped less than talented actresses over hurdles they clearly couldn't scale.
The story in "Burlesque" is a trifle, and no one tries to apologize for that. "Showgirls" tried to get around the limitations of this genre by adding scale and tawdriness and it only distanced us from any of the characters. The burlesque house here is modest, unapologetically copied from the Broadway show/film "Cabaret," and the musical numbers scaled to a small stage that really's not much larger than an average film house's proscenium. It's a lesson directors of future musicals for film should learn. Keep it scaled down and accessible; otherwise, the audience and performers get overwhelmed and shut out. Here the talent of the dancers shines. The choreography is smart and sassy (as are the costumes), and I couldn't wait for the next numberwhich we're given a generous helping/selection of songs, all kept within the confines of the burlesque house.
Is it revolutionary? No, but it's the best offering since "Moulin Rouge," and I actually found this more appealing. I suspect the Golden Globes are going to eat this up, and that might give both Aguilera and Cher a shot at an Oscar nomination.