My experience with "Burlesque"
11-25-10, 01:11 AM
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My experience with "Burlesque"
I felt adventurous, having survived the great Utah Blizzard, and decided to brave the multiplex crowds and catch a screening of Burlesque. With school out for Thanksgiving, the parking lot of the theater was jammed with families there to see Tangled and Harry Potter.
I can say that the audience seeing Burlesque with me was rather unique, divided into three parts. One side of the theater was the gay guys there for Cher; the other side was the female brigade of the local Twihard army, there to see Cam Gigandet in all his bare-ass glory, and myself (not fitting into either of those groups) in the middle.
Overall, Burlesque is a mixed experience. It's glitzy, schmaltzy, kitchy, smarmy, and silly. It's bombastic, and manic. It's 75% Moulin Rouge!, 20% Showgirls, 4% Chicago, and 1% Mickey Mouse Club.
A warning: if you suffer from epilepsy, do not see this film!
Being that Burlesque is the 126th film I have seen theatrically this year, I came away from it a bit underwhelmed. The soundtrack is definetly worth picking up, especially if you are fans of Cher or Aguilera.
My rating:
3.5 Lego Guys of of 5.
I can say that the audience seeing Burlesque with me was rather unique, divided into three parts. One side of the theater was the gay guys there for Cher; the other side was the female brigade of the local Twihard army, there to see Cam Gigandet in all his bare-ass glory, and myself (not fitting into either of those groups) in the middle.
Overall, Burlesque is a mixed experience. It's glitzy, schmaltzy, kitchy, smarmy, and silly. It's bombastic, and manic. It's 75% Moulin Rouge!, 20% Showgirls, 4% Chicago, and 1% Mickey Mouse Club.
A warning: if you suffer from epilepsy, do not see this film!
Being that Burlesque is the 126th film I have seen theatrically this year, I came away from it a bit underwhelmed. The soundtrack is definetly worth picking up, especially if you are fans of Cher or Aguilera.
My rating:
3.5 Lego Guys of of 5.
11-25-10, 01:39 AM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse
Does that pop singer get naked?
11-25-10, 01:44 AM
#4
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Dr Mabuse
Does that pop singer get naked?
I thought the movie sucked (unlike my girlfriend who loved it). I like my musicals campy and gay and this movie needed to be more campy and gay. There's not a lot of singing and dancing (which is real surprising considering the film is two fuckin' hours long) and most of the film is wasted on a mumbling plot that doesn't know where to go.
How this film cost $55 million is beyond me. It's the Sarah, Plain and Tall of movie musicals. No real identity to call its own due to a cinematographer and editor who can't elevate the (weak) material. If this film is "bombastic," than Moulin Rouge (a film that Burlesque should never be compared to) is the cinematic equivalent to your first hour after snorting three lines of pure Colombian coke.
The film also completely wastes the talents of Kristen Bell and Alan Cumming, who are both given nothing to do (the latter is in the film for five minutes tops).
11-25-10, 06:19 AM
#5
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Matthew Chmiel
The film also completely wastes the talents of Kristen Bell ...
11-25-10, 06:25 AM
#6
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
I think there's little I could hate more in the world than calculated kitsch. Purposefully over-the-top and tacky for the sake of being so inspires me to look for bridges or cliffs to hop off of. I love Moulin Rouge!, but that pushes the aesthetic so far it turns into something else; it's the opposite of calculated given how passionate it is. Not surprised to hear Burlesque the former and not the latter.
11-25-10, 07:08 AM
#7
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Gunde
To be fair so did every single movie (minus FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL) she's been in since Veronica Mars. That girl needs a better agent or better taste.
11-25-10, 10:16 AM
#10
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
well it does have a terrible trailer going for it. I cracked up at that, but seeing this pile of shite is a whole other game. No Way In Hell.
How it cost 55 million is beyond me too! I'm thinking someone is skimming.
It looks like a 15-20 mill MAX, that could have been done with 10 mill.
How it cost 55 million is beyond me too! I'm thinking someone is skimming.
It looks like a 15-20 mill MAX, that could have been done with 10 mill.
11-25-10, 11:33 AM
#11
DVD Talk Hero
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Tonally, this film is all over the map. Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small town girl from Iowa headed for the dreams offered by Hollywood. After countless of dance and singing auditions, she happens by a burlesque club, and as the script would have it, Ali shoehorns her way into the club, first as a cocktail waitress, and later she finds her way into the show segments. Tess (Cher) runs the club, but business isn't great, and her loans are coming due. Marcus (Eric Dane) is a businessman looking to buy the club, but Tess has always rebuked his offers, but can she still do so with the banks waiting in the wings to foreclose? Jack (Cam Gigandet) is the bartender with the heart of gold working at the club, and he and Ali become bosom buddies. Sean (Stanley Tucci) is Tess's right hand man, that stalwart second banana who cheers on Tess when the chips are down, but at least he's somewhat relatable in not glossing over the truth when need be. The rest of the cast is pretty much wasted (talent-wise), i.e. Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, Kristen Bell.
The story is pretty basic, and the acting is average, Aguilera isn't going to surprise anyone with her acting (which isn't bad, just not relevatory), but her singing is spot-on along with the dance choreography, and it's the main reason people would want to see the film. Some of Ali's numbers gave me goosebumps from simply the vocals, and the dance numbers are fun, light, with a hint of naughty. Every now and then, a solo is dropped into the film's running time, perhaps it was written into the actor's contracts that they get a solo here and there.
But even with some solid song-and-dance numbers, the film's overall plotline is treated rather perfunctory, just to get to the song-and-dance segments, it comes up short as a compelling film to watch when there isn't singing and dancing on the screen.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
The story is pretty basic, and the acting is average, Aguilera isn't going to surprise anyone with her acting (which isn't bad, just not relevatory), but her singing is spot-on along with the dance choreography, and it's the main reason people would want to see the film. Some of Ali's numbers gave me goosebumps from simply the vocals, and the dance numbers are fun, light, with a hint of naughty. Every now and then, a solo is dropped into the film's running time, perhaps it was written into the actor's contracts that they get a solo here and there.
But even with some solid song-and-dance numbers, the film's overall plotline is treated rather perfunctory, just to get to the song-and-dance segments, it comes up short as a compelling film to watch when there isn't singing and dancing on the screen.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
11-25-10, 01:49 PM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Gunde
To be fair so did almost every single movie she's been in since Veronica Mars. That girl needs a better agent or better taste.
11-25-10, 03:43 PM
#13
DVD Talk Hero
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by foofighters7
How it cost 55 million is beyond me too! I'm thinking someone is skimming.
It looks like a 15-20 mill MAX, that could have been done with 10 mill.
It looks like a 15-20 mill MAX, that could have been done with 10 mill.
11-25-10, 08:25 PM
#14
Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Numanoid
You've got to figure that both Cher and Christina Aguilera are pulling in probably 10-20 million each.
11-26-10, 12:24 AM
#16
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Defiant1
I don't think so. That's Angelina Jolie/Julia Roberts type money.
11-26-10, 11:35 PM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by Matthew Chmiel
I thought the movie sucked (unlike my girlfriend...
11-27-10, 12:24 AM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
126 films in one year? I can't see 5 in a year and this year I've seen less. This is a movie I'm interested in but I'll rent it instead.
11-27-10, 04:36 PM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
A little background on the film's existence:
Originally Posted by Deadline Hollywood
Why anybody bothered to make Burlesque or give it such a wide release might be a mystery. Until it's revealed that Screen Gems chief Clint Culpepper greenlighted his boyfriend's $55+ million passion project. (Their on-set strife over budget, schedule, and creative decisions resulted in the most expensive film in Screen Gems history, and word is they're now broken up after 20 years. Awkward.)
11-28-10, 12:43 AM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by big whoppa
126 films in one year? I can't see 5 in a year and this year I've seen less. This is a movie I'm interested in but I'll rent it instead.
Spoiler:
11-28-10, 12:50 AM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Good if you get free passes otherwise, I don't understand spending all the money. You could have buy a nice home theater for the price of tickets to all those movies--many of which aren't very good.
Originally Posted by E. Honda
I know. I'm pathetic... here's my list of what I've seen if you care to read it...
Spoiler:
11-28-10, 01:25 AM
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Re: My experience with "Burlesque"
Originally Posted by big whoppa
You could have buy a nice home theater
When I feel really mean, I hook up my 14" subwoofer and turn up the bass on the receiver. My neighbors don't appreciate that, so I haven't done it too often.
