The Sapphires

© 2013 Ray Wong

Australian movies tend to have lots of heart, and The Sapphires, which tells a unique story of four Aboriginal girls who finds themselves in showbiz during the Vietnam War, is no exception.

Gail (Deborah Mailman), Julie (Kessica Mauboy) and Cynthia (Miranda Tpsell), together with their light-skinned cousin Kay (Shari Sebbers), are four Aboriginal girls who love to sing. Looking for a way to do what they love and get out of their small community, they seek out opportunities to showcase their singing talents, even though the white folks in town treat them like garbage.

However, their talents get the attention of Dave Lovelace (Chris O'Dowd), a music man trying to make a buck. Julie -- by far the best singer in the group -- suggests they audition for part of a singing troop for GIs in Vietnam. The gig would pay $30 a week. Out of a job, Dave volunteers to be their manager. The first thing he does is to urge the girls to sing Soul instead of Country/Western. His advice pays off as they pass the audition and earn their way to Saigon.

Once in Saigon, they realize that they may have bitten more than they can chew. The area is deep in the war, and their schedule is hectic without a guarantee that they will get paid, or not get killed, for that matter. Still, the girls are having the time of their lives. Kay falls for a young American GI named Robby (Tory Kittles), and Julie catches the eye of a local talent scout. But soon the war escalates and the group loses their military security. Things take a bad turn… 

Ever since his breakout role in The Bridesmaids, Chris O'Dowd is making a name for himself for playing lovable dweebs. Here, as the down-and-out wannabe musician who sees his way out with these four talented girls, O'Dowd exudes a sense of self-deprecating confidence and like-ability that makes us want to see him win, despite his flaws. O'Dowd just makes it look so easy and affable.

Deborah Mailman (The Secret Life of Us), who plays the oldest of the girls, is excellently feisty, bossy, crappy and yet caring and vulnerable and sensitive. She and O'Dowd have tremendous chemistry together. Australian singer Jessica Mauboy has a great voice and does a good job as Julie, even though her character is probably the least developed. Miranda Tapsell (Magical Tales) is affectingly fiery, like a firecracker, as Cynthia, and Shari Sebbers (Violet) is dutiful as one of the "lost generation" children -- those fair-skinned Aboriginal children who were abducted by the government during the 50s and 60s.

Written by Tony Briggs (On the Nose) and Keith Thompson (Fireflies), the screenplay has a down to earth quality to it. Set in the late 60s, the story has to find a balance between being a period piece and yet connecting with the younger audience, especially with the Vietnam War in the backdrop. The result is that the story does gloss over some of the historical details of either of the plights of the Aboriginal people in Australia and the Vietnam War. While the story focuses on the main characters, which are really well written and developed, the side characters such as Robby or the soldiers, are somewhat sketchy and stereotypical.

In Wayne Blair's (Lucky Leonard) hand, however, the movie clips along at a nice pace, and the character development (of the main characters) is spot on. Blair manages to find a balance between comedy and drama, between excitement and introspection, between high emotions and humor. The movie never quite wanders into melodramatic territory, even though it comes close a few times. Instead, we get a solid musical about these interesting characters, sort of like Dreamgirls but set in Australia and the Vietnam War.

With its crowd-pleasing premise, likable stars and a good, heart-warming story, While not as spectacular as Dreamgirls, The Sapphires offers a different take on the same concept. It's quite an attractive little gem.

Stars: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbers, Miranda Tapsell, Tory Kittles, Don Battee
Director: Wayne Blair
Writers: Tony Briggs, Keith Thompson
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
MPAA Rating:  PG-13 for sexuality, war violence, language, thematic elements and smoking
Running Time: 103 minutes

Ratings:

Script - 7
Performance - 7
Direction - 7
Cinematography =7
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 7
Production - 7

Total - 7.3 out of 10.0 

Les Misérables

© 2012 Ray Wong

As star Hugh Jackman said, Les Misérables is the Mt. Everest of all musicals. Possibly one of the most beloved musicals of all times, the film version is long overdue (27 years to be exact). Under the risk-taking direction of Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (King's Speech), the film is a triumph is many ways.

The story follows the protagonist, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) from the time he was on parole after serving a 20-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. Downtrodden, Valjean decides to steal from a priest (Colm Wilkinson) and gets caught, but the priest's act of kindness opens Valjean's eyes to the meaning of love and respect, and he vows to use the priest's gift to start anew. Valjean breaks parole and disappears, and Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) vows to track down and bring Valjean to justice.

Years later, Valjean becomes a factory owner and mayor of a small town under a fake name. Due to his negligence, a worker of his, Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is tossed out on the street. Fantine later succumbs to prostitution and becomes very ill. Knowing what he did, Valjean vows to dying Fantine that he will take care of her daughter Cosette (Isabelle Allen).

Eight years later, the students in Paris are staging a revolt against the oppressive government. One of the students, Marius (Eddie Redmayne), however, is smitten by Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), now a beautiful young lady. Their young love, however, is cut short when Javert is hot on Valjean's trail again. When Marius is wounded at the barricade during a battle, Valjean risks his freedom and saves Marius. Through Marius and Cosette, Valjean finally finds the meaning of true love and salvation.

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige) is arguably one of the few actors who can play Valjean in this film musical. Known as an action hero and a romantic leading man, Jackman also has the musical theater training to prepare him for the role of a lifetime. His Valjean is physically impressive but soulful and gentle and virtuous. Jackman gives an affecting and sincere performance and anchors the entire film.  As his antagonist, Russell Crowe (The Next Three Days) has taken a different approach to playing the famous inspector. Here, Crowe gives Javert a soul and the kind of vulnerability you don't expect. His rock-opera singing voice may not be the best in the cast, but Crowe's nuanced performance is a welcome interpretation.

Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises) is the standout here, what with her dedication to playing the doomed, tragic Fantine. She's given a tour-de-force performance and in just one show-stopping number, I Dreamed a Dream, Hathaway has propelled herself as the frontrunner in this year's Oscar race, and deserves all the accolades she's been getting. Likewise, Eddie Redmayne (My Week with Marilyn) surprises and delights as the love-sick Marius. Redmayne has a beautiful voice, but more important, he brings a boyish, innocent charm and deep emotions to the often underwritten role (at least on stage).

Equally underwritten in the stage musical is Cosette, often serving as a plot device rather than a true character. But Amanda Seyfried (In Time) manages to give her a voice and make us believe that she is the light for Fantine, Marius and Valjean. Samantha Barks is also excellent as Eponine, the poor girl who is secretly in love with Marius. Sasha Baron Cohen (Hugo) and Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech) give the serious film much needed comic relief as the Thenardiers.

Adapted from the popular musicals, which itself is an adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel, the screenplay actually is better developed than the book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. William Nicholson (Gladiator) has done a fine job matching the musical with Hugo's original material, making small and big changes that make the story more sensible and, in many ways, more gritty and real than the musical spectacle. For example, Fantine's descent to her despair is now more evident and believable.

Still, the material has to work with the confine of the musical structure. Director Tom Hooper has made some risky decisions that may or may not have worked, depending on who you ask. The die-hard fans may have trouble understanding or accepting the changes he made, and people who are not familiar with the musical may not understand his vision. The most important decision Hooper made was that he insisted on the actors singing live, instead of lip-synching to pre-recorded soundtracks. The result is an amazingly emotional roller-coaster ride as the actors are free to make their acting choices while singing live.

To enhance that emotional impact and be even more "up close and personal," Hooper chose to film the actors, especially during their solos, with close ups and unconventional camera angles. The result may not be completely pleasing -- in fact it may unnerve many people who are not used to such cinematic techniques -- but the close ups and strange camera work heighten the emotions to a level that is almost overwhelming. For example, the unflinching long single-shot close-up of Anne Hathaway's I Dreamed a Dream is overpowering, and the Dutch angles and fast editing during the Lovely Ladies sequence made me uncomfortable and feeling queasy, exactly the way I should be feeling. Despite some missteps (the frantic editing may not always work), Tom Hooper is a genius.

Les Misérables does have its flaws. It's not a perfect film by any means. It's not going to convert non-musical audiences to avid fans. It may not please the die-hard fans of the stage show. Tom Hooper's unconventional direction may irk some people who expect a sweeping epic. But despite all that, Hooper has succeeded in bringing the two forms -- musical and film -- together on an epic, larger-than-life scale that offers both the intimacy and sweeping vistas that the stage show cannot. It's an emotional ride with a rousing score and a beautiful message. It's les incredible!

Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Sasha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Aaron Tveit
Director: Tom Hooper
Writer: William Nicholson (based on musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, novel by Victor Hugo)
Distributor: Universal
MPAA Rating:  R for suggestive and sexual material, violence, thematic elements
Running Time: 157 minutes 

Ratings:

Script - 8
Performance - 9
Direction - 8
Cinematography - 9
Music/Sound - 9
Editing - 7
Production - 8

Total - 8.2 out of 10.0 

Pitch Perfect

© 2012 Ray Wong


Pitch Perfect

The pitch for Pitch Perfect is rather straightforward: High School Musical or Glee set in college. Of course, there is no such thing as original idea anymore; it all depends on the execution. In that regard, Pitch Perfect is just about average.

Beca (Ann Kendrick) is a Freshman at Barden College, at which her father teaches as a professor. She reluctantly enrolls so her father will bankroll her dream to move to LA later to become a music producer. And reluctantly she joins an all-girl a cappella group called Bella, run by two perky upperclassmen named Chloe (Brittany Snow) and Aubrey (Anna Camp). Desperate to regroup after a disastrous season at the national championship finals, Chloe and Aubrey recruit a group of misfits including independent Bella, outgoing Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), sexpot Stacey (Alexis Knapp), and mousy Lilly (Hana Mae Lee).

At first, Beca does not really care -- she is just buying her time so she can get out and move to LA. But then she gets attached to her mates. Furthermore, she has met fellow Freshman and singer Jesse (Skylar Astin), a preppy guy who is earnest to a fault. Beca can't be more different than any of them, but somehow she finds herself fitting in. In fact, she starts to really enjoy herself in the competitions, and realizes she can use her musical talent to help her teammates.

However, Aubrey runs the group with a tight fist. She is so strung out about making it to the finals that she won't listen to any advice. Competing against the all-boy group The Troublemakers, headlined by cocky Bumper (Adam DeVine), Bella is in disarray. Beca must decide to stay and be humiliated publicly, or leave her friends behind.

Anna Kendrick (End of Watch) got her big break playing a rookie in George Clooney's Up in the Air. As a quirky, indifferent college Freshman, she is cute yet detached, smart but quiet. Yet she's not too quiet to disappear in her role. Still, at one point I'd like for her to be tougher -- even though she is a free spirit, she appears to be rather passive, often in the background. Skylar Astin (Taking Woodstock) is sweet and charming as Jesse -- perhaps a little too sweet and earnest.

Adam DeVine (TRON: Uprising) is good at being cocky and obnoxious, but in a funny way. Brittany Snow (Petunia) is perky as friendly Chloe, and Anna Camp (The Help) is perfectly stuck up as Aubrey. The standout is Rebel Wilson (Struck by Lightning) as outragoues, uncensored Fat Amy.

Written by Kay Cannon (30 Rock) and Mickey Rapkin, the screenplay follows a rather standard arc: we meet the heroine and hero, then we meet the cast of oddball characters, and then we put them in various situations and make fun of them. Some of the scenes are quite funny, thanks to the talented actors. The jokes can be a bit sophomoric and tiresome (how much can we laugh at vomiting, really?) Still, the energetic cast and the cheery tone of the story help lift the movie to become entertaining. There is a certain feel-good quality to it that you can't help but root for the characters, even though a lot of it is cliched and predictable.

Jason Moore (Brothers & Sisters) comes from TV, and at times it shows in his direction. Over all, it is a tight ship and the pacing is good. At times, though, you feel the energy slacking and some of the production values not up to par. The movie feels uneven at times. Still, Moore is able to capture the youthful gleefulness and the friendships that are so unique in the college setting. The musical numbers are catchy and generally well thought out, with a few exceptions.

The trailers of Pitch Perfect were hilarious. So in a way I feel that the actual movie doesn't quite live up to the promise. Yet it is still entertaining, and the actors all pitch in to make it a fun time. It's in no way pitch perfect, but it's a decent diversion.

Stars: Ann Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Ben Platt, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee
Director: Jason Moore
Writer: Kay Cannon, Mickey Rapkin
Distributor: Universal
MPAA Rating:  PG-13 for sexual material, language, and drug references
Running Time: 112 minutes 

Ratings:

Script - 7
Performance - 7
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 7
Music/Sound - 8
Editing - 7
Production - 7

Total - 7.5 out of 10.0 

Rock of Ages

© 2012 Ray Wong

Rock of Ages is an interesting kind of musical: it is low-brow and it aims to please the mass audience by using hit songs as its soundtrack. And yet within this context, the movie works on some levels and doesn't on others.

Sherrie (Julianne Hough) is a small town girl from Oklahoma who dreams of being a singer in Los Angeles. She finally makes the move and arrives in LA, only to have her belongings stolen. A nice young man, Drew (Diego Boneta), comes to her rescue and helps her get a job at the nightclub where he works. The club is owned by Dennis (Alec Baldwin), an aging rocker who's staging his comeback by booking Rock 'n' Roll superstar Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) for a one-night-only gig.

Stacee Jaxx turns out to be a complete jerk messed up with drugs and booze. Still, he is THE Stacee Jaxx. Everyone is letting him get his way, except Rolling Stones reporter Constance (Malin Akerman), who despite her attraction to Stacee Jaxx refuses to play nice with her interview. Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Mike Whitmore is campaigning on a conservative agenda, and his wife Patricia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is launching a full assault on Stacee Jaxx in the name of cleaning up LA and protecting the children.

Of course, Sherrie and Drew fall in love with each other. When talented Drew is on the verge of getting discovered by Stacee Jaxx's oily manager (Paul Giamatti), a misunderstanding keeps Sherrie and Drew apart. Will their young love survive? Will Dennis save his business? Will Stacee Jaxx sober up and save his career? Will the Whitmores succeed?

Julianne Hough (Footloose) is no stranger to musicals. As the naive girl with huge 80s hair, Hough is sweet and cute. Her performance is somewhat light and her voice is slight. But she has great chemistry with Diego Boneta (90210) who is making his film debut, here. Boneta has a strong pop voice (probably a bit slight for rock n roll) and does an amiable job as the lovestruck musician.

The movie belongs to the veteran actors, however. Alec Baldwin (To Rome with Love) is groovy as the aging rocker-turn-bar owner. His performance is breezy and lovable. Russell Brand (Arthur) is energetic and fun-loving as Baldwin's righthand man. Bryan Cranston (John Carter) hams it up for the role of the conservative mayoral candidate, while Catherine Zeta-Jones (No Reservation) goes all out with her vindictive character. Paul Giamatti (The Ides of March) is suitably slimy, and Malin Akerman (Wanderlust) does a good job switching between lust and disgust as the reporter.

Of course, the standout here is superstar Tom Cruise himself as superstar Stacee Jaxx. Cruise completely embodies the washed-out rocker physically, mentally and vocally. He owns every scene.

Adapted from the hit musical by Chris D'Arenzo, with co-writers Justin Theroux (Iron Man 2) and Allan Loeb (The Dilemma), the screenplay is probably the weakest link in the film. The predictable and cliched story may have worked on Broadway, but it fares less favorably as a movie. At the core it's a love story two small-town dreamers in a big city. Where have we seen this done before? Oh, as recently as yet another musical called Burlesque (in which Julianne Hough costarred). Everything from the characters to the plot and dialogue is cliched and one-dimensional.

Don't get me wrong, though. The familiarity eventually works for the movie in a campy, outrageous way as this is a broad comedy with 80s' hit songs as the soundtrack. And let's talk about the soundtrack, which is what this MUSICAL is all about. If you grew up or lived through the 80s, you would be familiar with the songs, which work extremely well in the context of the plot. The rock anthems and the love ballads fit seamlessly and they are great crowd pleasers. The soundtrack alone (even if it's auto-tuned) is worth the price of the admission.

Director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) didn't set out to make high art. He wanted to make a campy, rousing musical set in the campy, rousing era of the 1980s. With that in mind, I think he has mostly succeeded. The musical is all about huge hair, huge sets, huge sounds and a huge cast. It's a crowd pleaser and boy, does it please. It rocks!

Stars: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman

Director: Adam Shankman

Writers: Justin Theroux, Chris D'Arenzo, Allan Loeb (based on musical by Chris D'Arenzo)

Distributor: Warner Bros.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing, heavy drinking, and language

Running Time: 123 minutes 

Ratings:

Script - 6

Performance - 8

Direction - 7

Cinematography - 8

Music/Sound - 10

Editing - 7

Production - 8

Total - 7.5 out of 10.0 

Country Strong

© 2011 Ray Wong



It's been a few years since Gwyneth Paltrow was in a lead role in a feature film, and she chose to "come back" as a Country singer in Country Strong. The result may not be exactly what she hoped for.

Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a "washed up" Country superstar who has spent the past eight years in and out of rehab. Her husband and manager James (Tim McGraw) takes her out of rehab before she's ready, since he's staging her comeback tour in Texas. She insists on having her "sponsor," Beau (Garrett Hedlund), open for her since he's a good singer, too. Meanwhile, James wants a pretty ex-beauty queen Chiles (Leighton Meester). After a brief fight, they compromise and bring both singers along.

Beau is supposed to keep an eye on Kelly, keeping her off booze and drugs. But while Beau is on stage doing his opening numbers, Kelly sneaks past everyone and starts taking pills again. James is frustrated. Kelly is jealous because both James and Beau are flirting with Chiles. Little does James know, Beau and Kelly are actually carrying on an affair behind his back. Meanwhile, Chiles is developing a crush on the cool and talented Beau. Talk about a love square.

Knowing Kelly will never leave James and having feelings from Chiles, Beau breaks it off with Kelly. That sets her into a tailspin and she starts to drink heavily again. James is stuck in an estranged marriage while trying to be the best manager for Kelly -- except Kelly is tired of it all. Through it, Beau realizes he doesn't want or need any of that showbiz bullshit: he just wants to sing, and he makes a proposal to Chiles to come with him to Los Angeles.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron-Man) has shown off her singing talent before, and she's matured here (and Country seems to fit her relatively thin voice just fine). She plays the vulnerable but effervescent superstar just fine -- that is a lot of emotions and crying and feeling sad. I just can't help but feel this is nothing but Oscar-bait, and I'm not completely convinced by her performance. Garrett Hedlund (TRON Legacy) is surprisingly strong as a singer, and he gets to act in this movie (he had nothing much to do in TRON). In a strange way, he reminds me of Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain and that's a compliment.

Tim McGraw (The Blind Side) continues to show his acting chops. Ironically, the country star doesn't sing in this movie. But McGraw's maturing acting skills make us forget "oh, he's a singer first." Leighton Meester (The Roommate) is pretty, sweet, cute and vulnerable as Chiles. Her acting is a bit on the soft side, but I see good things happening to her in the near future.

Written and directed by Shana Feste (The Greatest), the drama is heavy on internal feelings, struggles and interrelationship mumble-jumble and light on plot. In fact, I could have summarized the entire plot in one line: "Country superstar wallows in self-destruction and messy relationships with two men she loves." That's pretty much it. The rest is just to get them from point A to point B.

Now, character-centric dramas are not necessarily a bad thing. The King's Speech, for example, does that beautifully with intrigue, tension, and genuine characterization. The problem with this screenplay is that it's devoid of any suspense, intrigue, or tension. Sure, there are conflicts, but they feel forced and unconvincing. Often I don't understand the motivation, and it seems these characters only exist to shout and cry just because they feel like it. We're given enough backstories to understand the reasons why they're so screwed up, but they are not enough to connect the dots. The dialogue ranges from heartfelt to really cheesy.

The main problem, other than the lack of a plot, is that as a character-driven drama, the characters are thinly drawn. I never fully understand them. As emotional and thoughtful as they are, they never seem deep to me. More like "paint by numbers" at times, like there's a checklist for each character: She's perky and vulnerable, and he's cool and thoughtful… While the actors do their best to bring three-dimensionality to the roles, the characters and situations simply feel contrived, all the way to the predictable ending.

And then there are the songs. Many of them are quite catchy and pleasant, but none really stand out. And Feste lingers for too long, and often it feels more like a music video than a drama. We even get an extended 10-minute-plus performance by Paltrow at the end complete with costume change. I understand music is important in this genre, but in more skillful hands, the music could have been integrated better (for example, Walk The Line, Crazy Heart).

On paper, this may have sounded like a great character-centric drama that showcases Paltrow's talent. In reality, this is anything but strong.



Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester
Director: Shana Feste
Writer: Shana Feste
Distributor: Screen Gems
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual content
Running Time: 112 minutes

Ratings:


Script – 5
Performance – 7
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 7
Production – 7


Total – 6.4 out of 10

Burlesque

© 2010 Ray Wong



As a friend of mine said, Burlesque is just like Showgirl with a simpler plot, better songs, and Cher. In other words, it's only slightly better.

Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a girl from a small Iowa town who dreams to be singer, so she packs for a one way trip to Los Angeles. After a few weeks of trying to break into the business, she comes across a Burlesque lounge on the Sunset Strip. Lured by the glamor and also trying to convince Tess (Cher) -- owner of the club--Ali befriends bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet) and gets a job as a waitress.

After her apartment is broken in and all her money is stolen, she begs to stay at Jack's place, thinking he's gay. Well, what do you know? He's not, but instead engaged to an actress who is, rather conveniently, living and working in New York. As their attraction to each other grows stronger, Ali also succeeds in convincing Tess to give her a spot on stage. While Ali isn't the strongest dancer, she has drive and she wants it bad; and Tess likes that, because Ali reminds Tess of her younger self.

Meanwhile, Tess is on the verge of losing her club because she can't pay the mortgage, and real estate developer Marcus (Eric Dane) wants to buy it so he can build a high-rise apartment. When Tess finds out Ali can sing, she builds her shows around Ali. Marcus begins to court Ali, and she accepts because he can make things happen for her, and clearly Jack isn't "available." Then everything changes and Ali must choose between her future and the people she's grown to love.

Cher (Stuck on You) hasn't been on the silver screen since 2003, and her performance as Mama Tess is welcome. The role is tailor-made for her, and fans of Cher would not be disappointed (except she should sing two more songs while Aguilera should sing two fewer). It's amazing how in the soft glow of movie lights and under the thick layers of cosmetics (not to mention plastic surgeries, but we won't go there), Cher looks like she did 25 years ago.

Christina Aguilera's debut goes much better than Britney Spears', partially because Aguilera is a much better actress and singer. Also, she's found a perfect movie for herself. Playing the ingenue is second-nature to the pop superstar, and the musical materials showcase her powerhouse voice, range, and… damn, isn't she attractive? But don't expect an Oscar for the star -- while her performance is fine for a debut, she has nothing on Justin Timberlake.

The male-dominated supporting cast is okay. Cam Gigandet (Easy A) is quickly becoming the It Boy what with his smoldering good looks and model body (and he shows it off a lot). His performance stills lacks certain finesse and range, however. Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) is, as usual, wonderful as Tess's assistant, but I can't help but think he's playing the same role as he did in The Devil Wears Prada. Exactly the same. Alan Cumming (The Tempest) has practically nothing to do, unfortunately, and Peter Gallagher (The War Boys) has only a slightly better role as Tess's constantly constipated ex-husband and business partner. Kristen Bell (When in Rome) has one of the few female roles (which is ironic, as the film is about Burlesque dancers), and her "vixen" is a bit on the one-dimensional side.

Written and directed by Steve Antin (Gloria) is not new to the business, but as a screenwriter/director, he is still rather green. Burlesque is an odd, ironically old-fashioned concept -- seriously, who still go to see Burlesque these days? The screenplay is riddled with cliches, from the rags-to-riches story to the cockeyed romance, from the wise matron to the conniving vixen, from the boy toy to the suave suitor… you name it, you have it. Plenty of plot holes to go around, too. For example, if Ali is so great (and she is!), why would she still be singing at a Burlesque club? She'd be snatched up by a major talent agent and record label already.

The dialogue is suitably cheesy. What is unintentional, however, is how cheesy and funny some "dramatic" scenes turn out to be. For example, right in the middle of a dramatic "heart to heart" scene between Cher and Aguilera, the audience broke out laughing. Certainly I don't think Antin expected that. The plot is cheese, of course, but I admire that Antin tries to stay simple.

The production is somewhat on the cheap side, considering much of it was filmed on a sound stage. The musical numbers are fine: well choreographed and performed. They are entertaining and reminded me of Chicago. But like I said, Cher should have sung two more songs, while Aguilera has one or two too many. It gets rather tiring to hear her sing every damn song. We need some variety.

Burlesque is not a disaster per se, but it's not great either. It's like Chicago's ugly little sister, and she's so ugly she's kind of cute. I suppose, in some ways, it's fitting because the movie isn't called Broadway, but Burlesque.

Stars: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher
Director: Steve Antin
Writers: Steve Antin
Distributor: Screen Gems
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including several suggestive dance routines, partial nudity, language and some thematic material
Running Time: 100 minutes

Ratings:


Script – 6
Performance – 7
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 7
Production – 8


Total – 7.2 out of 10