Welcome to Burlesque

I rarely anxiously await the release of a movie. When I first saw the trailer for Burlesque months ago, I was instantly transfixed. The glitter, the music, and the costumes - it all seemed so perfect! I thought that November 24 would never come. Well, come it did! Antonio and I saw the movie the day it came out in an older theatre near Union Square. The audience was exactly as you'd expect for a Cher / Christina Aguilera film - the gays came out in full force! I was nervous because I knew that Antonio was going into the movie with low expectations. I was also nervous that I had been touting this movie for months and it was going to let me down.

Well, neither of those situations came true. The movie was great and I can't wait to see it again next weekend with Katherine. The best part of the movie was, of course, the music! Christina returns to sound of her third album, Back to Basics, and it's a welcome change from her fourth album, Bionic. She has the most incredible voice I've ever heard. The songs really showcase her amazing voice and the dancing / cinematography are just spectacular. You really want to get up on stage and be there with her. Cher has two songs in the film and they are both songs that will be on iPod constantly. Her big ballad, You Haven't Seen the Last of Me, actually received a round of applause from the audience in the theatre. The collective energy and love in the audience was electric.

People will be divided by this movie. There will be some who enjoy it for what it is - a glittery, predictable musical. Then there will be some will criticize Christina's acting and the lack of a surprising storyline. I didn't see this movie because I wanted a three-hour epic masterpiece à la Titanic or Atonement. This movie is fun! It's an escape from the mundane moments of our ordinary lives. It has a great love story and an innocence that's hard to find nowadays.

As soon as I got home, I bought the soundtrack and spend the rest of the night Burlesquing in my apartment. It's quite a sight! After months of waiting, I am pleased that this movie was everything I expected and more.