The Burlesque Lounge has its best days behind it. Tess, a retired dancer and owner of the venue, struggles to keep the aging theater alive, facing all kinds of financial and artistic challenges. With the Lounge's troupe members becoming increasingly distracted by personal problems and a threat coming from a wealthy businessman's quest to buy the spot from Tess, the good fortune seems to have abandoned the club altogether. Meanwhile, the life of Ali, a small-town girl from Iowa, is about to change dramatically. Hired by Tess as a waitress at the Lounge, Ali escapes a hollow past and quickly falls in love with the art of burlesque. Backed by newfound friends amongst the theater's crew, she manages to fulfill her dreams of being on stage herself. Things take a dramatic turn though when Ali's big voice makes her become the main attraction of the revue
Something I went back and revisited merely to reconfirm what it had to disclose about the American sex club scene. As I suspected, it's a tad on the surface, if not wholly locked to the margins as Aguilera and Cher have this predictable, if affable rapport where the older woman's trust is not gained easily. The musical element is passable, doesn't grate.
All things considered, it's the sort of movie unfortunately and ultimately loyal to the concept of satiating Californian trash rather than rejecting it, to prolonging tired old traditions of how strip clubs should be run rather than challenging them. Even while you're kind of forced to admit the whole endeavor does have some common sense awareness about it.......such as not making Kristen Bell the main character, but an antagonist of sorts. Gigandet is another such example of studio contract hiring, expendable.
6/10
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