Fun & Fabulous
Posted by andreasherrel on December 11, 2010
Last night I went to see Burlesque. I wanted to see something light and fun, and this film definitely hit the spot. It was a film about empowerment, family, loyalty, and passion. Both Cher and Christina Aguilera portrayed strong, yet compassionate female characters. Something that is not commonplace in major motion picture films being released today, and therefore I believe it should be celebrated.
The filmmakers did a fantastic job of creating a dramatic narrative that was not overly dramatic. There are no cat fights, or extraordinarily duplicitous behavior. Instead they were average people making life choices.
There are two characters considered antagonists: Marcus played by Eric Dane, better known as McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy, and Kristin Bell’s Nikki.
Although there behavior was not perfect, especially if you are rooting for the protagonists, it also was not over the top. Marcus was a businessman who made a fair offer and who had his own real estate plans in mind. As the viewer you may not like them, but I did not feel like his actions were malicious. Nikki on the other hand did behave with malice, but her actions were a direct result of her alcoholism and insecurity. And although not acceptable, it was never life, limb, or financially threatening. That is why I consider the film a drama, but not overly dramatic.
As a media literacy educator I have to consider the 6 key questions: 1) What’s the purpose?; 2) What’s the message?; 3) Who is the target audience?; 4) What techniques were used to advance the story?; 5) What was left out?; and 6) Who created the product?
1. The purpose is usually defined as persuading, informational, or entertainment. Burlesque was definitely created to entertain. Although there was at least one blatant use of product placement of Famous Amos cookies. You could say that there was an intent to persuade viewers to purchase the cookies…or at least remind them of their existence. It worked on us. As soon as we left the theater my film companion suggested picking up a box. Just writing that last sentence made me get up and grab another handful.
2. The answer to this question is often subjective depending on what baggage the viewer brings to the table, but I connected to the theme of loyalty and looking out for those you care about. I also clearly saw the statement about the benefits of pursing what you are passionate about. In my opinion this was not conveyed in a fly by night manner, although things did move pretty fast for our leading lady. Through several montage sequences the filmmaker demonstrated Aguilera’s Ali going through the strenuous process necessary to become an expert at what you do. She is seen reading up on burlesque history, memorizing the dances while waiting tables, practicing while walking the streets of LA, etc. It is a reminder that to become the best at what you do, commitment and practice are a requirement, and that is an important statement for young people to receive in today’s culture where we all seem to want immediate gratification.
3. The target audience include fans of both Aguilera and Cher, people who love music and/or burlesque, and women. The film features several great musical numbers, including two by Cher that were just fantastic. You get an insight into a view of burlesque, although it was much grander than any of the burlesque shows I’ve attended. And although the film had great eye candy for men and women alike, it wasn’t overly sexual. Even with the dancing, which I found more sexy than sexual, excluding one short number helmed beautifully by Alan Cumming. The sex scenes were not gratuitous or overt.
4. The primary techniques were of course the two stars, Cher and Aguilera, and their voices. There was also the fact that almost every face in the film was beautiful. And lastly there were a good amount of musical numbers, so if you came because you were drawn in by two musical performers, you were not let down. The story, although enjoyable, was a support to the music.
5. The film left out exactly how hard it can be to “arrive”. The character of Ali has one major traumatic experience, but basically through focus, determination, and persistence she gets her lucky break pretty quickly. The thing is everybody’s story is different. Some people do get their break that quickly, but many, many others do not. Also left out was a lot of Ali’s backstory. We got a glimpse into it, but not enough to explain how she became a person that would leave it all and head for the glitz and glitter of Hollywood. Yet, even as that is the case, I don’t think it was necessary to make the film any stronger.
6. The film was directed by Steve Antin – writer, producer, and actor – Burlesque is only his second feature film. Burlesque was distributed by Sony / Screen Gems with a $55 million production budget.
