Alan Cumming

THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS released a short film called City of Angels that was directed by their front man, Jared Leto. The video features Alan Cumming, Ashley Olsen, Corey Feldman, James Franco <3, Juliette Lewis, Kanye West, Lily Collins, Lindsay Lohan, Olivia Wilde, Selena Gomez, Shaun White, and Steve Nash. Along with all of those celebrities, there are interviews with hopeful stars—in particular, Hollywood Blvd street performers. Each interview is heartfelt and everyone discusses how Los Angeles has made their dreams come true and for some, has shattered them.

I loved everything about this and not just because I live in LA. From the great group of people featured to how beautifully they captured the cityscape of Los Angeles, all the while weaving in their song, “City of Angels”, everything represented the city perfectly. I hope they consider making more of these and Jared should really continue directing. Whether you’re a fan of L.A. or not, this is a cool video to watch.

Burlesque
Directed by: Steve Antin
Starring: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Kristen Bell, Julianna Hough, Eric Dane, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher

By: Nevra Azerkan
Rating:

After seeing the trailer for Burlesque I knew it was a must see for me. So I was ecstatic when I was able to catch an advance screening of the movie.

The story begins with Ali (Christina Aguilera), a small town girl from Iowa, who moves to Hollywood to follow her dreams to perform on stage. While watching the dancers perform she realizes that’s what she wants to be doing. She befriends Jack, the bartender (Cam Gigandet) who indirectly gets her a waitressing position at the club. When one of the dancers, Georgia (Julianne Hough) gets pregnant, Tess begins auditioning for a replacement. After showing Tess and Sean (Stanley Tucci), the stage manager, that she knows all of their routines she officially becomes one of the Burlesque Lounge dancers. The drama begins after the star of the show, Nikki (Kristen Bell) comes in wasted and Tess has no choice but to replace her with Ali, which starts a feud between the two. Tess has defaulted on payments and risks losing the club if she doesn’t come up with the money. That’s where Marcus Gerber (Eric Dane), a hot shot businessman and patron of the club, comes in. Not only is he interested in getting to know Ali, but he has also set his sights on buying the Burlesque Lounge.

As for the acting, I am glad to report that there wasn’t anything cringe worthy. Christina holds her own even during the times that she comes off as whiny, but that’s her character after all. Cher is perfect in her role as mentor and her partnership with Tucci is dynamic. Kristen Bell does a great job as the jealous washed out former star of the show (no traces of Veronica Mars here!). I was particularly impressed with Cam Gigandet, who had great chemistry with Christina and this role shows us his diversity as an actor. He definitely has an amazing agent because I keep seeing him all over these days and I don’t think that’s going to stop anytime soon. You also get quite an eyeful of him in this movie as he has the only nude scene in the film. Stanley Tucci, is a wonderful addition as always, bringing in his entertaining comedic flavor. Another fun tidbit is Glee’s Dianna Agron has a very small part in the film as Natalie, Jack’s fiancée.

The musical numbers were PHENOMENAL. They really did not spare any expense. I think everyone left the theater with a little dance in their step. It’s nearly impossible not to. The choreography was mesmerizing and Christina and Cher’s singing—do you really have to ask? Their performances were electrifying. You will not be able to tear your eyes away from the screen. There is no doubt that the soundtrack will be a top seller and the film is bound to be a favorite as well.