Burlesque (2010)

Welcome to the "Cutting Room" where once a month we'll go in depth with newer released DVDs that you might have missed in theaters. We start this week out with Burlesque.

Reviewed by Ann Marie

Bright lights, dancing and lip syncing the concept behind the post nightclub Burlesque, well until talented small town girl Ali (Christina Aguleria) shows up.

The movie starts off in a small town.  Ali is a waitress at the local bar, where the manger has had some "cash flow problems" when it comes to paying his employees.  Realizing that her dream is not to serve people food the rest of her life, she robs the register for the amount which she is owed and decides to high tail it to the big city of Los Angeles.  Scouring the city for employment as a singer, she comes upon Burlesque, a night club full of girls in tiny outfits, lip syncing to various old songs and entertaining the audience.  Ali realizes this is her chance to become something great and tries to get a job.  Ali is told to talk to Tess (Cher) about auditions, but she is just laughed at.  Ali takes things into her own hands and begins waiting tables as a way to get started on the ground floor.  From here Ali soon becomes noticed by both Tess and Sean (Stanley Tucci, Julie and Julia), and they can see the fight in her.

Clockers (1995)

The DVD Dump Bin feature returns! Without further ado, Clockers, a crime film from Spike Lee.  

Reviewed by James Ryder

The 1990s had a tremendous amount of excellent, high profile crime films: GoodFellas, Heat, Menace II Society, and Reservoir Dogs to name a few.  At the tail end of "hood film" boom of the early 90s, Spike Lee directed and Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island) produced Clockers.  The film opens to still photos of recreated crime scenes, in full grisly glory.  Unlike other films in the genre, it's clear from frame one, that this film is not going to glorify crime or use it as a vehicle for cheap thrills.

The film cuts back and forth between the stories of Strike, a small time drug dealer, and Dets. Rocco Klein and Larry Mazilli, a pair of homicide detectives who suspect Strike may be involved in a recent murder.  Strike (Mekhi Phifer) sells dope for the neighborhood boss Rodney (Delroy Lindo), whose personality switches from charismatic father-figure to ruthless killer at the drop of a hat.  Throughout the film, one comes to suspect many of his encouraging speeches to Strike may in fact be rehearsed lines he uses on all of his runners.  The film's greatest strength, it's ambiguity. Strike is a drug dealer, but he is likeable, and it's clear he doesn't care much for the profession - he's constantly downing pepto-bismol.