“The Last Showgirl†is Pamela Anderson’s reset.
After “Baywatch,†that “Pam and Tommy†miniseries and a documentary on Netflix, the die was cast – she was ready for a change.
Ironically, the film is about a showgirl who’s about to be out of work. She’s Shelly, a dancer in “Le Razzle Dazzle,†a Las Vegas throwback that was her home for 30 years. When producers announce they’re closing the show, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do. She auditions for dance parts but realizes she’s not the young woman who got in the business years ago. She considers other jobs at the casino but only sees the downside when her friend – and former showgirl – Annette points it out.
Pamela Anderson plays a Las Vegas showgirl about to be unemployed in "The Last Showgirl."Â
Shelly has a rocky relationship with her daughter, too, and can’t figure out where that aspect fits in.
Like “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,†“Showgirl†addresses that brutal subject, starting over. Director Gia Coppola doesn’t force any observations, but she does let us size up the situation and ponder where Shelly might go.
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In many ways, it’s like the “what now?†world a pop sensation faces after the trend passes. Anderson looks fully invested in the shock and awe of it all and isn’t afraid to appear scared, obsolete and tired all at once. She gives the role all the gusto you’d want from a showgirl, then falls apart at home. Saving the show seems like her only hope. But can it rise like a phoenix?
Coppola lets Anderson wallow in her fantasy world, then pops the bubble when Annette turns up. Played by Jamie Lee Curtis, she’s a tough broad who knows what sells. She still gives it to “her†customers on the casino floor but knows dancing for dollars isn’t what it once was.
Jamie Lee Curtis plays Annette, a casino waitress in "The Last Showgirl."Â
Curtis is so abruptly real you wonder why Coppola didn’t give her even more to do. She’s Flo to Anderson’s Alice.
Dave Bautista (as the show’s stage manager) provides another glimpse of the past. He realizes, however, that nothing lasts and is poised to move on – something Shelly doesn’t think she can do.
Coppola gets great support from those dressing room scenes where the real story unfolds. She knows the worn costumes tell one story, the glitzy makeup quite another. When the last show arrives, it’s a testament to Anderson’s performance that she can sparkle on stage while the life she loves is coming to an end.
Pamela Anderson plays a woman who has to rethink her career options when her Las Vegas show closes in "The Last Showgirl."Â
There’s a little bit of “Gypsy†here with the younger showgirls (Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song) but it’s not a toast to the past, just a sip of what used to be.
Easily, Kate Gersten’s screenplay could have been bedazzled with much more. Stripped down, it relies on Anderson to sell it. She does and, best of all, leaves us wanting more.
Interestingly, “The Last Showgirl’s†lessons can be applied elsewhere. It’s a cry for what was when nothing better is there to replace it.
