In the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, a showgirl named Shelly (Pamela Anderson) loves nothing more than performing in her casino show, The Razzle Dazzle. She's seen dancers come and go over the show's 37 years, but she's been there since day one with all these crazy stories of yesteryear that she happily shares with her coworkers Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Anne (Brenda Song), whether they want to hear them or not. Eddie (Dave Bautista), her longtime producer, informs them that The Razzle Dazzle will eventually close down and be replaced by a popular new circus strip show. As her time in the spotlight draws to a close, Shelly must grapple with her future while still clinging to making every show she performs count.
Gia Coppola pulls back the curtain on the glitz and glamour seen in the movies and illustrates Las Vegas as what it has become in recent times: a desolate ghost town. Filmed on location, The Last Showgirl highlights the deteriorating state of Las Vegas, as evidenced by each point-of-view shot that shows characters wandering the city streets or traversing the empty halls of a casino. I don't like long takes of characters wandering around looking forlorn and melancholy (thanks to Terrence Malick for that), but Coppola uses them effectively, illuminating the city's former glory. This is Coppola's best work to date.
Director: Gia CoppolaWriter: Kate GerstenStars: Pamela Anderson, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka
Even though the city seems so grim, a vivid picture of Las Vegas comes to life through Shelly's memories that she shares with her coworkers. You see the impact that the city's deterioration had on her and other showgirls trying to make a living and pursue their dreams. This is the most powerful aspect of Kate Gersten's script, as she constantly makes it clear that being a Las Vegas showgirl is on the same level as any other working-class occupation, such as retail.
However, the full ramifications of the Las Vegas strip not generating as much revenue as it once did take a toll on their livelihoods, especially for the older showgirls who no longer perform. Shelly's sassy best friend and former co-worker Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis, always the show-stealer) is a prime example, as she works as a cocktail waitress at the casino. But since the casino has a low attendance rate, her ageist managers kick her out of the venue first. One of the strongest scenes that reinforces the ghost town comparison shows Annette seductively dancing to Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" on top of a table at work, but no one pays her any attention.
Shelly is a character that can only be authentically played by an actress with a distinct background, such as Pamela Anderson. Much like Demi Moore in The Substance, The Last Showgirl is another case of casting a 90s sex symbol who was passed over by the system to act in a project that calls her out for its ageist norms. Like Moore, this is a role we’ve never seen her in before, and she’s dazzling throughout.
The Last Showgirl is Anderson’s first dramatic role, and she embodies this character so naturally that it’s infuriating that it’s taken her so long to get this star moment. Shelly is like the embodiment of Bowling For Soup’s song “1985” – expressing nostalgia for her long tenure as a showgirl, obsessing over her past adventures while refusing to accept changed times. Her human flaws, blind ambitions, and determination make you root for her, despite some of her more frustratingly headstrong actions. Anderson delivers in a comforting, cheerful voice, mixed with a diva-like attitude, all while highlighting how influential Las Vegas used to be in American culture. And in her expressive style you can clearly see a Vegas that, despite everything, rested on Shelly's shoulders, embracing her deep love for her profession as a showgirl.
The Last Showgirl is a fascinating portrait of American life. The story gets lost in its sing-song as Gersten's script drifts aimlessly back to the days of The Razzle Dazzle's last show. The structure is stitched together by a series of vignettes, all of them relating to the people around Shelly and with whom she has unstable and sometimes monotonous relationships.
A standout case is that of Shelly's college-aged daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd), with whom she tries to reconnect before the show ends. Gersten initially establishes an engaging relationship between Shelly and Hannah. However, its development seems too rushed.
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