What to Watch This Weekend – The Last Showgirl

The Last Showgirl is a story about a dying artform. Shelly Gardner (Pamela Anderson) has been working as a Las Vegas dancer for a very long time. She’s part of the Le Razzle Dazzle ensemble—a show that once upon a time was one of the city’s premiere events. Now, however, the casino is under new management. As such, the show’s producer Eddie (Dave Bautista) informs the women that soon the revue will permanently close. Facing the end of a long, focused career Shelly begins to examine what’s next. With the guidance of her best friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), Shelly weighs her options and attempts to start a new chapter in her life.  

What works in The Last Showgirl is Anderson’s gritty, raw performance. Without question, Anderson is the soul of the film giving Shelly incredibly authentic depth. Shelly is in constant turmoil as she tries to balance passion and external expectations. At its core, The Last Showgirl provides a thoughtful, introspective look at the choices one makes. Shelly unapologetically loves dancing more than anything else in the world. It’s not that she doesn’t have room in her heart for other people; she just has her priorities set in stone. Watching her struggling with this, mostly through exasperation, is both heartbreaking and understandable. What person hasn’t become frustrated when so many others can’t empathize with a conflicting perspective. Director Gia Coppola (Palo Alto) excels at showcasing this internal emotional battle.

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People who don’t enjoy the gaudy, and mildly risqué, nature of old-fashioned Las Vegas shows may not enjoy The Last Showgirl as much as others. Coppola’s stylings are directly influenced by the time-period squarely in the past. The grain is gritty, the women are topless, and the music is classic. As such, even the film feels “old,” and purposely out of place. As such, some audience members may have trouble connecting with the material. Furthermore, Coppola’s editing may be a little hard to follow. There are entire montages of Shelly at random Vegas locales, without real consideration of how or why she is there. In addition, there are a few somewhat confusing time jumps. During these cuts, some characters appear to go through big transitions which occasionally are hard to follow (i.e. people being upset with each other and then immediately going to a shot of them reconciled).

The Last Showgirl is an excellent showcase of Anderson’s talents, and that makes the film worth watching. While a story about dulling glitz may not appeal to all, Coppola’s themes of coping with the harsh reality of change with age are universally relatable. Recommended.

Recommended if you enjoyed: The Wrestler, The Artist

The Last Showgirl is now available to see in theaters.

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