Directed by Gia Coppola, The Last Showgirl follows Shelly (Pamela Anderson), a dancer, who has been working at Le Razzle Dazzle for almost thirty years. Nobody can believe it when they hear that the show will be closing. Suddenly Shelly, along with the people she’s come to know and love, must think about what they want to do with the rest of their lives.
After hearing so much about Anderson’s career best performance, I knew that I had to check it out for myself. Having been misunderstood in the past, many have overlooked her talent. She has proved everyone wrong with this role. The fact that it was written with her in mind says a lot, but she still puts in the work and the pay off is priceless. The nominations she received were one hundred per cent warranted.
The rest of the cast are perfect in their roles too. We’ve got Jamie Lee Curtis as Shelly’s friend Annette, a former showgirl who now works as a cocktail waitress. In some ways she’s the complete opposite of our protagonist, but their friendship is heartwarming to watch. Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka portray Mary-Anne and Jodie respectively, two fellow dancers who look up to Shelly and think of her as a mother figure. Dave Bautista steps out from his usual action persona to play Eddie, the club owner, while Billie Lourd is Shelly’s tentative daughter trying to reach out to the mother she never really knew.
What makes this film so topical is its depiction of ageism. Shelly, who is in her fifties, is considered too old to be in show business. When she goes for auditions, she’s turned away without so much as a blink of the eye. Annette is facing a similar situation. Going from a dancer to a cocktail waitress was already something she didn’t really want to do and then she finds her hours are being cut to favor other, younger women.
Overall, The Last Showgirl may seem like a simple film, but in reality it is so much more. It is a bleak look into show business that is both eye opening and upsetting. Anderson’s performance combined with the glitzy Las Vegas background are all additional reasons as to why you should check this one out for yourself.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5
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