The Last Showgirl
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Two women attached to this project will garner more attention than the story itself. Pamela Anderson of Baywatch fame and, as a social media darling, is looking to reinvent her acting career. Behind the camera, Gia Coppola (Mainstream) attempts to escape the shadows of her aunt, Sofia Coppola, and grandfather and cinematic legend Francis Ford Coppola, as she benefits from the Hollywood revered legacy. At different stages of their careers, these two women live vicariously through these real-life roles in Kate Gersten’s tale of performers at the twilight and the beginnings of their roles in the entertainment industry.
Anderson stars as Shelly Gardner who is a 57-year-old Las Vegas showgirl who has managed to perform in the Le Razzle Dazzle revue for three decades. Over the years she has gone from the face of the production to becoming the maternal figure for most of the young women in the show. Few dancers have managed to maintain this tenure and Shelly still remains close friends with veterans of the stage production like cocktail waitress Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis). All remains constant for most of the dancers until they are informed by the stage manager and producer, Eddie (Dave Bautista), that the French-style revue will be closing soon due to low attendance. This leads Shelly and her fellow performers to determine what they are going to do for work in an ever changing world that relies on spectacle and sensationalism. This all becomes even more apparent when the dancer’s daughter (Billie Lourd) knocks on her mother’s door yearning for an answer to why Shelly chose to live this life over being a mother to her.
Kate Gersten’s story pulls back the curtain on the world of Vegas stage productions and exposes how little is based in the world of glamour and riches. Bathed in the overexposed light of the Nevada desert, every aspect of Gia Coppola’s film strips away all that is beautiful and takes it back to its raw realism. As this narrative unfolds on screen, there is little that relies on the glitz and spectacle of the casino lifestyle. Instead this painful journey leans into the working class sector that keeps the magical world alive even though those who work there rarely gain much for their own lives in the process.
Pamela Anderson allows herself to be shown in a less-than-appealing light as the aging performer struggling to find herself when all of her life relies on the Le Razzle Dazzle stage. A role that looks tailor-made for the former television and poster pin-up darling and will garner awards buzz throughout the year. Even when she struggles to carry the load of this soul-crushing performance, she is supported by outstanding and scene-stealing work from Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song, and Kiernan Shipka. Accomplished actresses who dive into these roles do nothing to showcase their natural beauty by depicting them as tragic figures in a supposed glamorous world. Interestingly, the best performance is the rare male role as Dave Bautista delivers one of his career's best, albeit subtle, dramatic turns.
The Last Showgirl brings reality to the stage of those merely trying to make their way in this life while trying to capture some of the magic it offers to the audience it hopes to entertain. A lifestyle choice that leads to more heartbreak than mystique, as it proves that there is nothing on offer behind the curtain of the promises of Las Vegas.
Reel Dialogue: What do you do when your purpose seems to change?
The search for purpose and meaning is unique to the human condition. One of those philosophical considerations is something every person struggles to define at different stages of life. Yet, for many, the words of Solomon can ring true when it comes to life and purpose, especially those in the latter season of time on this earth-
“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless!
Kate Gersten’s story starts with the desperate search for meaning in life when Shelly Gardner loses her career and, subsequently, her identity. Her search for meaning screams from the deeper recesses of this short passage in Ecclesiastes by digging into humanity's questions about our goals in this existence.
Similar to Solomon's words, this film opens the door wide to considering where purpose and solace can be found for career, family, and human existence. But…If you read the other writings in the Bible, you would find that God created each person to be an active player in His creation, living an abundant life filled with purpose.
Now that has some meaning! No feather boas or sparkles are needed!
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