“The Last Showgirl” - Film Review
It’s always interesting to see the themes that crop up over the course of an awards season. This is unofficially the year of women whose stories have been traditionally left out of the conversation. From The Substance to Maria to The Last Showgirl. Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, and Pamela Anderson are women whose lives in the spotlight began decades ago. Now they’re all in the Oscar conversation for roles they couldn’t have fathomed would be available to them when they began their careers. All the films address the fact that women of a certain age lose their “purpose” in society, especially in the world of show business. The Last Showgirl is a dreamy farewell to a performer whose audience has left her behind without a second thought.
courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Shelley (Pamela Anderson) has been dancing in the Le Razzle Dazzle show on the Las Vegas Strip since the 1980s. Le Razzle Dazzle is a cornerstone of her life. It’s her job, but also the thing that inspires her every day. Even when the new young dancers (Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka) don’t understand how Shelley could hold such reverence and awe for what they call a “nudie show.” Shelley finds something special and classic about Le Razzle Dazzle, more evocative of a French revue show than low-brow Vegas trash. Her world falls apart when Le Razzle Dazzle’s stage manager (Dave Bautista) tells the dancers that the show will be closing in two weeks.
The main takeaway of The Last Showgirl is Anderson herself. Her Shelley is the sort of devastating dreamer the audience can’t help but root for, even when they can see that she is doomed. Shelley is reminiscent of Greta Gerwig’s Brooke in Mistress America. The two share a hopeful mentality that cannot be dulled, even when they can’t see there is no path ahead of them. It’s not endless optimism, but a different type of hope. In Mistress America, Brooke is described as “the last cowboy, all romance and failure. The world was changing, and her kind didn't have anywhere to go. Being a beacon of hope for lesser people is a lonely business.” It’s this quote and description that immediately come to mind about Shelley. She could not see the writing on the wall. Vegas doesn’t want this type of show anymore, but Shelley believes that Le Razzle Dazzle is something that will stand the test of time. That people will respect its history. Everyone else can see that Las Vegas will chew you up and spit you out for the next new, better thing.
courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Directed by Gia Coppola, The Last Showgirl is an American tragedy. Coppola has captured the liminal feeling that exists in Las Vegas. You can arrive fresh-faced and eighteen, then you blink and suddenly you’re fifty-seven. The desert is desolate, romantic, stark, bleak, and magical. All of that comes through with Coppola’s color palette and the hazy look of the film. The Last Showgirl feels like a memory drenched in nostalgia, but it also forcibly wakes us up to the realities of life. While the script comes off a little clunky with expositional dumps instead of natural conversations, it’s still easy to be swept up in the current of emotions that these actors bring.
It’s often said that “the show must go on,” and nowhere does that make more sense than in fabulous Las Vegas. When Le Razzle Dazzle finishes its run, another show is already waiting in the wings to take over the stage. When Shelley hangs up her bedazzled headpiece, a hundred girls are clamoring for their chance in the spotlight. The Last Showgirl is a showcase for Anderson and a celebration of a light still burning bright.
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