With an abundance of costume gems and feathers, Gia Coppola and Kate Gersten gently direct and write, respectively, a story of sacrifice for artistry and lost tradition in “The Last Showgirl.”
The film follows a 57-year-old Las Vegas showgirl named Shelly (Pamela Anderson, “Baywatch”) who faces heartbreak when Le Razzle Dazzle — the show she’s danced in since the 80s and the last traditional showgirl show of its kind in the area — is given two weeks to close. Navigating the loss of the show with her friends and fellow dancers, Shelly also faces her estranged relationship with her daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd, “Scream Queens”).
“The Last Showgirl” exhibits heartfelt and satisfying performances from Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista and Lourd. However, Anderson and Curtis’ performances stand out. Anderson takes great care in portraying the complexity of Shelly’s spiraling character. Her sweet demeanor helps illustrate Shelly’s heartache in losing a show for which she gave up everything. It also caters to the maternal role Shelly plays in blindly supporting Hannah and in advising and relying on her younger show-mates.
Curtis fiercely plays Shelly’s best friend, Annette. Curtis acts physically and emotionally unafraid to take on the role of a snarky, proud and struggling older cocktail waitress on the strip. In one scene, she strips from her cocktail uniform, encouraging Shelly while also vocalizing her own frustration with the community’s disposal of older women in their line of work. Curtis’ performance in this scene and throughout is incredibly moving, as her character and Shelly embody an argument that women don’t lose their beauty or talent with age.
Beyond these performances, the storytelling of “The Last Showgirl” proves extremely powerful. Rather than disrespecting the loss of tradition of The Las Vegas Strip by giving the story a happy ending, Coppola and Gersten illustrate it true to its reality. They show the frustrations of those who appreciate the traditional strip’s show business while fairly illustrating the younger generation’s lack of appreciation for those traditions. Soft montages of the lights, feathers and gemstones guide viewers through the beauty Shelly sees in it all.
Coppola took a mindful approach to the parts of Las Vegas the film showed. The symbolism in a recurring shot of the famous Blue Angel statue in Las Vegas staring down at the characters permeates throughout the film. Though the Blue Angel Motel the statue once belonged to is permanently closed, the statue still watches over the city, and visitors appreciate the monument. In Shelly’s last performance, she wears blue feathered angel wings, suggesting that her fate aligns with the Blue Angel’s and that the showgirl artistry she adored may still be treasured.
Overall, “The Last Showgirl” tells a poignant story about artistry and losing traditions to time. The care the director, writer and actors put in each of their roles shines through, making it moving and memorable.
5 poorly mixed powdered lemonades out of 5
