There’s not much I like about Las Vegas. Both The Venetian and The Bellagio Hotels and the old Fremont Street strip are a bit outside of the Main Strip. There are too many lights, and it is very busy, even for someone like me who is easily stimulated. I only attended the city once, and on point for a movie review, it was to attend the wedding of a friend and CinemaScore boss where the family business is based.
The Vegas workers are exhausted and probably have wild stories to tell over the years. This lifestyle has worn them down, and I often thought about it while watching The Last Showgirl. Pamela Anderson sheds her Baywatch persona for the real-life authenticity of Gia Coppola’s brisk 80-minute gritty art-house character study that she, alongside Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, were both SAG nominated. Dave Bautista is excellent in a low-key role that is different from his previous performances.
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The Last Showgirl is about how women are judged by how they perform, and the glitz of the stage is all that matters. Nothing is glamorous about the real lives of Vegas workers and work instability. Razzle Dazzle plans a final performance in two weeks. She has invested her time and life in this place that offered nothing in return, neglecting proper childcare when she couldn’t afford it as her young daughter waited in a car playing a GameBoy. Her character’s struggles and sacrifices are portrayed authentically, and it’s hard not to empathize with her.
The sporadic dance scenes from Anderson and Curtis in The Last Showgirl are a poignant, cathartic release for the characters, a momentary escape from their unfulfilling lives. They can only maintain their facades for so long, yet they transfixed me, drawing me into both characters’ emotional journeys.
Pamela Anderson’s decision to not wear makeup has more poignancy with what she embodies in this role as a woman continuing to figure out her next steps and life after where she performs. Gia Coppola doesn’t shy away from this. An audition scene, a pivotal moment in the film, where the talent agent tells her how she is past her prime, might be too on the nose. Still, it effectively drives the themes of the character study home, highlighting the harsh reality of the entertainment industry, which might be better than the awards-buzzy performances.
The Last Showgirl is now playing in theaters nationwide.
