THE LAST SHOWGIRL – The Show Must End

By Harrison J. Bahe

The Last Showgirl, a poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers, stars Pamela Anderson as Shelley, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

Pamela Anderson, to me, has always been associated with 90s pop culture. Specifically, her stint on the long running iconic TV show Baywatch. She also has her place in comedic lore with her cameo in the ultra-ridiculous yet equally entertaining Scary Movie 3. Ultimately, she’s just never come across as an actor with any emotional range. She was always a person who had been a sex icon in her heyday but now, as it goes with any human being on the face of this planet, the sunrise approaches and the end begins. This is what the film The Last Showgirl is all about. The ending of something and the beginnings of another thing; no matter how scary.

This is the first time I have seen Pamela Anderson in a dourly dramatic role. The Last Showgirl is a sobering look at an older woman who is way past her prime and is desperately clinging to a decadent past long forgotten by much of the modern world. She desperately attempts to keep aspects of her life together as it helplessly falls apart around her. Another solid performance within the film is Jamie Lee Curtis who mirrors Pamela Anderson’s character in terms of approaching the great sundown, except she’s a depressing herald of what’s to come for poor Shelley in a few years. In a world which casts aside its aging stars for the young and vibrant (and flexible) dancers, our last showgirl is left without much hope to adapt and instead seems to fashion a fantastical reality around her despondent existence. Dave Bautista also gives a grounded performance as the show’s lighting director. His subdued performance ached with a longing for ambition and desire. Unlike our female characters, Bautista’s character knows he has a future in the business while the ladies do not. It’s an uncomfortable truth that the film forces its audience to examine and live through.

Director Gia Coppola gives us a gritty film shooting the entire movie in 16mm and even utilizes lenses which gives the film a softer look. It’s a perfect medium to capture a story like this: utilizing grittier, glorious filmstock to capture the beauty of yesteryear. The direction is strong, but the film lacks a properly engaging story. I felt as if Coppola was attempting to make a Sean Baker film. Baker, whose films revolve entirely around flawed characters who really don’t have a redeeming arc and typically always end up where they started in the beginning of the film, seems to have heavily inspired this film. However, where Baker succeeds, Coppola falters. The film had punctuating moments of characters aimlessly wandering around Las Vegas landmarks with haphazard camera work akin to the “run and gun” style of filmmaking.

The Last Showgirl is a depressing film about an aged showgirl clinging desperately to a decadent past long forgotten by the modern world. So, really, if you’re seeking a film to keep you down in the dumps, perhaps this film is for you. Film lovers have hilariously suggested doing a double feature of this and The Substance; a film which also deals with themes of women who age out of the entertainment business (with way more grotesque results). However, Pamela Anderson does give the most powerfully dramatic performance of her career. Director Gia Coppola is a strong director but ultimately, the film lacks an engaging story and sort of falls into that oddly specific genre of film whose sole purpose is to depress its audience, which is why I give The Last Showgirl—

3 Rhinestones out of 5

The Last Showgirl is Rated R for Language and Nudity. It is currently playing in theaters nationwide.