
The Last Showgirl is a curious thing, it feels more like a character study rather than a film. The final moments of a Vegas showgirl performing the last show under the casino spotlight is portrayed brilliantly by Pamela Anderson. She gives a tender and luminous performance.
The main issue with the Last Showgirl is that nothing really happens. It’s an interesting premise to watch the lights slowly dim on a casino which no longer needs or wants its dancing girls but the script just wasn’t good enough to match the story it wanted to tell.
Most of the characters in The Last Showgirl feel sketched, except for Shelly (played by Pamela Anderson). Everything else is blurry around the edges which mirrors the film’s visuals, the edges are blurred out of focus. That particular technique gets tiresome after a while. The result is that the supporting characters were underused. There were little moments dotted throughout the film where interesting sub plots started to be explored such as Shelly’s relationship with her daughter, her determination to make her career work and then has quickly as the spotlight turned on them it was then turned in a different direction. Intergenerational subplot was the most interesting but again not enough time or energy was spent exploring this. Jamie Lee Curtis character was really interesting but we didn’t get to see that character in any meaningful way aside from the scene stealing turn where she dances to A total eclipse of the heart. As well as Pamela Anderson’s Shelly audition moment for a new show – perfectly showing the chasm between the sophistication of the Old Vegas and the new Vegas scene; a collision of values. It’s a real highlight of the film.
At the post film Q&A with Pamela Anderson she said of her role “I feel Shelly is the real start of my career. I feel she’s the catalyst to the rest of my life.” She’s absolutely right. In this role she shone. Despite the paper thin script, she breathed life into a character that is both naive and battle worn. She’s a joy to watch on screen.
The Last Showgirl releases in UK & Irish cinemas from Friday 28 February. There are also special nationwide Q&A screenings taking place on Monday 10 February.
Visit lastshowgirl.film to find your local cinema.
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