A seasoned performer must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dave Bautista.

Directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gersten, The Last Showgirl begins when the dancers of the hotel/casino revue Le Razzle Dazzle are given notice that their show, the last of its kind, will be closing in two weeks. 

The news hit lead dancer Shelly (Pamela Anderson), who joined the show as their central character in the 1980s. She loves her work as a dancer and loves her fellow dancers who have become family to her. Over the decades, Shelly has developed deep friendships including her best friend of many years Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), as well as younger dancers Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka). As she tries to plan for her future, Shelly also tries to reconnect with Hannah, the daughter she hardly knows.

Shelly was given a lifetime opportunity to join Le Razzle Dazzle at a time when she had just become a young single-mother. She opted to pursue her life’s dream and Hannah (Billie Lourd) was raised by her best friend’s family. As a result, the mother-daughter relationship is fractured. As an adult, Hannah does not fully trust Shelly yet – and so, she is slightly detached and reserved. I appreciated the exploration of this dynamic as an added layer to Shelly’s life. Both Anderson and Lourd play their characters with raw emotion and make us connect with both in their respective vulnerability. 

Shelly’s bestie, Anette found work as a cocktail waitress in a casino once she left Le Razzle Dazzle.  But she is now losing shifts to younger, less experienced hires. When not working, she drinks and gambles. She lives for today and still dreams of her past on stage. Jodie and Mary-Anne are Shelly’s surrogate daughters in a way. Jodie is a 19 year-old who left a very conservative family to become a showgirl. She is still finding her way and herself in the world. Mary-Anne is a bit older and has become a bit hardened by life in showbiz. Her passion for dancing is now a job she does not love as much. Mary-Anne pushes through; she may be unhappy with life but the show must go on. 

This friend trio makeup Shelly’s chosen family. Through their ups and downs in showbiz, they all lean on Shelly for comfort and love. The dynamics in this group are relatable. There is a lot of love and support in female relationships, but there are times when life is a lot to deal with and everyone’s emotions are raw. This ensemble cast of female characters show us the multidimensional aspects of female friendships even in this very specific setting.

Anderson commands the screen as a strong but complex woman who chose to pursue the career she always wanted in showbiz, and must now face herself and decide what life will be for her moving forward. Curtis’ Anette is that unapologetic friend we all know and who will not let life bring her down. Shipka and Song round up this quartet whose characters show us what the younger generation of women face as the world continues to change whether they are ready or not. 

In this midst of these women and their friendships is one male character – Edie (Dave Bautista), the low-key stage manager of Le Razzle Dazzle who spends most of his time at work. He shares a history with Shelly that they do not talk about, and that we only become privy to towards the end of the film. Bautista plays his character with vulnerability. Although he has his faults, we cannot help but feel some sort of empathy for him. We also feel he and Shelly could have reconciled their past history, but alas, sometimes words do not come out as we wish they would. Theirs is a bittersweet story too.

Complementing the film’s story and cast is cinematography by director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw. They shot on 16mm film; giving the film a grainy and almost documentary-style look and feel. There is more handheld camera work than I prefer, however, it does not take away from the feel of the film. I also want to point out the production included support from the Las Vegas community and advising work from Diane Palm (Jubilee! showgirl) and Dita Von Teese, which gave the film’s characters a more accurate portrayal of a day-in-the-life of a Vegas dancer.

The Last Showgirl is a moving portrayal of a multi-generational group of women who, while facing uncertainty, attempt to figure out their next steps for their future. It gives us a closer look at the unique life Vegas showgirls face as times change and shows end. Coppola and Gersten have created a film about life’s dreams and disenchantments through this particular point of view.

Images courtesy of Mongrel Media.