Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” is a compelling and heartfelt examination of the fading splendor of Las Vegas through the eyes of its once-glamorous showgirls. With a nuanced script and an evocative visual style, the film explores themes of aging, identity, and the complex realities faced by women who have spent decades in the spotlight. Coppola’s film excels in many aspects, but her tendency towards melodrama prevents it from being taken as seriously as it deserves.
Set against the backdrop of a dinosaur Vegas show called Le Razzle Dazzle, the film captures a world that is both vividly colorful and poignantly melancholic. Shelley (Pamela Anderson) is a relic of a bygone era of showgirl glitz and glamour, and she is struggling when she learns from stage manager Eddie (Dave Bautista) that the show she’s danced in for decades is going to close its doors for good. Her best friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis) is now working as a cocktail waitress and has issues with drinking and gambling, and Shelley has become somewhat of a mother figure to the ingénues in her company (Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song). This isn’t the best thing, as she is estranged from her own daughter (Billie Lourd) and has close to zero parental instincts.
Inspired by the now-defunct Jubilee stage show, the film pays homage to an art form that was often dismissed as mere spectacle rather than celebrated as a legitimate artistic endeavor. Kate Gersten’s script brings these overlooked stories to the forefront here, offering a poignant critique of how society values and discards women as they age.
The film’s exploration of aging and female identity is both tender and unflinching. Shelley’s struggles will resonate deeply with most women, particularly with those over 50 who may see their own reflections in her story. Coppola captures this gradual acceptance of a fading spotlight with a graceful authenticity that really hits home.
Anderson’s performance brings out the vulnerability and defiance in Shelley, who remains a dreamer despite the crumbling world around her. It’s a role that’s tailor-made for Anderson, so much so that it feels like she isn’t really doing much acting here. The real standout is Curtis as Shelley’s boisterous and supportive best friend. She brings a lightness that’s also tinged with a somber reality, and it’s a truly stellar performance from the Oscar-winning actress.
Coppola’s direction is both intimate and expansive, capturing the glittering but gritty reality behind the scenes of Las Vegas. The cinematography contrasts the dazzling lights of the Strip with the dimly lit, behind-the-curtain struggles of its characters. The film’s visual style enhances its emotional impact, drawing viewers into the world of the showgirls and their personal battles as everyone struggles with the passage of time.
By addressing universal themes through a female lens, “The Last Showgirl” is not only a moving tribute to a vanishing era of American entertainment, but it’s a celebration of the women who embodied its glamour. This is a film for everyone who understands the price of chasing dreams in a world that often undervalues them.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 