It’s the awards hype that’s brought me here, but my expectations are still quite moderate. Shelly (Pamela Anderson) is a showgirl. The last one as the title says, referring to her age in that she’s the oldest dancer in a Vegas show, but more so her outlook, she’s the torchbearer for a faded era. The show is her world. Sequins and feathers, it’s what she knows and lives for, but it’s all about to change. There’s a great supporting cast with Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), the sozzled best friend, Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) two young dancers who look up to her. The unlikely surprise is Eddie (Dave Baustista), who gives a delightfully understated performance that counters Anderson perfectly. Shelly you see is a bit of a force. Subtle, but she has real energy and Anderson really drives this. Eddie is the stage manager, but he has bad news. The new casino owners are closing their show. The Razzle Dazzle is the oldest show on the strip and no longer pulls the crowds. This sets the tone of melancholia that permeates The Last Showgirl. The colour, the score, the camera, it’s all heartwarmingly engaging, but it aches from the screen. Shelly doesn’t like her options for the future, times have changed, the glamour Shelly admires and adores is now replaced with tasteless soft porn . She covers her worry with a smile though .Her optimism is admirable, but her world is hard and crumbling. Money worries, a troubled relationship with her semi-estranged daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd). Everyone’s struggling on some level. It’s hard not to watch this and make the clumsy comparison between Anderson and Shelly, but that does undersell both the film and Anderson. There’s a lot more here than meets the eye. It’s not brilliant, but Anderson is.
6/10
Comments