is the third movie from director , the granddaughter of . After its success at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film debuted in U.S. theaters in Dec. 2024. The film follows the story of a Vegas showgirl at the end of her career due to her show’s closure. plays the main character, Shelly. Shelly is 62 years old and has been a showgirl since her twenties. Many familiar faces are showcased alongside Anderson — Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka, to name a few. The quality of this cast and film as a whole does not come as a surprise since Gia Coppola’s connection in the industry is through a family of renowned directors.
The acting quality throughout the film was outstanding and incredibly realistic. Each character felt like a layered and complex person, even the ones that had very minor roles. For example, Jason Shwartzman’s character, a casting director, only appeared in one scene of the film but had depth and nuance. Shwartzman’s character gets into a predicament with Shelly, and the two of them create a breathtaking scene.
Pamela Anderson’s performance in “The Last Showgirl” is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Similar to most young people, my general impression of Anderson was “the woman from ‘Baywatch.’” Ten minutes into this movie, it became clear that my impression of her was about to change. Shelly is a bewildering combination of joy and terror. On the outside, we see a woman who is smiley, humorous, kind and literally covered in diamonds — on the inside, someone who is grieving, lost and depressed. The juxtaposition between Shelly’s profession and external expression and her internal self highlights the extremity of each. Shelly’s life as a showgirl is extravagant, glamorous and vivid. Her life in private is shallow and empty. Anderson’s portrayal of her character is a testament to her acting skill. This was my first time seeing Anderson in a dramatic acting role, and I was very pleasantly surprised by her performance.
One of my favorite parts of “The Last Showgirl” is the costuming. The costumes were absolutely gorgeous to look at, and they provided a significant amount of narrative assistance. It is noted in the movie, and by the film’s costume designer Jacqui Getty, that the antiquity of the costumes is significant. , the costume design team went into archives and used outfits from the famous Vegas act Many of the conversations between Shelly and her fellow showgirls discuss the seriousness and history of showgirls. At times, Shelly recited the history of her profession in adoration.
The ending of this film is left open. There are a few different paths for Shelly to take in the end, but it is unclear which one she will choose and how she will end up. I think this ending is perfect for the film’s story. At the beginning of the film, the unknown future of her career terrorizes Shelly. Now, it matters less whether she moves away or becomes a waitress because Shelly is content as her relationship with her daughter is fixed.
While one half of this movie focuses on Shelly’s career path, the other highlights Shelly’s battle with her family. As Shelly nears her final show, she tries to rebuild her wounded relationship with her daughter. Though I enjoyed this storyline, it added a heavy theme to a movie already full of heavy themes. At the end of the movie, I was left curious about the future of the characters. This is a movie that is very easy to get emotionally invested in, as the fear and uncertainty portrayed by the actors is so realistic. I grew attached to these characters and invested in their futures, so it felt like that relationship was cut short at the end of the movie.
The casting of Pamela Anderson as Shelly is a strategic choice. Recently, and despite her movie star past, Anderson has become an advocate for natural beauty. In recent years, she has stopped wearing any makeup and dresses more simply. The simplicity of Anderson’s real life is glaring in comparison to her character’s life. This divide is also present in the movie. When Shelly is not performing, or about to be, she is seen with a bare face and undone hair. When she is off-duty, she looks mundane. This difference almost denotes two separate versions of Shelly. It is as if she plays a character when she is on stage.
As an audience member, my perception of showgirls as a career has changed. I always assumed that being a -style performer took hard work and lots of training, but I never knew the emotion and time that goes into their work. During the backstage scenes, there were multiple quick costume change scenes that were quite intense. Watching the showgirls rush to get on stage before their cue created palpable tension. Seeing the performers and crew communicate and work together behind the scenes was interesting and provided a new perspective to the seemingly effortless production the audience sees.
If you are a fan of gut-wrenching dramas, you will love “The Last Showgirl.” Though emotionally intense, it is a relatively quick and easy watch. When I saw it in theaters with my friends, we all left crying and raving about how amazing it was. The movie’s plot is refreshingly straightforward and manages to fit lots of story into a short plot. The intersection of movies that are easy to digest and movies that make you sob is rare, but “The Last Showgirl” is certainly one of them.