Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” is a tribute to Las Vegas veterans who made their living through top-billed acts, their names gleaming in neon.
Specifically, it’s post-Benjamin Segal Las Vegas, during the Wayne Newton/Tom Jones era. Pop stars singing oldies dressed in sparkly suits, surrounded by dancers adorned with feathers and glitter (for the uninitiated) and pushing the entertainment envelope for adults were some of the highlights of their day.
Of course, some of this has survived, although much of the entertainment in Vegas today is larger-than-life events (Cirque du Soleil! Celine Dion! That giant orb!!), not to mention the kind of shoddy theatrics that Attended by gangsters.
This distinction between old and new Vegas appears early in Coppola’s film, as one of those raucous oldies, ostensibly a show involving erotic dancing and nudity, is coming to an end.
The cast members of this long-running production are terrifying, from the show’s behind-the-scenes director (Dave Bautista), Annette, a former senior dancer (Jamie Lee Curtis), and a diverse cast. The young talent who knows that the show is a dead end and the dancer who remains the face of the show and treats it as her shining show.
This character is Shelley, played by Pamela Anderson.
The former “Baywatch” star’s lead role is the main reason Coppola’s beloved but understated drama is getting a big boost this awards season. Anderson may be associated with Shelley’s use of her appearance and popularity due to her sexuality, as well as the way women are largely treated in the entertainment industry.
However – and I don’t mean to be harsh but I won’t sugarcoat it – Anderson may feel deeply about this character but that doesn’t mean she should or can play it. To be more frank: Anderson has moments here that reveal her desire to be vulnerable and stretched, but she’s still not an actress.
I wanted to support Anderson and her much-publicized comeback, but she couldn’t afford it. The good news is that she’s surrounded by co-stars who can.
Curtis is excellent, which is no surprise at this point. Billie Lourd is wonderful at conjuring daughter Shelley’s life of disappointment, bitterness, and fading hope. Their scenes together are some of Anderson’s and the film’s best.
“The Last Showgirl” gives us another surprising character transformation for Bautista. Co-star Kiernan Shipka has some of his best moments as a member of the band. As for Anderson, she has some poignant moments here but also some awkward ones.
This strangely feels like part of a new subgenre of films, starting with “The Wrestler” (2009) and “The Whale” (2023). Project stars portray former movie stars as washed up in unflattering close-ups. The main characters have daughters who are angry and disillusioned, suffer at least one public humiliation, try to reclaim their former selves and past glories and reflect on the self-destructive journeys that led them to their present misery.
“The Last Showgirl” is a more upbeat film than the previous two, but even with its co-stars, it stalls.
The idea of Las Vegas getting rid of old shows while maintaining their tackiness is worth exploring. So is the definition of fame a showgirl would feel by having her face on a flyer for 30 years.
Strange but true: Dancing in the Blue Iguana (2000) is a superior work, but so is, in its own way, Showgirls (1995). The latter, in addition to having a lot of camp value, is also brutal in its depiction of the life of a Las Vegas dancer.
The moments Anderson shares with Lorde show her willingness to seize the moment. Anderson’s performance in this is not on par with the much-maligned “Sextette” (1978) for Mae West, but the announcement of her arrival as an actress is just hype.
I hope Anderson stays in the indie world and looks for more roles that resonate with her.
Anderson’s previous film roles often used it as a final cut. Her next big movie will see her co-starring with Liam Neeson in a remake of The Naked Gun. I’m not sure if this will be an easy pick for worst movie of 2025 or if the movie and Anderson can surprise us.
For now, I can only half-heartedly recommend “The Last Showgirl,” and conclude by admitting that the biggest surprise of the film, for me, isn’t that the former “Barb Wire” (1996) star is trying to expand on the drama, but that I’ve spent most of this review thinking about Pamela Anderson movie work.
Maybe that’s something. Maybe you’ll actually surprise us. For now, there’s “The Last Showgirl.”
Two and a half stars