Movie Reviews
The Last Showgirl
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By: Dana Jacoviello
The Last Showgirl, at first, just sounds like another sexy movie, right? I wasn’t really sure what I was in for. In fact, with Pamela Anderson, who plays the main role Shelly, you just assume it will be like her other roles for which she is known. Or rather gets type cast as. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this movie. I didn’t know much about it or who was cast in it. However, audiences shouldn’t make assumptions as this film has so much more beyond the title.
The movie The Last Showgirl is nothing short of so many awards worthy. You have a woman named Shelly, played by Pamela Anderson, who has been in the showgirl business for thirty years and finds out they are closing her show down. What comes next at that age for many women? It’s all you have known for most of your life, so you give up and make heartbreaking sacrifices to live out your dreams in life. It is astounding performance of deeply rooted issues that we have in today’s society on topics of women, the art world, ageism, family life and our life goals. It touches on so many crucial causes we face daily in our world of today. It’s actually a sad story, but ant the same time inspiring and ground breaking role for Anderson. It does not disappoint. Life isn’t the fairytale we think it is, and that is another powerful message that we see in this film. We get one life to live. How do we choose what to do in the struggle of a creative artistic lifestyle that so many think is an glamours and famous life? It reveals the lingering or longing for a fantasy life and the real world that we all need to realize. What we normally see on the internet or in pictures or even shows is not what happens behind the scenes. And we get to see it all in The Last Showgirl.
The cast is fabulous. It was so well put together with the right people to portray these roles. That’s being said, I have to give a standing ovation to Pamela Anderson for this portrayal. Sometimes artists get stuck in role genre and aren’t given the chance to show their multifaceted ability to perform in various ways that will blow an audience away.
There is nobody else I could see in this role after watching this movie. It was a breathtaking performance. I do not want to leave out Dave Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis. Both were absolutely stunning. It was lovely to see Bautista, who plays Eddie, an absent father to Shelly’s child, in this type of unique role for him being a kind hearted man, but also with a past that doesn’t show him in the best light. Shelly has this light and ambition about her, even at her age. There wasn’t one scene that I was not intrigued by her acting. Her relationship with her daughter, her friends and Eddie – it was a mess, but her mess. Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Annette, Shelly’s best friend, is endearing and lost with an addiction to gambling. I am never disappointed in any performance by this legend. Everything she touches with her art is beautifully done. Every scene was worth not blinking. Big hand claps also for Brenda Strong, who plays Mary-Anne, and Kiernan Shipka, who plays Jodie, both friends and coworkers (showgirls) to Shelly. They are not forgotten in this movie. They blended with this film in the best possible way as supporting cast. Strong performances by all.
Additional accolades go to Gia Coppola for her directing. I can say enough about how masterfully done this film is. There isn’t much more to say other than that. It starts off slow, but keep watching – you will thank me later. The cinematography and Coppola’s shot work was so well done that it transports you not only to a Las Vegas fantasy, but highlights the ugly side of believing that being an artist is easy, a fantasy land of glam, money, fame and popularity. It is anything but that! And I believe Coppola portrays the realities in a way that will make audiences open their eyes wider.
I can talk about the film The Last Showgirl for a while, all the tremendous things about it. It’s a movie that in 2025 we all need as it’s nonjudgmental. In fact, I have not enjoyed a movie such as this in a while. It stands out. It is different. It is unique. And women filmmakers are far beyond underrated. They create amazing beauty on screen that is so authentic. The Last Showgirl is an exuberant way to prove that fact. Watch this movie. Female empowerment is important. Women supporting women is a real thing- not just a hashtag.
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