Known largely for her role as lifeguard Casey Jean “C.J.” Parker on Baywatch, and endless tabloid stories during her marriage to rocker Tommy Lee, it was easy to write her off as just another Hollywood pinup. In truth, she had shown real comic timing during her run on Home Improvement, and while Barb Wire isn’t a great movie by any means, she demonstrated a willingness to spoof her sexpot image. After nearly a decade away from the big screen, Gia Coppola’s 2024 film The Last Showgirl gave her a chance to show her range. Anderson even scored a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Anderson plays Shelly Gardner, a veteran Las Vegas showgirl shocked to the core when Eddie (Dave Bautista), stage manager of the revue she’s devoted nearly thirty years to, announces it is closing in two weeks. Fifty-seven-years old, Shelly acts as kind of a surrogate mother to younger dancers Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka), who begin to audition for other shows on the strip that Shelly sees as low class and risqué. Shelley has an estranged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd), who is angry with her for choosing a “nudie show” over her. As Hannah nears her college graduation, Shelly is trying to patch things up.
Shelly’s best friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis, complete with a mahogany tan and pale 1980’s lipstick), gave up dancing several years before for a job as a cocktail waitress in a casino. Her tips are stolen, but she can gamble to her heart’s content. “I’m gonna work, then I’m gonna work some more, then I’m gonna die,” she tells Mary-Anne and Jodie, perhaps giving them a peak into their futures.
Pamela Anderson, who has said she basically had given up acting until the script for The Last Showgirl came along, undoubtedly brings her own experience as a sex symbol to the role. She personifies Shelly’s inability to accept she’s a relic, brimming with optimism that she will get another job as a dancer. We can see it in her eyes and hear in her voice that she’s not as confident as she wants to appear. Much like the actress herself these days, Shelly spends much of the film sans makeup, something real in a city of illusion. Jamie Lee Curtis is superb as Annette, a woman who refuses to act her age. This is exemplified in a scene where she dances provocatively to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Dave Bautista is excellent as Eddie, a potential love interest for Shelly, it turns out the two have a more complex relationship than it first appears. Jason Schwartzman (Coppola’s cousin) has a brief but memorable turn as a blunt casting director.
Working from a script by Kate Gersten, Gia Coppola has style, providing us with plenty of gauzy shots as Shelly walks around the Vegas strip. While the shots effectively put the audience in Shelly’s shoes, Coppola overuses the technique, blunting its impact. Even so, she has captured the essence of an industry, always on the lookout for the hot, new thing.
Shot on 16mm film, cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s gauzy look gives the film a gritty, cinema verité quality. Presented in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio, the transfer effectively tones down the glitz and glamor of Sin City. The image is clean, free of edge haloes or other imperfections. Given the films’ gauzy aesthetic, traditional sharpness is lacking, but closeups have a nice sense of delineation. The teal and amber color palette leans into the overall drab feel of the film, but comes alive when the dancers put on elaborate, bright colored costumes. Blacks are inky throughout. All-and-all, the transfer is appropriate to the narrative.
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack is rather restrained throughout, which works well for a character driven drama like The Last Showgirl. There is some surround activity, particularly regarding scenes featuring live performances. A highlight is the use of Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which offers some real punch. Dialogue is clean, clear, and concise, even in some quieter moments.
English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
- The Last Showgirl: Unreserved (HD. 20:01) A standard EPK featuring behind the scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew.
- A Conversation with Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis (HD, 30:23) The two actresses have some fun talking up the film.
