The Last Showgirl

Like said Mickey Rourke in 'The Wrestler' Pamela Anderson makes a solid comeback where she wears her age well and isn't afraid to show lines, warts and body change but still manages to give herself a devil may care attitude to a profession she has spent years enjoying and honing just to keep the ' fans' happy. It's a touching brave performance and ranks alongside Demi Moore in 'The Substance' as a substantial age of reinvention for those over 50.

Jamie Lee Curtis (looking very much like Auntie Jo!!) provides able support as the cocktail waitress whose dreams faded long ago-her dance on the table to 'Total Eclipse of The Heart' is rather moving. She should have been getting more awards for this than the tiresome 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once'.

I'm always interested in the twilight years of those who have made a living using their musical talents/movie star image and bodies for entertainment and fame whether it pornography or not-The Rialto Report is a thorough exploration in this.

Gia Coppola shows the brash colour of Las Vegas mixed with drab bungalows with plastic garden furniture and empty bottles highlighting these empty unfulfilled lives.

There is also a decent score by Andrew Wyatt.

The beauty of this film lies in its simplicity but that doesn't mean it lacks complexity.

At a time when movies try so hard these days to be bigger and glossier, both in budget and running time, it's a breath of fresh air to find a film under 90 minutes that tells a relatable human story without needing to resource to hyper stylised visuals or an overcomplicated plot.

This movie is about real people going through real hardships. We are invited to be bystanders as we follow the life of the titular character (Pamela Anderson's Shelly) as she faces the end of a chapter in more ways than one, and she's in fact the last of a kind.

The director Gia Coppola gets close enough to her subjects using handheld cameras but never indulges in the drama talking place. This movie is a drama, no doubt, but it isn't melodramatic. It is profoundly sad but it doesn't linger. It's heart breaking because we all know a Shelly, or we've been one ourselves... We recognise these characters, and the actors do a great job bringing honesty to each and every part.

But lets be clear, this movie works because of Pamela Anderson. Not only she does a great job here; the nuances in her choices as an actress, the physicality, the voice. But it is the old classic Hollywood style of acting that is so rare to see these days that really caught me by surprise and that I'm afraid will pass some viewers by. She reminds me of Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner, Ingrid Bergman. She is vulnerable jet commanding of the screen. She is the closest to a Katherine Hepburn if she had worked in an indie film. She really is that good, without needing a big tear jerking scene, of which there are many 'close-to' moments. The dinner scene with with Dave Bautista's character is a great example of the complex and layered acting we're talking about here. So is the first scene in which Shelly meets her daughter.

I hope this movie finds its audience and that Mrs Anderson gets her well deserved flowers.

THE LAST SHOWGIRL would probably make a great double bill with DEATH OF A SALESMAN, in that they both explore the consequences of having superficial values. Pamela Anderson stars as Shelley, a veteran Las Vegas performer in a "boobs-and-feathers show." She's been a showgirl in a revue called "Razzle Dazzle" for 30 years, but "Razzle Dazzle" is now dated and no longer sells tickets. What's she going to do now that the show is closing? She's a mediocre dancer and her youth is gone. She has no practical skills to make a living. All she has lived for is the "glamour of show business." Her "marriage" was a failure, she was a terrible mother, her friendships were superficial. There is not much plot, but it's a brilliant character study. Despite the lack of a real plot, director Gia Coppola has given it a level of intensity that kept me rapt with attention for the film's 90-minute length. In the role of a selfish woman with trashy values, Ms. Anderson is quite believable, as are the dazzling supporting cast, which includes Kiernan Shipka (as a child actress, she played Don Draper's daughter on MAD MEN) and Brenda Song as young showgirl co-workers, Dave Bautista as the show's stage manager (and a previous lover), Billie Lourd, as her recently estranged daughter, and especially Jamie Lee Curtis as a former showgirl who is now a beat-up-looking cocktail waitress. This, to me is the best ensemble cast of a movie of the entire year. Kudos to all! Cinematography, music, and art direction are excellent. This film is certainly worth seeing because it raises a lot of questions about American values. I'd recommend it.

I was looking forward to this, hearing much about Pamela Anderson finding her form in the film. It is true that this is by far the best I have ever seen her, let's not get over excited as she is no Meryl Streep as yet, but she was great to watch. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jamie Lee Curtis polls up to steal the show on the acting front with a superb character piece. Props also to Dave Bautista (who knew), who also showed he can act with a great portrayal of the gentle giant, who when it comes to the old time show girl and the meaning there-in "gets it". It's a simple story of age and decay of an aging ex beautiful young showgirl, still treading the boards, and also reflects parts of Vegas in a similar light, with its own age and decay. Friends holding close within this melancholic tale of broken individuals. The film helps us see, and maybe reflect on our own ticking clock. Very worthy watch 7/10.

This movie definitely makes you think about life and what you make of it!

I enjoyed it, but it is definitely heartbreaking and hard to watch at times. Makes you think of your priorities in life and how following your dreams doesn't always pay up in the long term. Shelly is 57 years old Las Vegas dancer at the end of her career with nothing else going on for her in life. Her life long dream to be a dancer in the spot lights made her sacrifice everything she had in life. Marriage, the connection with her daughter, life and money stability, health insurance and retirement benefits. She did it all for her passion for the job, but once the show was over her life pretty much ends with it. Its a great movie showing how not everyone makes it ok in life and actually following your dreams can end you with nothing even if you were happy while doing it.

Pamela Anderson acting is great beginning to end! Definitely the right choice for the part. Jamie Lee Curtis is great as ever and even Bautista steps out of his regular character.

Overall great movie, but not everyones cup of tea, for sure!