With The Last Showgirl, director Gia Coppola (Palo Alto) creates a character-centric and cathartic tale about dreams and the cost of pursuing them.
In The Last Showgirl, when the Vegas show she has been a dancer on is going to shut down, Shelly’s (Pamela Anderson, Baywatch) life begins to fall apart. From there, Shelly and her co-workers (Dave Baptista, Kiernan Shipka, and Brenda Song) must figure out what their lives will be like now. All the while, Shelly must face her past. Because her estranged daughter (Billie Lourd) comes back into her life.
Curtain Call in The Last Showgirl
With The Last Showgirl, director Gia Coppola (Palo Alto) creates a character-centric and cathartic tale about dreams and the cost of pursuing them. In particular, how our obsessions with our dreams can lead to us being consumed by them. Coppola also explores what happens when aging becomes a factor. In particular, she focuses on the entertainment industry. Most of this stems from screenwriter Kate Gersten’s (The Good Place) script. However, it falters with some cliches regarding certain characters.
Gersten’s script does punch up with interesting character dynamics and dialogue. This results in the characters being three-dimensional people with their wants. We also see this within the cinematography, courtesy of the director of photography, Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Arkapaw displays the film with a fishbowl-like lens. So, it produces a washed-out quality on-screen. With that, Arkapaw then only utilizes close-ups for the actors. As a result, the cinematography prioritizes the characters with reverence.
Production Design Furthers Realism
Furthermore, production designer Natalie Ziering shows off the sets with an intense realism that borders on dream-like imagery. Thus allowing the audience to soak up the fading glamor of Vegas. On top of that, production designers Jacqueline Getty and Rainy Jacobs echo the 1930s Hollywood aesthetic. It’s visible in the costumes, specifically the ones that Shelly (Anderson) and her co-workers wear. However, Getty and Jacobs also use a more realistic approach whenever the characters are out of their costumes.
Moreover, composer Andrew Wyatt scores the film with a symphony of jazz and piano. Again, it reiterates that 1930s Hollywood aesthetic. Wyatt also supplies the score with a melancholy rhythm. In turn, this reverberates throughout the score and onto the screen. Furthermore, editors Blair McClendon (Aftersun) and Cam McLaughlin (Nightmare Alley) keep it lean, bringing film in at an hour and twenty-eight minutes. The two managed this by prioritizing character dynamics rather than the plot. Thereby allowing the film to go a lot faster than expected.
Performances in The Last Showgirl
Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) leads the cast as Shelly, a background dancer at the Vegas show “Razzle Dazzle.” As Shelly, Anderson delivers a weary performance that highlights her vulnerability. But, the performance also represents an optimistic quality to her. As the film goes on, Shelly becomes withered and disillusioned. From there, the rest of the cast follow Anderson’s lead, giving strong performances. So much so that it’s hard to choose a standout performance from the cast.
But, Dave Baptista (Guardians of the Galaxy) comes close as Eddie as Baptista plays against time. That said, Brenda Song (Dollface)’s Mary-Anne and Kiernan Shipka (Twisters) have great chemistry with Anderson’s Shelly. The same applies to Jaime Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once). As Annette, Curtis plays the character of someone who has given up their dream. So now, she lives day-to-day. Rounding out the cast is Billie Lourd (Booksmart) as Hannah, Shelly’s estranged daughter. While Lourd does perform well, she’s given little material to work with. Sadly, she does not move beyond the “disappointed” daughter archetype.
Final Thoughts
Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl is an intriguing character-centric journey about the cost of dreams. Coppola and screenwriter Kate Gersten focus on the themes through Anderson’s Shelly. Thus, she is a despondent character with ambitions and many flaws. Anderson furthers this, leading a strong cast and giving great performances. But the buck starts with Anderson. She balances vulnerability and naivety. The Last Showgirl is a character-centric journey filled with strong performances.
