Review

Wednesday night I hosted a private screening of ‘The Last Showgirl’ as a fundraiser to raise money for a charity walk that I am doing with a group of friends later in April.

When selecting a film for these fundraisers (this has now become an annual event) I try to look for something that is likely to be popular at the box office (i.e. an Oscar nominated film) and/or something that I think people will like and is interesting.

While it was tempting to try and sway my friends to request for a screening of ‘Wicked’, when I searched for upcoming films and saw the trailer for ‘The Last Showgirl’ I knew that this would be the one. Second choice would have been ‘The Brutalist’ but with a runtime of over 3 hours, it would not have been a wise selection.

For the event we had an audience of 39 people (myself included) and I’ll have to go by people being honest with me, as I must acknowledge that saying you didn’t like the film to the organiser of the event might have been uncomfortable. While I didn’t run a poll, I would say on the most part people did enjoy the film. There were a few that I heard from that weren’t too sure about it or on the fence.

Considering that I liked the film, and a lot of the audience were friends of mine, perhaps it also skews to being in a bubble of like minded people!

‘The Last Showgirl’ is a film directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gersten and tells the story of Shelly, a showgirl who has been in a 30-year run of a Las Vegas show which is coming to an end. To Shelly this comes as a deep shock as she still appears to be ‘stuck’ in the days when the show first started and hasn’t been able to move along with the times easily.

It’s the type of story that I am craving to see in cinema. Something that reflects on real life, that shows the rough and hard parts of life. That features ‘older’ women (I don’t think I like that phrase, but I’ll use it for lack of an alternative.)

Women over the age of 55 are at great risk of financial and housing insecurity and are over represented on the poverty line. That’s something that this film is highlighting. Yes, the characters are living in Las Vegas, performing in a show but it’s not the typical glitz and glamour that might normally be portrayed on screen. The film uses the lives of its characters to reflect on the issues of this demographic and what they often face – not having the superannuation they need or getting by without a house. When a lot of people think of someone who is homeless, they often think of the person living rough out of the streets as they walk past. But there are many forms of homelessness and one of those is featured in this film – someone sleeping in their car and using the showers at work.

To quote Shelly, “Feeling seen, feeling beautiful, that is powerful.” It’s a film about this demographic being visible and relevant.

To also have a film with so much female representation from the director, writer, cinematographer, and actresses fills me with much joy. Miley Cirrus also features on the soundtrack with the closing song, which she performers and cowrote.

Pamela Anderson, who plays Shelly, pours so much emotion into her performance and she is just a joy to watch on screen. Shelly isn’t a perfect character, but who is a perfect person in real life? She has her flaws, but she is out there trying her best and living her dream.

Admittingly I am a fan of Pamela Anderson. While I didn’t really watch Baywatch as I was probably that bit to young for it while it was on air, I remember her in the series ‘Stacked’ while I found her comic acting brilliant. I haven’t seen that show since it was on air so no idea how it rates nowadays – so don’t judge me for that!

While this film isn’t a comedy, Anderson gets to flex her dramatic skills and gives a very worthy performance. And if it’s ok to say so, she certainly has still got it! I uttered a verbal ‘wow’ when she appeared in her sparkly dinner outfit.

The film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, another actress whom I am very much a fan of. She features as Annette, an ex-dancer who worked in the same company as Shelly and is also a friend. Without it being established in words, they are probably best friends. Her performance in this film is also very good. The sequence which features her dancing to ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ shines and really establish who Annette is. Funny to hear that the scene was improvised.

The two together (Anderson and Curtis) have a brilliant chemistry that reflects well on screen. The film also features a well assembled cast but I can’t go on naming everyone individually!

While I enjoyed the film, I felt that there was certainly a potential to dig a little deeper and flesh it out more. I just felt like there was more space available and something was missing. I would have liked to have seen more from some of the supporting cast and their relationship with Shelly, although there is something fun about creating a backstory for some of the other characters yourself and filling in what might have been.

I say give this film a go, even if it may not be your usual cup of tea. There are some great acting performances and I really did find it a charming and emotional story.

Rating:  Good

If you’d like to support our efforts for the walk, you can donate here: https://www.surfcoasttrek.com.au/t/one-trek-to-rule-them-all