From the opening, we observe Shelly auditioning with a bright spotlight on her. She seems nervous as she answers questions about her name and age. The light fades and we are thrown into the fray of the frantic behind-the-scenes moments of the Razzle Dazzle. We see these women rush to make costume changes in the few minutes between performances. We watch as they use shorthand cues to assist each other in getting ready. In these moments, Shelly rambles about how things used to be and how her costume got caught by the door handles.
In The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson’s character Shelly, is faced with losing the only job she has ever known. After working for 30+ years at the Razzle Dazzle, the burlesque show is shutting down. Facing finality in your profession is a theme that many people face and at times are not prepared for. In The Last Showgirl, we see how one character needs to adapt to a world that is moving in a direction that she is hesitant to go.
For 30 years, Shelly has been a performer at the Razzle Dazzle and has become a mother figure to the younger ladies in the show. After a date cancels on her, Shelly and her best friend, Annette (Jamie Lee-Curtis) decide to have a girl’s night and invite a few girls from the show to join them. Mary Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodi (Kiernan Shipka) come over with the latter inviting Eddie (Dave Bautista), the show manager, to the dinner. During the dinner Eddie lets the ladies know that the show will be closing and the existential crisis begins for Shelly.
The Razzle Dazzle is not pulling in audiences like it did in its heyday and the new owners are going to revamp the show. This means getting rid of the dancers and moving to more risque acts and a circus. The information is hard to hear for Shelly and as the movie progresses we see how this is affecting her. Annette informs her to take a job as a cocktail waitress with her at the casino but Shelly does not want to. Throughout the movie, there are beautiful establishing shots of Shelly walking the strip and contemplating her next move. These serene scenes are a great balance from the chaos happening backstage and probably in Shelly’s mind.
With such a long career, sacrifices had to be made and we learn about Shelly’s daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd). The two have a relationship that is rocky and fractured because of Shelly’s career path. Through awkward interactions we see the two ladies working on being closer to each other but Hannah’s opinion of the show doesn’t fare well with Shelly. In these interactions we get a glimpse at how Shelly deals with relationships and kind of explains why Annette is the one that is still in her life even though her own life is chaotic.
Jamie Lee-Curtis shines in the moments she is on the screen. Her almost leathery appearance looks like the ghost of old Vegas that will not go away quietly. As Shelly’s best friend, Annette is almost a prediction of the life Shelly would have had if she left the show like Annette did. As Shelly starts breaking down and trying to adapt to the new Vegas acts she is also preparing for her final show. In a moment of complete desperation, Shelly auditions for a new show and realizes that her days performing might be over.
The Last Showgirl is a powerful look into the end of a career and its effect on the person. Living in the past is great for some people but there comes a point where they must start focusing on the now. Due to this, we are left wondering if the events of Shelly’s final performance are a mirage like those that some may see in the Vegas desert.
Fantastic performances by the entire cast
Pamela Anderson gives a performance of a lifetime
Not enough people talking about this film
The subject might be depressing for some people
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