The Last Showgirl is remarkably sleight but very effective with what it does. It gives us a very brief and trim look into the life of an aging showgirl. It is sympathetic yet not overly flattering. Coppola keeps her narrative tight and short and leaves a lot for her audience to wrestle with on their own without inserting much judgment.
Anderson's Shelley is not some tragic hero. She has made her choices and generally has lived he life she wanted, even if it didn't live up to her dreams. But it's unravelling as it was built on a rather shaky foundation and she's having to come to terms with that despite not really having any plan nor resilience. She is a reactionary figure who lashes out at those who care for her, but also manages to provide some support in isolated moments to an old friend whose life is as precarious as hers. This isn't a story about a woman beat down by an oppressive system. Shelley's journey is more complicated than that. Anderson does an admirable job bringing this flawed character to life, managing scenes with her strong supporting cast so naturally. While the casting may feel a bit "type" Anderson proves she has it in her to bring this character to life.
I really appreciated Lourd, Bautista, Song, Shipka and Curtis who all gave restrained and rather subtle performances as the people around Shelley dealing with their own demons along with hers. None of them get to be too fleshed out but they all feel honest and real as they circle her. The final moments are powerful if a bit ambiguous and purposefully open ended. We don't know how Shelley will end up and the film doesn't attempt to wrap it all up nicely. Instead it just takes us through to this end of this one journey, giving us a glimpse into a life that has been lived, both well and often poorly. And it's beautiful in its way.
The Last Showgirl
Starring: Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Gia Coppola
Writer: Kate Gersten
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