Pamela Anderson is absolutely amazing (and heartbreaking) as an ageing Las Vegas showgirl – Shelley – who is faced with reality that her days as a dancer might be coming to an end. The show that Shelley is in – ‘Razzle Dazzle’ – is closing after several decades, and at age 57, Shelley is faced with the reality that she can no longer compete with the young dancers. Her best friend friend Annette (a fantastic and amazing Jamie Lee Curtis) is facing the same reality as an ageing Las Vegas cocktail waitress. Meanwhile Shelley has a college age daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd, the only child of the late Carrie Fisher) who never quite forgave her for never being around, and a boss (David Bautista in a quiet beautiful performance) who happens to be Hannah’s father and still secretly opines for Shelley.
This is the role of a lifetime for Anderson. You will no longer think of her as a Baywatch babe after seeing this film – she is absolutely perfect. Curtis, meanwhile, never ceases to amaze in a role that’s so opposite of what’s she’s done in the past – she nails it. Kudos to Director Gia Coppola for her quiet and confident direction. This film is all Andersons, it’s a gutsy performance, and it’s a crime that she and Curtis did not receive Oscar nominations – they both are better than the current nominees. ‘The Last Showgirl’ is a must see.