In The Last Showgirl, in between shows, two titans tower over stage performer Shelly (Pamela Anderson) that look a lot like her – statues of glamourous, golden age showgirls that represent the Las Vegas staple, Le Razzle Dazzle, that Shelly has built a career around. These idols may identify personally to Shelly, but she soon realizes they mean very little to most people; including younger dancers she shares the stage with (Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song) and the wayward daughter (Booksmart’s Billie Lourd) she has disassociated with to chase a dream.

An inevitable reset approaches when Le Razzle Dazzle is cancelled without much warning, and the ensemble is faced with counting down towards their final show. While Shelly can confide in the show’s stage manager (gentle giant Dave Bautista) and her best friend, showgirl-turned-cocktail waitress Annette (an almost unrecognizable Jamie Lee Curtis), this sudden change discourages Shelly especially since her perception of Vegas, along wither her experience and age, doesn’t fit industry standards anymore. A shattering and uncomfortable epiphany that the audience sees in full effect as Shelly attempts to audition for another show for an unforgiving director (a shadow-clad Jason Schwartzman).

After ambitious though flawed directorial endeavours like Palo Alto and Mainstream, Gia Coppola sets a new personal record as a filmmaker with The Last Showgirl, an empathetic and affectionate film featuring a sincere, standout performance by Anderson (who is also beating the odds in her own right).

Despite the touristy nature of Las Vegas, the movie respects the history and efforts that garnered attention in the past while, also, ushering ideas of how traditions of the entertainment industry are forced to change based on the interests of the public. These themes, however, are not presented with pessimism. Coppola, along with screenwriter Kate Gersten, would rather focus on gratitude. For instance, while there are scenes featuring Shelly and Annette bickering about being labeled, the exchanges where they celebrate their friendship are given more attention. Not only is this for affirming for movie goers to watch, but these thankful moments allow Anderson to shape Shelly’s personality into somebody who takes control of change rather than the other way around.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie