A 57-year-old Las Vegas showgirl clings to her past in this charming comeback vehicle for 90s icon, Pamela Anderson
Anyone who has ever seen the bright lights of Las Vegas will notice the constant battle between the new and the old. Some casinos are like air-conditioned spas with oxygen bars, and some are still enveloped in cigarette smoke with tacky but delightful décor.
As the mafia slowly disappeared and massive corporations took over, the tropes of Vegas have become more novelty than integral. If you want to see a classic Vegas showgirl with a large feathery headpiece, it's unlikely you’ll see one in an actual show but quite possible you’ll bump into one on the strip charging an extortionate fee for a photograph.
It’s in this version of Vegas we find Shelly (Pamela Anderson), one of the last real showgirls, a dedicated veteran performer of the long running Le Razzle Dazzle, a show that’s well past its prime, commercially speaking. Shelly’s world revolves around Le Razzle Dazzle, so it’s earth shattering news when she learns it is closing. Suddenly a 57-year-old showgirl must think of her future while trying to repair her strained relationship with her daughter (Billie Lourd).
Endearing and heart-breaking, it’s hard to know where Shelly ends and Pamela begins. Anderson has never been considered a strong actor but when has she been given that opportunity? Seeing her share the screen with someone as compelling and scenery chewing as Jamie Lee Curtis may seem a risk but really it exposes that Pamela is essentially playing a version of herself. There’s a gentleness to her that’s simply lovely. What comes across as uncertainty in her delivery initially, is actually her being herself. It’s a subtly powerful and very real performance.
A film that’s held together by its strong ensemble, the budget was low and despite having a cast of several household names, it sometimes fails at hiding it’s limitations. Some shots are unintentionally out of focus and it’s a crime that despite hearing so much about Le Razzle Dazzle, we’re denied seeing very much of it.
It's a comeback, not in the same realm as Demi Moore and her performance in The Substance. But captivating enough to make us excited to see what Pamela does next.
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