‘The Last Showgirl’ Review — Pamela Anderson shines as a Las Vegas relic

A review of the new film, in theaters soon

In Ryan White’s documentary Pamela, a love story, Pamela Anderson takes stock of her career. She’s always dreamt of being an actress, but her time posing for Playboy, her years of running in slow motion on Baywatch… the stolen sex tape, the multiple marriages, the Scary Movie cameo… it hasn’t exactly led her down a path of respectability. “I always hoped something would come along where I would do something which would be more interesting to people, y’know, than my body,” she says.

The documentary climaxes with her well-received run in Chicago on Broadway. In rehearsals, she offers a telling take on Roxie Hart. “Her dream isn’t to be famous,” she says. “Her dream is to be respected, to be seen. To have freedom... It’s not just superficial.” It’s quite obvious that she’s talking about herself.

In Gia Coppola’s lovely new film The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson finally finds the showcase she’s been seeking. She plays Shelley, a showgirl in her 50s who’s been performing in “Le Razzle Dazzle” for decades. The show is the last of its kind on the Strip, a true-blue showgirl showcase, not merely a burlesque or a raunchy “nudie show.” Whenever her fellow dancers (Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song) disparage their…