drownsoda90
Joined Jun 2004
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In "The Last Showgirl", Pamela Anderson stars as Shelly, a middle-aged showgirl who has made a decades-long career in a now rapidly declining act on the Las Vegas strip. When she learns that her famed show is unexpectedly set to close up shop, she faces an existential crisis.
There is no arguing that this film's surface appeal for virtually all of the filmgoing public is to see its star like we've never quite seen her before--and in some ways it's true, in others, not. The Pamela Anderson forever edified in pop culture has never quite been taken seriously as a performer, or perhaps has simply never gotten the right opportunity--but regardless, I will say that her performance here is very good. She captures a nervy pathos as Shelly that is well executed by any measure. The film's dialogue at times feels slightly stilted which does detract from the performances to a degree, but this is true of most of the cast, and not really their fault.
Visually, "The Last Showgirl" is a marvel. It appears to have been shot on aged film stock, which gives it a filtered but grainy appearance that is otherworldly and almost lost in time. While it appears to be set in the early 2000s, the 1980s-tinged set pieces and the dimly-lit casino interiors are supremely atmospheric. Anyone who has been to Las Vegas and seen this side of it can attest to how perfectly (and poetically) the city's less glamorous nooks and crannies are captured here.
The film is ostensibly a character study, as Shelly attempts to plan a future in the face of an impending career death--a career which she has long defined herself by. The premise is interesting in that the character is, in a sense, shamelessly shallow, despite having a real heart and an upbeat cheerleader-esque personality. She wants the best for not only herself, but those around her, and yet her anchor in life is proved ephemeral and only fails her. She is also un-glamorized in the sense that her personality flaws are unveiled as the film progresses.
By her side is Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), an older and long-ago-ousted ex-showgirl who takes fleeting gigs cocktail waitressing, and who drowns her sorrows in a variety of alcoholic beverages. Where Anderson's character has more reserve, Curtis's brash and bawdy personality brings some spark, and the two have genuine chemistry here. The younger cast (Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song, playing much younger showgirls who view Anderson as something of a surrogate mother, and Billie Lourd as Anderson's semi-estranged daughter) also give respectable performances.
Despite that it seems to strive toward character study, I ultimately feel like "The Last Showgirl" functions better as a downbeat mood piece than anything else. The characters--even Shelly--remain somewhat unreachable, which I suppose may be intentional. This is a world of surfaces, after all, and the film seems to fundamentally understand this. The moody shots of Anderson ambling around the Vegas strip, and Curtis's transcendent casino dance to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" are pure, unadulterated cinematic pleasures. And even if these moments don't drive home the heartbreak in the story, they are worth the price of admission alone. 7/10.
There is no arguing that this film's surface appeal for virtually all of the filmgoing public is to see its star like we've never quite seen her before--and in some ways it's true, in others, not. The Pamela Anderson forever edified in pop culture has never quite been taken seriously as a performer, or perhaps has simply never gotten the right opportunity--but regardless, I will say that her performance here is very good. She captures a nervy pathos as Shelly that is well executed by any measure. The film's dialogue at times feels slightly stilted which does detract from the performances to a degree, but this is true of most of the cast, and not really their fault.
Visually, "The Last Showgirl" is a marvel. It appears to have been shot on aged film stock, which gives it a filtered but grainy appearance that is otherworldly and almost lost in time. While it appears to be set in the early 2000s, the 1980s-tinged set pieces and the dimly-lit casino interiors are supremely atmospheric. Anyone who has been to Las Vegas and seen this side of it can attest to how perfectly (and poetically) the city's less glamorous nooks and crannies are captured here.
The film is ostensibly a character study, as Shelly attempts to plan a future in the face of an impending career death--a career which she has long defined herself by. The premise is interesting in that the character is, in a sense, shamelessly shallow, despite having a real heart and an upbeat cheerleader-esque personality. She wants the best for not only herself, but those around her, and yet her anchor in life is proved ephemeral and only fails her. She is also un-glamorized in the sense that her personality flaws are unveiled as the film progresses.
By her side is Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), an older and long-ago-ousted ex-showgirl who takes fleeting gigs cocktail waitressing, and who drowns her sorrows in a variety of alcoholic beverages. Where Anderson's character has more reserve, Curtis's brash and bawdy personality brings some spark, and the two have genuine chemistry here. The younger cast (Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song, playing much younger showgirls who view Anderson as something of a surrogate mother, and Billie Lourd as Anderson's semi-estranged daughter) also give respectable performances.
Despite that it seems to strive toward character study, I ultimately feel like "The Last Showgirl" functions better as a downbeat mood piece than anything else. The characters--even Shelly--remain somewhat unreachable, which I suppose may be intentional. This is a world of surfaces, after all, and the film seems to fundamentally understand this. The moody shots of Anderson ambling around the Vegas strip, and Curtis's transcendent casino dance to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" are pure, unadulterated cinematic pleasures. And even if these moments don't drive home the heartbreak in the story, they are worth the price of admission alone. 7/10.
"Babygirl" is a psychological thriller that focuses on Romy, the CEO of an esteemed tech company in New York City. Sexually dissatisfied by her husband (Antonio Banderas), she finds herself in a complicated sexual relationship with a younger male intern (Harris Dickinson).
The fourth film by writer-director Halina Reijn, "Babygirl" has several ingredients that make it a fairly compelling watch: Firstly, the performances. Kidman rarely misses for me, and this is no exception. She strikes a quiet sort of suffering here as a sexually-frustrated middle-aged woman working in a highly corporate tech-focused world. There is a quiet torture she evokes that is palpable, and her character's cerebral nature is wonderfully offset by her husband's (played nicely by Banderas), a highly artistic-minded theater director who in many ways is Romy's polar opposite. Harris Dickinson is also very good here as Samuel, a wry young intern who attracts Romy through a series of playful encounters and manipulations.
The film is beautifully shot, with stunning cityscapes and interiors that are modestly but effectively dressed with Christmas lights and other holiday decor (parallels to "Eyes Wide Shut" were probably intended, and understandably noted by audiences). The lighting in particular is beautiful, and the film is underpinned by an ominous musical score that is effectively used.
All that being said, as I was watching "Babygirl", I kept thinking to myself: "I've seen something like this before." It didn't dawn on me until about midway through that the film felt very much like a less dire (and frankly much less intense) take on Michael Haneke's "The Piano Teacher', a film with a similar setup but different character profiles and much grimmer circumstances. Like that film, "Babygirl" is very much a meditation on sexual desire and frustration, although it never reaches a point at which the stakes feel particularly dangerous to us. In that sense, I think the film falters a bit.
Things do resolve here in a manner that ultimately works and serves the arc of the story well enough, but I do think it would have been a much more effective film had the stakes felt less controlled and the characters more vulnerable. Despite that, though, "Babygirl" remains worthwhile for its accomplished lead performances and dazzling cinematography. 7/10.
The fourth film by writer-director Halina Reijn, "Babygirl" has several ingredients that make it a fairly compelling watch: Firstly, the performances. Kidman rarely misses for me, and this is no exception. She strikes a quiet sort of suffering here as a sexually-frustrated middle-aged woman working in a highly corporate tech-focused world. There is a quiet torture she evokes that is palpable, and her character's cerebral nature is wonderfully offset by her husband's (played nicely by Banderas), a highly artistic-minded theater director who in many ways is Romy's polar opposite. Harris Dickinson is also very good here as Samuel, a wry young intern who attracts Romy through a series of playful encounters and manipulations.
The film is beautifully shot, with stunning cityscapes and interiors that are modestly but effectively dressed with Christmas lights and other holiday decor (parallels to "Eyes Wide Shut" were probably intended, and understandably noted by audiences). The lighting in particular is beautiful, and the film is underpinned by an ominous musical score that is effectively used.
All that being said, as I was watching "Babygirl", I kept thinking to myself: "I've seen something like this before." It didn't dawn on me until about midway through that the film felt very much like a less dire (and frankly much less intense) take on Michael Haneke's "The Piano Teacher', a film with a similar setup but different character profiles and much grimmer circumstances. Like that film, "Babygirl" is very much a meditation on sexual desire and frustration, although it never reaches a point at which the stakes feel particularly dangerous to us. In that sense, I think the film falters a bit.
Things do resolve here in a manner that ultimately works and serves the arc of the story well enough, but I do think it would have been a much more effective film had the stakes felt less controlled and the characters more vulnerable. Despite that, though, "Babygirl" remains worthwhile for its accomplished lead performances and dazzling cinematography. 7/10.
"Link" follows an American zoology student Jane (Elisabeth Shue) abroad in England who takes a job as an assistant to Dr. Steven Phillip, a researcher who studies primates. One of his subjects, Link, is a former circus chimpanzees. Left alone at Phillip's seaside manor, Link and his fellow primates begin engaging in tribal squabbles that result in dire consequences.
This animal horror film has Australian director Richard Franklin ("Psycho II") at the helm, and his Hitchcockian influence can be seen here in a similar manner, despite the story involving mostly non-humans.
"Link" starts off well, and things become interesting once the action moves to Dr. Phillip's rural manor, where the real madness unfolds. The film is nicely shot and the locations and interior sets are exquisitely rendered. Unfortunately, while the film remains entertaining, it suffers from the same issue that many films featuring animal villains have: Link and his fellow chimpanzees simply never feel threatening. We know logically their strength, but there is an enduring playfulness that runs through all of the mayhem which undercuts the dire nature of the situation. I think a large part of this is Jerry Goldsmith's obnoxious score, which is excessively cartoony. Despite this, there are a few bizarre cross-species moments between Shue and Link that are uncomfortable and give the audience pause.
The performances here are mixed: The film suffers from a largely lifeless performance from Shue, who also contributes to the film's lack of threat with a general listlessness that is at times distracting. She has her moments, but again, we never get a true sense that she feels as though she is in legitimate danger. Terence Stamp is great as usual as the professor, though his screen time is unfortunately quite brief in the grand scheme of the story.
All in all, "Link" is a middling animal horror effort. Franklin's direction and cinematography are quite good, and it gets high points for atmosphere. What hurts it is its lack of suspense and a general goofiness that results in what feels like low narrative stakes. It is a marginally entertaining film, but it never actually feels like a horror movie, or even a thriller for that matter. 5/10.
This animal horror film has Australian director Richard Franklin ("Psycho II") at the helm, and his Hitchcockian influence can be seen here in a similar manner, despite the story involving mostly non-humans.
"Link" starts off well, and things become interesting once the action moves to Dr. Phillip's rural manor, where the real madness unfolds. The film is nicely shot and the locations and interior sets are exquisitely rendered. Unfortunately, while the film remains entertaining, it suffers from the same issue that many films featuring animal villains have: Link and his fellow chimpanzees simply never feel threatening. We know logically their strength, but there is an enduring playfulness that runs through all of the mayhem which undercuts the dire nature of the situation. I think a large part of this is Jerry Goldsmith's obnoxious score, which is excessively cartoony. Despite this, there are a few bizarre cross-species moments between Shue and Link that are uncomfortable and give the audience pause.
The performances here are mixed: The film suffers from a largely lifeless performance from Shue, who also contributes to the film's lack of threat with a general listlessness that is at times distracting. She has her moments, but again, we never get a true sense that she feels as though she is in legitimate danger. Terence Stamp is great as usual as the professor, though his screen time is unfortunately quite brief in the grand scheme of the story.
All in all, "Link" is a middling animal horror effort. Franklin's direction and cinematography are quite good, and it gets high points for atmosphere. What hurts it is its lack of suspense and a general goofiness that results in what feels like low narrative stakes. It is a marginally entertaining film, but it never actually feels like a horror movie, or even a thriller for that matter. 5/10.