The narrative here is good: Pamela Anderson relishes the part, understands the character inside and out, and has been chomping at the bit for something like this. I'm not actually familiar with Pamela Anderson's roles outside of "Borat" (not being Chandler Bing or Joey Trebbiani), but her image as a "talentless bimbo sex symbol" has been plastered across the world, broadcast and branded into the flesh of popular culture for years now. So honestly this was a long time coming and I'm glad it happened: she plays Shelley well as not some Saint or tragic figure, but a 3-dimensional mess. Shelley is a deluded relic, drifting in the modern day, but also simultaneously aware of her own legend as well as exaggerating it, she's inconsiderate but also maternal to her fellow dancers in place of the daughter she left. There's depth to the character and Anderson plays it well, this was always going to be a showcase for her talents. Shipka and Song are strong too, particularly the former, in their supporting parts and I am happy to see them getting work. Jamie Lee Curtis appears as a properly washed up, gambling addicted cocktail waitress friend of Shelley, given the humorous parts, and almost overplays it but manages to reign it in just enough to threaten to steal the show.
But it's Dave Bautista who gets the finest hour, in my eyes, in another piece of consistently inspired casting: I've loved that he's taken on more dramatic roles and weirder projects, and here gets the scenes which resonated with me the most. He plays the old lighting technician and possible old fling of Shelley, and has a wonderful scene in a restaurant. He underplays the part wonderfully.
[insert snide remark about my favourite part in a movie by and about women being the token man]
I am delighted that Bautista is getting this kind of stuff, great job man!
However.
You knew it was coming! The script betrays its routes as a stage play, and not in a good way.
Some of the dialogue (particularly with Billie Lourd, unfortunately, an actor I like - watch "Booksmart") is stilted, and simply actors describing a scenario and their thoughts on it and each other. Or a few rather clunky exposition lines, dropped like hand grenades.
Combined with the shooting, which is done on film and comes across like a dreamy attempt as Cassavattes movies or Sean Baker (who is thanked in the credits) works with sunny skyline shots, it is a strange brew indeed, but the rawness maybe will add to it for some people? Personally I wanted it to be grittier (it's at its best when it's backstage with the dancers, having them in benign evironments or tearing their costumes whilst dressed so garishly) or emotionally rawer/subtler in its dialogue (Shipka gets an excellent scene on Shelley's doorstep, and the diner scene with Batista is a personal highlight, as is his meeting Hannah). Enough of it works that I think it's going to land (there's a great scene where Jamie Lee Curtis gets hammered and dances on a table to "Total Eclipse of the Heart", capturing her early glory, and it cuts between the asinine, lonely life of Bautista's Eddie and Anderson's Shelley practicing in front of the television, that's the highlight, this baroque over the top celebration of glory over a deep rooted sadness) and it aims for a tragic tone, but the scripting prevents it from truly soaring.
What's here works though. Come for Anderson, stay for her, Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis.
