Review of Showgirls (1995) by David A — 22 Nov 2009
(from The Watermark 09/30/95).
A better title: Tits Ten, Plot Three.
From the director/screenwriter team behind Basic Instinct comes another T & A fest with a flimsy plot added for color. Sexpot Berkley sweeps into Vegas in hopes of making it big as a showgirl. But the only employment she can find is in a raunchy adult strip club. Still she manages to claw her way to the top, with the help of headliner Gershon and boy toy MacLachlan. When she gets there, she sees some of the uglier sides of stardom and must decide if it all was worth the effort.
The screenplay is an absolute disaster. Any possibility of exploring the characters has been thrown aside for banterous bitchy double-talk. The biggest lack of craft, however, is in Berkley?s character: it is never clear what she wants or why she does what (and who) she does. Berkley throws herself vigorously into the role with energetic attitude and jerky body language; it makes you think there?s a burning desire there for something, but it?s never made clear. Worse still, her actions seem to equally support and negate any theories on what her motivations may be (i.e. acceptance, artistic respect, severance with her mysterious past). A better work could have had Berkley?s character start out the ?innocent,? and follow her education on the undesirable aspects of show biz.
The performances of MacLachlan and Gershon aren?t too bad, but they can only get so much blood from the stony material they?ve been given. Do you get the feeling that an NC-17 rating is just another marketing gimmick?
Queer Quotient: Lesbians might like the sexy seduction and interplay between the women. Gay guys will love the glitzy Vegas shows and costumes, and Berkley?s kabuki-esque street makeup may give some drag queens a few ideas, too.
POST-REVIEW 11/22/2009: I have to admit that over time this film has become one of my all-time favorite bad movies. I liken it to "Mommie Dearest": it is so bad, that it loops back around to good again if you watch it for its ridiculous (and unintentional) camp value. Showings on TV have digitally-added bras and other clothing/covers to hysterically mask the naughty bits. That Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon escaped this film with their careers in tact is a miracle. My roommate owns this on DVD, and whenever he no longer lives here, I'll probably have to buy my own copy.
This review of Showgirls (1995) was written by David A on 22 Nov 2009.
Showgirls has generally received negative reviews.
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