TORONTO, Canada—Just as The Wrestler gave Mickey Rourke one last shot at big-screen stardom (and Oscar gold) via the role of an aging entertainer struggling to make a comeback, so too does The Last Showgirl bestow Pamela Anderson with an opportunity to demonstrate her bona fide acting chops by playing an over-the-hill Las Vegas dancer facing impending irrelevance.
In both cases, the films hinge on the echoes between the protagonists’ and headliners’ pasts and presents...