Paul Verhoeven is a stronger director depending on his proximity in location and time from his homeland, The Netherlands. There is no denying that he likes looking under society’s rocks and is sympathetic to characters who would normally be vilified in other productions. There is going to be nudity, explicit sex and violence, but even his bad characters aren’t going to be wholly bad and will be nuanced. Showgirls is certainly not Verhoeven’s best and is him at his most one-dimensional. I know that it was intentional, but everyone looked really odd to me-almost like aliens: too large lips, too wide eyes. Is it the worst movie ever made? Certainly not, and he depicts one of his favorite themes, a woman willing to push sexual boundaries to survive/thrive while retaining a peculiar code of honor. Nomi bristles at the label of whore while selling her sexuality and has a barely repressible rage, but as Showgirls unfolds, she is in danger of making a Faustian bargain and must choose between obtaining her dreams or losing her soul. There are lots of interesting themes about gender, exploitation, manipulation, justice and power. I think that it would have helped if the dancing was better, but every time Nomi was complimented, I thought, “Really?” I was happy that for once Verhoeven did not have a rape that ended in a relationship, especially since this film is marketed for Americans. Certainly not a must see unless you are a Verhoeven fan or want to see MacLachlan doing a good job. [Is Gina Gershon a great actress or is she actually that sleazy? I’m sure that she is a lovely person, but whenever I see her in anything, I wonder.]