This film documents the rise to stardom, fall, and aging of some of Mexico’s most famous showgirls. These women did it all, they sang, danced, acted, modeled, etc. They were revered by armies of fans and had it all. Lyn May, Olga Breeskin, Princesa Yamal, Rossy Mendoza, and Wanda Seux discuss their rise to fame, their lives, and their dreams.
Writer/director Maria Jose Cuevas uses television and archive footage as well as personal photos and new interviews with the beauties to show the glamorous side of their lives in the spotlight and then where they are now. Each beauty is allowed to speak of her experience unrestrained and they confess to the joys of being a showgirl as well as the difficulties. They are shown as characters but also as real human beings with feelings and flaws.
These showgirls talk openly leading and honestly leading to a very real, captivating documentary. We see their lives as they are, with sadness and joy. Mexican showgirls are not exactly like their American counterparts. They do not solely exist on stage and in cities like Las Vegas or Reno; they are more like a cross between American showgirls, pin-ups, and pop stars. This documentary shows this and their fame levels with arena tours and huge crowds. During their heydays, they were like the Mexican Luchadores in that they were the extreme image of femininity, with great curves and beauty, with created characters, cultivated personalities, depending on popularity and their public. Comparatively, Luchadores are the extreme image of masculinity with strong bodies who can take on anyone, created characters, cultivated personalities, also depending on popularity and their public. They both are exaggerations of themselves and for the show. “Beauties of the Night” also shows what happens when the curtain falls and the stage lights are turned off.
Each of the ladies gets her time to shine in this doc. Lyn May talks about what she loves most and how she’s currently happy with the love of her life. Rossy Mendoza discusses her love life and is very candid on what she wanted and got from man and why she made the choices she did. Olga Breeskin discusses how things have majorly changed for her for the best. Princesa Yamal talks about the arrest and wrongful accusations that killed her career and what is most important to her now. Wanda Seux is the one that hits the hardest, she may not have much money but she makes the most of it, dedicating her life to dogs and battling cancer.
Seux has perhaps the most powerful moment in the whole film when she removes her wig to reveal the real Wanda, Amanda, at her Walk of Fame dedication. This moment hits possibly the hardest of all in a film with plenty strong, hard hitting moments. The other ladies also have their moments, but Seux is the lady that grabs you and doesn’t let go. She’s a strong woman fighting, figuratively and literally, for her life.
“Beauties of the Night” is an emotionally charged, informative documentary about a group of strong ladies who did what they could to survive in a career of their choice and became icons in their country. It shows the glamorous life they led but also the darker sides and their realities as aging showgirls who may not be ready to get go of the spotlight completely.