Stripped & Teased: Tales from Las Vegas Women

It probably won't come as a big surprise to anyone that women who live in Las Vegas come from all walks of life. Other none-too-shocking revelations in this documentary: The first women to live in the Las Vegas area were Native Americans; women can do pretty much any job men can do; not all women in Vegas are showgirls; there are poor people in Vegas; many people blow their paychecks on gambling even though they know better; and the movie Showgirls was unrealistic (No! Really?). This film is at its best when it focuses on surreal, slightly-off-topic anecdotes like that of the bag lady who spends the entire night riding around in a cab, then transfers to another cab at the shift's end without allowing her feet to touch the ground; or the maid at the Mirage who lays blankets and flowers out in the alley for her homeless junkie brother whom she doesn't trust enough to allow inside her house. Moments like these make us wish director Amie Williams had taken the time to go even deeper, preferably at the expense of the corny segment titles, constant repetition of Shawn Colvin singing "Viva Las Vegas," and her own flat narration -- she can't seem to decide whether to make herself part of the story or not, and her superficial voice-over anecdotes border on the patronizing.