Nic Cage is hit and miss with me. This is him at his best. His pain, apathy, hopelessness, helplessness, pathetic-ness (if that's a word) is heart wrenching. You can't help but pity him but at the same time you know he's on the correct path -- for him. It's sad. But beautiful at the same time because of his relationship with her. The thing that makes this performance so amazing to me is that he's usually such a loud, boisterous character, sometimes to the point of obnoxiousness but here he is so understated. If it's not the best performance of all time, it is definitely his best performance. For me.
337 Reviews
Unconditional love in an alcoholic haze.
hitchcockthelegend17 June 2009
Ben Sanderson is an alcoholic, who after getting released from his well paid screen writing position, heads to Vegas with his severance pay. Where he seriously plans to drink himself to death. But whilst cruising down the strip he meets Sera, a nicely turned out prostitute, and both troubled souls come together in an unlikely romance.
Based around the semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien, an alcoholic who committed suicide before the film made it to the screen, this is a sad, dark and deeply upsetting picture. Sanderson and his plight has no motive, we are not fed reasons for his nihilistic behaviour. We find him at the beginning of the film joyously hurtling thru a liquor market isle, promptly filling his shopping cart with bottles of liquor. From here on in we know that this is no ordinary film about an alcoholic trying to get off the booze, we are on a train to Bleakville, stops at Love and Liberation seem a very long way away.
Enter Sera, the sweet and wholesome prostitute, who having escaped the abusive and borderline psycho pimp, Yuri, is herself in need of liberation. But can she carry the burden of both as this unlikely and almost certainly doomed romance starts to become significant? Nicholas Cage as Sanderson is terrific, very compelling, realistic and segueing from zany wired comedy to the desolation of Sanderson's death wish descent within a heart beat. Elisabeth Shue as Sera is also incredibly potent, if perhaps guilty of looking too pristine, and prompting questions of why she would be drawn to Ben's world anyway?
Shue none the less works her socks off to make Sera sensitive and believable. Directed by Mike Figgis, who shot it beautifully in Super 16 film, the film won a Best Actor Academy Award for Cage, and garnered nominations for Best Actress {Shue} & Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay {both Figgis}. Massively popular and praised on release, it has lost none of the impact that it had back then. 8/10
Based around the semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien, an alcoholic who committed suicide before the film made it to the screen, this is a sad, dark and deeply upsetting picture. Sanderson and his plight has no motive, we are not fed reasons for his nihilistic behaviour. We find him at the beginning of the film joyously hurtling thru a liquor market isle, promptly filling his shopping cart with bottles of liquor. From here on in we know that this is no ordinary film about an alcoholic trying to get off the booze, we are on a train to Bleakville, stops at Love and Liberation seem a very long way away.
Enter Sera, the sweet and wholesome prostitute, who having escaped the abusive and borderline psycho pimp, Yuri, is herself in need of liberation. But can she carry the burden of both as this unlikely and almost certainly doomed romance starts to become significant? Nicholas Cage as Sanderson is terrific, very compelling, realistic and segueing from zany wired comedy to the desolation of Sanderson's death wish descent within a heart beat. Elisabeth Shue as Sera is also incredibly potent, if perhaps guilty of looking too pristine, and prompting questions of why she would be drawn to Ben's world anyway?
Shue none the less works her socks off to make Sera sensitive and believable. Directed by Mike Figgis, who shot it beautifully in Super 16 film, the film won a Best Actor Academy Award for Cage, and garnered nominations for Best Actress {Shue} & Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay {both Figgis}. Massively popular and praised on release, it has lost none of the impact that it had back then. 8/10
two great performances
SnoopyStyle1 January 2016
Hollywood screenwriter Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage) is a hopeless drunk and self-destructing. He loses his job and his family. He decides to destroy everything in his home, drive to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. He runs into call girl Sera (Elisabeth Shue) and hires her. Her abusive pimp Yuri (Julian Sands) had followed her out from L.A. He's broke and on the run from a gang. Ben and Sera begin a relationship accepting each other's flaws. However these flaws overtake them in the end.
This is a movie about a drunk and a hooker with a heart of gold. Cage and Shue make this more than the simple cliché it sounds like. They infuse these characters with humanity. They give two great performances.
This is a movie about a drunk and a hooker with a heart of gold. Cage and Shue make this more than the simple cliché it sounds like. They infuse these characters with humanity. They give two great performances.
Powerful Film About Loneliness And Acceptance
flipgirl3815 May 2005
Remarkable. Touching. Riveting. Leaving Las Vegas is all of these and then some. I have not seen a film of this magnitude about loneliness and acceptance in such a while that I was in tears for much of the run time.
Nicholas Cage is Ben, a man who has lost his wife and child, throws his job away, and takes all of his remaining money to buy as much liquor as possible and "drink himself to death" in the city of Las Vegas. He has given up all hope, with no wish to live, but for one reason or another, wants a companion to share in his misery, but not try to save him. He finds this companion in a hooker, Sera, played by Elizabeth Shue. They immediately form a strong relationship based on one night of talking about their lives. Sera in particular quickly grows attached to Ben, for no other reason than she has been alone her whole life and wants nothing more than to feel that want and need by someone.
Cage won his first Oscar for his role as Ben, and how deserved it was. He was astounding, perfection, down to every single tick, the volume of his voice, the pain and tragedy buried in his eyes. I could not believe the extent of his role, the dedication and time he invested in bringing this character to life. Same goes for Elizabeth Shue, who with a simple glance at a person, she reveals her entire self, and no one even dares to notice except for Ben. This neediness is apparent, she wants to hold onto this relationship so badly, yet what makes their relationship work is total and complete acceptance of their respective decisions. He will not tell her to stop being a hooker, and she in return can never ask him to stop drinking. And it is in that factor that makes this film worth watching. To be totally accepted by those around them, to open themselves up to such an extreme.
Leaving Las Vegas is a sobering film about connections, loneliness, acceptance, and a small little island of hope that is Ben and Sera. They are two good people, depicted in a world full of sorrows and misdeeds, who latch onto each other and never let go. They were nothing but ghosts, till that chance encounter, and became each others worlds. Cage and Shue bring these good people to life in such an extraordinary way, making Leaving Las Vegas a film to be treasured and remembered for years to come. I highly recommend this film.
Nicholas Cage is Ben, a man who has lost his wife and child, throws his job away, and takes all of his remaining money to buy as much liquor as possible and "drink himself to death" in the city of Las Vegas. He has given up all hope, with no wish to live, but for one reason or another, wants a companion to share in his misery, but not try to save him. He finds this companion in a hooker, Sera, played by Elizabeth Shue. They immediately form a strong relationship based on one night of talking about their lives. Sera in particular quickly grows attached to Ben, for no other reason than she has been alone her whole life and wants nothing more than to feel that want and need by someone.
Cage won his first Oscar for his role as Ben, and how deserved it was. He was astounding, perfection, down to every single tick, the volume of his voice, the pain and tragedy buried in his eyes. I could not believe the extent of his role, the dedication and time he invested in bringing this character to life. Same goes for Elizabeth Shue, who with a simple glance at a person, she reveals her entire self, and no one even dares to notice except for Ben. This neediness is apparent, she wants to hold onto this relationship so badly, yet what makes their relationship work is total and complete acceptance of their respective decisions. He will not tell her to stop being a hooker, and she in return can never ask him to stop drinking. And it is in that factor that makes this film worth watching. To be totally accepted by those around them, to open themselves up to such an extreme.
Leaving Las Vegas is a sobering film about connections, loneliness, acceptance, and a small little island of hope that is Ben and Sera. They are two good people, depicted in a world full of sorrows and misdeeds, who latch onto each other and never let go. They were nothing but ghosts, till that chance encounter, and became each others worlds. Cage and Shue bring these good people to life in such an extraordinary way, making Leaving Las Vegas a film to be treasured and remembered for years to come. I highly recommend this film.
Amazing, and gritty performances
jguz583 May 2003
It's not a movie I could bear to watch very often, because it's sad to see people destroy themselves. But Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue are riveting to watch here. As a person who has a past involvement in alcohol and substance abuse, I found Cage's performance especially compelling, and after watching him in this one, I am sure glad that lifestyle is behind me!
The chemistry between these two is really great, two people that need each other in different ways, trying to cope with how screwed up their lives have become. Very real performances, if you're faint-of-heart be ready for some strong words, and not just obscenities. Wow! They really lay it on the line. Great performances by two of my favorites.
The chemistry between these two is really great, two people that need each other in different ways, trying to cope with how screwed up their lives have become. Very real performances, if you're faint-of-heart be ready for some strong words, and not just obscenities. Wow! They really lay it on the line. Great performances by two of my favorites.
The dignity of love and the depths of despair
mstomaso3 June 2005
If Mike Figgis never made another film, and Nick Cage and Elizabeth Shue retired after making Leaving Las Vegas, they would have done so with impunity. Both actors are superb, and bring the excellent screenplay to life with the help of some masterful dramatic cinematography.
Cage plays a suicidal alcoholic who has come to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, and Shue plays the unexpected problem - a prostitute who falls in love with him. The only reason this film did not receive a ten from me is the voice-over technique which was tastefully minimal, but, in my opinion, the only mistake the director made. It does help to provide closure, but I felt that closure was an unnecessary compromise here.
This is not an entertaining film, and in truth, I am surprised by its popularity among typical audiences. It is a serious film, and a work of art, but fun is not to be found here. DO NOT see this film if you dislike feeling emotionally drained and ethically challenged, and DO NOT see it if you are very prone to boredom, or easily offended by sexual violence, substance abuse and the horror of daily life on the street.
This is an intensely sad film about love shared by people who are caught in the gravity of their lives and can not escape. It is also a story of redemption and respect, found in improbable places. It is NOT a fun-filled frolicking romantic comedy, but rather, the opposite, and it achieves a beauty, dignity and power almost unique among films treating such starkly real and disturbing subjects.
Cage plays a suicidal alcoholic who has come to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, and Shue plays the unexpected problem - a prostitute who falls in love with him. The only reason this film did not receive a ten from me is the voice-over technique which was tastefully minimal, but, in my opinion, the only mistake the director made. It does help to provide closure, but I felt that closure was an unnecessary compromise here.
This is not an entertaining film, and in truth, I am surprised by its popularity among typical audiences. It is a serious film, and a work of art, but fun is not to be found here. DO NOT see this film if you dislike feeling emotionally drained and ethically challenged, and DO NOT see it if you are very prone to boredom, or easily offended by sexual violence, substance abuse and the horror of daily life on the street.
This is an intensely sad film about love shared by people who are caught in the gravity of their lives and can not escape. It is also a story of redemption and respect, found in improbable places. It is NOT a fun-filled frolicking romantic comedy, but rather, the opposite, and it achieves a beauty, dignity and power almost unique among films treating such starkly real and disturbing subjects.
An incessantly bleak drama with some strong performances
eddie_baggins15 December 2020
Long before he became a walking talking meme that is now more known for his willingness to jump on board just about any film that comes his way, Nicolas Cage was at one stage a very serious and well-regarded actor, reaching a pinnacle with his Oscar winning performance as alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter Ben Sanderson in Mike Figgis's Leaving Las Vegas.
One of the most deeply depressing and bleak movies to come out of the Hollywood system in the time period of its release, Figgis's raw and confronting adaptation of John O'Brien's novel allowed Cage to go all in as the death wish seeking Sanderson, who flees the sights and sounds of Los Angeles for the casino laden streets of Las Vegas where he finds potential redemption and meaning in a relationship with Elisabeth Shue's kinder-hearted prostitute Sera.
An unconventional romance in an untypical narrative, Cage and Shue are both as good as they've been in their Oscar winning and nominated roles respectively, even if its hard to know how their performances would be received in today's climate with some of Figgis's directional choices ageing poorly and Vegas's unrefined nature feeling as though its lost some of its lustre in the 25 years on from the films well received initial release that saw it become a surprise box office draw and awards darling.
No doubt the film provides the now mostly irrelevant Shue with her best role before she disappeared into bit parts in mainly direct to video efforts while Cage has rarely found a more suitable character to inhabit than Ben who gives him time as both a wide eyed drunken maniac and a solemnly drawn recluse who longs for nothing more than the sweet peace of death.
The two performers who virtually share most of the films screen-time between themselves are key components of the films success in keeping you engaged as the films incessantly bleak and almost light free affair makes for rough viewing throughout, viewers enjoyment being dependent on how much sorrow and sadness they can take in one sitting.
You get the feeling that had Vegas been made today much would've changed about how it handles and films various tough and confronting moments but as it stands its still an important piece of the 90's cinematic puzzle, even if its awards and plaudits could be called into question as it stands.
Final Say -
Some would argue that Leaving Las Vegas is a career peak moment for its leading man and is undoubtedly the best work of its leading lady and director but this raw and bleak affair hasn't benefited from the time that's passed since its initial release even if its still an at times powerful examination of self-destructive souls.
3 bar-tending Danny Huston's out of 5
One of the most deeply depressing and bleak movies to come out of the Hollywood system in the time period of its release, Figgis's raw and confronting adaptation of John O'Brien's novel allowed Cage to go all in as the death wish seeking Sanderson, who flees the sights and sounds of Los Angeles for the casino laden streets of Las Vegas where he finds potential redemption and meaning in a relationship with Elisabeth Shue's kinder-hearted prostitute Sera.
An unconventional romance in an untypical narrative, Cage and Shue are both as good as they've been in their Oscar winning and nominated roles respectively, even if its hard to know how their performances would be received in today's climate with some of Figgis's directional choices ageing poorly and Vegas's unrefined nature feeling as though its lost some of its lustre in the 25 years on from the films well received initial release that saw it become a surprise box office draw and awards darling.
No doubt the film provides the now mostly irrelevant Shue with her best role before she disappeared into bit parts in mainly direct to video efforts while Cage has rarely found a more suitable character to inhabit than Ben who gives him time as both a wide eyed drunken maniac and a solemnly drawn recluse who longs for nothing more than the sweet peace of death.
The two performers who virtually share most of the films screen-time between themselves are key components of the films success in keeping you engaged as the films incessantly bleak and almost light free affair makes for rough viewing throughout, viewers enjoyment being dependent on how much sorrow and sadness they can take in one sitting.
You get the feeling that had Vegas been made today much would've changed about how it handles and films various tough and confronting moments but as it stands its still an important piece of the 90's cinematic puzzle, even if its awards and plaudits could be called into question as it stands.
Final Say -
Some would argue that Leaving Las Vegas is a career peak moment for its leading man and is undoubtedly the best work of its leading lady and director but this raw and bleak affair hasn't benefited from the time that's passed since its initial release even if its still an at times powerful examination of self-destructive souls.
3 bar-tending Danny Huston's out of 5
Dangers of Alcoholism!
g-bodyl10 August 2013
Leaving Las Vegas is a very powerful character drama that happens to be the best acting Nicholas Cage has ever done. We are so used to his over-the-top performances, but this role is very reserved. He does play an alcohol addict, but he isn't crazy for the majority of the film and that's a relief. This film was made on a very cheap budget, but that doesn't matter when we get too involved in the story and the relationship between the two main characters.
Mike Figgis's film is about a Hollywood screenwriter named Ben who loses everything thanks to his alcoholism. He decides to go to Las Vegas to literally drink himself to death and that's where he meets a prostitute, Sera. They form a relationship despite their issues and each realize they form a special bond with each other.
The acting is very good. Nic Cage does a career role and his portrayal of an alcoholic is very realistic and disturbing. I'm perturbed on how much alcohol he drank in the film. Elizabeth Shue does very well as Sera and we are able to feel her pain despite her profession.
Overall, this is a very surreal and realistic drama that focuses mightily on characterization. I don't like what each person does, but somehow the movie makes me feel bad for them and root for good things to happen to our main characters. Also, I really liked the look and the feel of the film. It gives out a more realistic feeling. Thanks to the raw, gritty, and powerful performances, this movie works on a high level. I rate this film 9/10.
Mike Figgis's film is about a Hollywood screenwriter named Ben who loses everything thanks to his alcoholism. He decides to go to Las Vegas to literally drink himself to death and that's where he meets a prostitute, Sera. They form a relationship despite their issues and each realize they form a special bond with each other.
The acting is very good. Nic Cage does a career role and his portrayal of an alcoholic is very realistic and disturbing. I'm perturbed on how much alcohol he drank in the film. Elizabeth Shue does very well as Sera and we are able to feel her pain despite her profession.
Overall, this is a very surreal and realistic drama that focuses mightily on characterization. I don't like what each person does, but somehow the movie makes me feel bad for them and root for good things to happen to our main characters. Also, I really liked the look and the feel of the film. It gives out a more realistic feeling. Thanks to the raw, gritty, and powerful performances, this movie works on a high level. I rate this film 9/10.
Alcoholism, Prostitution... Two Great Selling Points
gavin69427 April 2007
After losing his job as a screenwriter for boozing, a man decides to move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. But what he didn't expect was to meet Sera, a prostitute with problems of her own.
This film is pretty highly acclaimed and Nicolas Cage received an Oscar for his role as the drunk. Personally, I don't know that Cage deserved the award for this one. Later on in the film his acting gets better, but the first half just seems like Cage being himself more than anything. The opening scene of him loading a shopping cart with booze is more comedic than serious. And drinking a bottle of booze as a cop drives past? Better roles he's played: "Weather Man", "Lord of War" and "Adaptation". This was more akin to "Trapped in Paradise", hardly a notable role.
Elizabeth Shue, likewise, was questionable. I thought she did a much better job than Cage, but was still not a break-out role by all means. I think any number of actresses could easily have handled her role as well or better.
I was also disappointed because the film has a strong anti-drinking message, but I have to say the movie really made me want to drink. I have no doubt many people have played a drinking game to this one. So, mission not accomplished.
Criticisms aside, it was a good movie. I really enjoyed watching it even if I didn't think it was outstanding. The story was interesting, the characters fun, the camera-work was quite good and the Vegas scenery was spectacular. So it wasn't like it was a punishment to sit through. Cage is entertaining and Shue is quite attractive in her own way (though her most attractive role will always be in "The Saint").
I suppose I'd say you should see this movie, but I'd ask you to decide for yourself is this deserved awards. I just didn't see it. Which, I guess, is more a complaint about the Academy than the film itself. But it put me in the wrong mindset -- expecting some mind-blowing drama and just getting a film not unlike which I've seen many times before.
This film is pretty highly acclaimed and Nicolas Cage received an Oscar for his role as the drunk. Personally, I don't know that Cage deserved the award for this one. Later on in the film his acting gets better, but the first half just seems like Cage being himself more than anything. The opening scene of him loading a shopping cart with booze is more comedic than serious. And drinking a bottle of booze as a cop drives past? Better roles he's played: "Weather Man", "Lord of War" and "Adaptation". This was more akin to "Trapped in Paradise", hardly a notable role.
Elizabeth Shue, likewise, was questionable. I thought she did a much better job than Cage, but was still not a break-out role by all means. I think any number of actresses could easily have handled her role as well or better.
I was also disappointed because the film has a strong anti-drinking message, but I have to say the movie really made me want to drink. I have no doubt many people have played a drinking game to this one. So, mission not accomplished.
Criticisms aside, it was a good movie. I really enjoyed watching it even if I didn't think it was outstanding. The story was interesting, the characters fun, the camera-work was quite good and the Vegas scenery was spectacular. So it wasn't like it was a punishment to sit through. Cage is entertaining and Shue is quite attractive in her own way (though her most attractive role will always be in "The Saint").
I suppose I'd say you should see this movie, but I'd ask you to decide for yourself is this deserved awards. I just didn't see it. Which, I guess, is more a complaint about the Academy than the film itself. But it put me in the wrong mindset -- expecting some mind-blowing drama and just getting a film not unlike which I've seen many times before.
Or, is killing myself a way of drinking?
film-critic3 February 2005
To me, this is one of the best romantic films that you can get your hands on. If you are interested in seeing a pure love, one that is not focused purely on sex, but instead emotional and mental connectiveness, then this is the film for you. While others will argue that this is not the best date film, I would beg to differ. Leaving Las Vegas would be a perfect choice for a first date film over anything that Meg Ryan or the recycle bin of Hollywood has to offer. It is a gripping story of realistic love, and the dramatic consequences of giving your heart to someone. It is about dreams, companionship, and the hurdles of everyday romance. This is a film that proves that the darker underbelly of our society still has a shimmering light of hope and love. Director Mike Figgis has done an outstanding job of giving these two rich characters the right elements to build upon the "classic" love-story moments, while giving it a flavor uniquely his own. Figgis' mixture of gritty Vegas with the beautiful jazz sounds really created the ambiance of love and pushed these two ugly ducklings closer towards their transformation into love. I think that is what really captured me on this film, was that it was similar to the love stories that Hollywood continually releases, except it gave us two tragic characters instead of these bubbly, money isn't everything, characters that seem to be repetitive cogs in the Hollywood machine.
Let me explain this further. When you think of a love story, what are the elements that you consider? You have a guy and a girl (normally), they have this coincidental moment where they find their common bond, they are held back by either an internal or external dilemma, there is a factor of insecurity, and finally the dramatic ending where the two rush together at a predisclosed location (normally an airport). Does that sound familiar in any way? These are all elements that you can find in LLV. I have seen this film at least a dozen times, and for some odd reason it was this viewing that it just seemed to click for me. This is the perfect American love story told with a darker tone. While most will see this as nothing more than the story of a drunk trying to kill himself and a graphic scenes with a prostitute, I saw it as the classic story of love. All the elements are present. Ben and Sera coincidentally meet one night, both seeking companionship and without the pressures of sex, they immediately form this bond that will never be broken. Through Ben's drunkenness, he remembers her and continually wants to see her. They both have internal factors that hold them back, Sera's is prostitution while Ben's is his drinking. Even through there are these factors, they still find themselves together. That feeling of insecurity is even there when Sera arrives home one night to find Ben with someone else. It all seems to fit. Then there is the amazing ending that will either have you in rapture or in awe. These two are in love, and it isn't this bubbly love between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, it is truths of America finding the dream of compassion.
The only unnecessary moments that I felt could have been fine-tuned were those involving Julian Sans. I just couldn't capture his character. I needed a bit more back-story or perhaps more interactions between him and Sera. Something was missing that distracted from the scenes that they shared. Outside of this one element, the rest of the film was purely flawless and even at times carnal. For example, when Sera has the opportunity to be on her own, she chooses to forgo her independence and be with Ben. Shue and Figgis both demonstrate that perhaps Sera is not in love with Ben, but instead the concept of a man wanting to be with her because of who she is. It is obvious that Sera seeks companionship, and probably has never had it all her life, when suddenly Ben struts into the picture. This may explain why she continues to work when she doesn't have to. She is used to the job, she thrives for the intensity, and perhaps uses it to fall deeper in love with Ben. Figgis doesn't come out and give you a reason why Sera continues along her path, but instead leaves it up to your imagination and enjoyment. Leaving Las Vegas felt like a combination Breaking the Waves, Love Liza, and All the Real Girls. This is a love story with so many different human elements coming to you at once that the average viewer would probably ignore the signs and see this as a depressing film. While it isn't the lightest film of the ages, it does prove that "Love is a very splendid thing".
I cannot end this review without at least mentioning the amazing acting done by both Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue. The chemistry between them is rare in Hollywood. I felt that these two really made this film and were just not placed in their roles to sell tickets. Cage really felt comfortable and understood his character while Shue fit perfectly with her secrets and heart. It is obvious why Cage won the Oscar for his role in this film, and while I am sure we will never see him take a role like this again (thanks to summer blockbusters), it was good to see him take a role that really redefined the romance genre. The same goes for Shue. While she hasn't really made another film like this one in a very long time (outside of Adventures in Babysitting), it is good to know that she can take on roles like this and have the guts to follow through.
Overall, this was a very powerful and emotional film for me.
Grade: ***** out of *****
Let me explain this further. When you think of a love story, what are the elements that you consider? You have a guy and a girl (normally), they have this coincidental moment where they find their common bond, they are held back by either an internal or external dilemma, there is a factor of insecurity, and finally the dramatic ending where the two rush together at a predisclosed location (normally an airport). Does that sound familiar in any way? These are all elements that you can find in LLV. I have seen this film at least a dozen times, and for some odd reason it was this viewing that it just seemed to click for me. This is the perfect American love story told with a darker tone. While most will see this as nothing more than the story of a drunk trying to kill himself and a graphic scenes with a prostitute, I saw it as the classic story of love. All the elements are present. Ben and Sera coincidentally meet one night, both seeking companionship and without the pressures of sex, they immediately form this bond that will never be broken. Through Ben's drunkenness, he remembers her and continually wants to see her. They both have internal factors that hold them back, Sera's is prostitution while Ben's is his drinking. Even through there are these factors, they still find themselves together. That feeling of insecurity is even there when Sera arrives home one night to find Ben with someone else. It all seems to fit. Then there is the amazing ending that will either have you in rapture or in awe. These two are in love, and it isn't this bubbly love between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, it is truths of America finding the dream of compassion.
The only unnecessary moments that I felt could have been fine-tuned were those involving Julian Sans. I just couldn't capture his character. I needed a bit more back-story or perhaps more interactions between him and Sera. Something was missing that distracted from the scenes that they shared. Outside of this one element, the rest of the film was purely flawless and even at times carnal. For example, when Sera has the opportunity to be on her own, she chooses to forgo her independence and be with Ben. Shue and Figgis both demonstrate that perhaps Sera is not in love with Ben, but instead the concept of a man wanting to be with her because of who she is. It is obvious that Sera seeks companionship, and probably has never had it all her life, when suddenly Ben struts into the picture. This may explain why she continues to work when she doesn't have to. She is used to the job, she thrives for the intensity, and perhaps uses it to fall deeper in love with Ben. Figgis doesn't come out and give you a reason why Sera continues along her path, but instead leaves it up to your imagination and enjoyment. Leaving Las Vegas felt like a combination Breaking the Waves, Love Liza, and All the Real Girls. This is a love story with so many different human elements coming to you at once that the average viewer would probably ignore the signs and see this as a depressing film. While it isn't the lightest film of the ages, it does prove that "Love is a very splendid thing".
I cannot end this review without at least mentioning the amazing acting done by both Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue. The chemistry between them is rare in Hollywood. I felt that these two really made this film and were just not placed in their roles to sell tickets. Cage really felt comfortable and understood his character while Shue fit perfectly with her secrets and heart. It is obvious why Cage won the Oscar for his role in this film, and while I am sure we will never see him take a role like this again (thanks to summer blockbusters), it was good to see him take a role that really redefined the romance genre. The same goes for Shue. While she hasn't really made another film like this one in a very long time (outside of Adventures in Babysitting), it is good to know that she can take on roles like this and have the guts to follow through.
Overall, this was a very powerful and emotional film for me.
Grade: ***** out of *****
Great acting but overrated
K3nzit3 January 2020
big disappointment
cecrle18 December 1999
I had heard that this movie was great and depressing. I mostly just found it to be a disappointment. Cage as an alcoholic intent on drinking himself to death, and Shue as a prostitute intent on whoring--not that we know *why* or anything. The best scenes of the movie are when Cage's character fires quips and witticisms in the midst of his drunkenness. But it's not very depressing, because we just aren't given enough information about the characters to care; Cage is drunk from the start, and never really stops, so it's not like we're witnessing the downfall of some great character. All we know about him is that his wife and son left him somehow, and that Shue has a deranged pimp and keeps on whorin'. That's about it. They proceed to act screwed up and hopeless, as *Sting* sings tepid love songs on the soundtrack (yes, *Sting*). The soundtrack selections are so silly, they really ruin the mood of certain scenes--when we would naturally be feeling glum or sorry for the characters, there's goofy jazzy crooning and crap going on in the forefront of the sound; music that says, "Oh, those crazy kids! What wacky things will they do next!" Does not go well with the visual aspects and storyline at all (unless you consider songs playing that mention "kissing" and "love" as the same stuff happens on the screen to be an amazingly creative example of synchronicity and visual-aural interwinement). Very poor, and downright harmful to the atmosphere. By the time the flick ends, you realize: "hey.....nothing much happened in that movie..." Yes, the acting is pretty damn good from both Cage and Shue, but their characters aren't examined/explored/explained enough for us to get any sort of attachment or lasting interest invested in them, and nothing much happens in terms of plot. Cage keeps getting drunk, Shue keeps whoring, and every now and then something a-little-more-screwed-up-than-screwed-up happens. That's about it. Maybe the best things about this movie could be summarized and translated into a piece of some other excellent film, but in and of itself, this movie is blatantly lacking.
Raw Look at Alcoholism
Michael_Elliott12 February 2013
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
**** (out of 4)
Depressing account of a man (Nicholas Cage) who goes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death and once there he strikes up a relationship with a prostitute (Elisabeth Shue). Going back and watching this film after so many years had a lot of things going through my mind. Such as the first time I watched this it was in the theater as the second part of a double feature with DEAD MAN WALKING. Talk about a depressing four hours in the theater. The second thing it reminded me of was what a terrific actor Cage was and how at the time many people were calling him one of the greatest of his generation. I bring this up considering the type of films Cage is currently doing. LEAVING LAS VEGAS is without question a very dark and depressing film and it always amuses me that people attacked the picture for this. I mean, there are several films each year that shows the fun side of drinking so I always find it strange that so many could object to a film showing the ugly side. I can understand people not wanting to sit through a nearly two-hour suicide movie but at the same time those who can stomach the story are going to be shown one of the best performances from this era. Cage is simply marvelous as the alcoholic who goes on a death wish for reasons we're not fully told. It's funny but the screenplay really doesn't give us much insight to either character other than both are troubled, alone and find some sort of comfort with each other. This love story between the two certainly isn't all that casual or romantic but it's quite unique in its own way. The way Cage controls this character, his various emotions and the physical nature of his body falling apart are simply amazing to watch. It really reminds one of how great he can be when the material is right. Shue also turns in the best performance of her career and you can really see the pain in her eyes as this man she loves is slowly dying. Julian Sands is also quite effective in his few scenes. Director Mike Figgis does an extremely good job with the material but a lot of credit also needs to go towards his film score. LEAVING LAS VEGAS isn't a very pretty movie to watch but then again, why would anyone expect alcoholism to be pretty?
**** (out of 4)
Depressing account of a man (Nicholas Cage) who goes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death and once there he strikes up a relationship with a prostitute (Elisabeth Shue). Going back and watching this film after so many years had a lot of things going through my mind. Such as the first time I watched this it was in the theater as the second part of a double feature with DEAD MAN WALKING. Talk about a depressing four hours in the theater. The second thing it reminded me of was what a terrific actor Cage was and how at the time many people were calling him one of the greatest of his generation. I bring this up considering the type of films Cage is currently doing. LEAVING LAS VEGAS is without question a very dark and depressing film and it always amuses me that people attacked the picture for this. I mean, there are several films each year that shows the fun side of drinking so I always find it strange that so many could object to a film showing the ugly side. I can understand people not wanting to sit through a nearly two-hour suicide movie but at the same time those who can stomach the story are going to be shown one of the best performances from this era. Cage is simply marvelous as the alcoholic who goes on a death wish for reasons we're not fully told. It's funny but the screenplay really doesn't give us much insight to either character other than both are troubled, alone and find some sort of comfort with each other. This love story between the two certainly isn't all that casual or romantic but it's quite unique in its own way. The way Cage controls this character, his various emotions and the physical nature of his body falling apart are simply amazing to watch. It really reminds one of how great he can be when the material is right. Shue also turns in the best performance of her career and you can really see the pain in her eyes as this man she loves is slowly dying. Julian Sands is also quite effective in his few scenes. Director Mike Figgis does an extremely good job with the material but a lot of credit also needs to go towards his film score. LEAVING LAS VEGAS isn't a very pretty movie to watch but then again, why would anyone expect alcoholism to be pretty?
Leaving My Senses perhaps . . . but there's more here than meets the eye.
WCS027 June 2005
I've seen this film 5 or 6 times. It occurred to me on the last viewing that it could be the ultimate Touched by an Angel Ben's time in Las Vegas, that is. I believe author John O'Brien thought he was living through a hallucination in the final throes of his diseased life.
The possibility rises out of several conspicuous dynamics in the film.
First, that Ben's life was invested developing Hollywood drama prior to being dismissed by his boss, who will clearly miss his talent and personality in the office, a talent singularly broken by the ravages of alcoholism. He is good at inventing and developing "story". If his occupation had been Investment Banking or Teaching, I'd feel differently. But John O'Brien bore him with a Hollywood mind. That lit the flame for me.
That Ben repeatedly calls Sera his angel during his demise - as he enjoys the best of - and endures the worst of - Las Vegas living. It is possible that all of it is a hallucination during the final pathetic act of his life. The invention of Sera makes his passing bearable, doable, a possible goal for him.
That Sera endures the college team horrors, discuses her relationship with the off-camera therapist to whom she confesses her soul-deep love for Ben ... even the problems with her pimp and landlord constitute deep back story in the mind of a man with a talent for such invention, desperate to flesh out the reasons why this angel will escort him to the next world. In my last analysis, she is an angel divined in his fertile mind to embody all of the good people and events in his life (the wealth flashback memories, e.g.). Sera has come to take him out while steeling the love in his heart. She sees him for what he is, because that's what responsible angels do.
This is a work with metaphor far beyond the veneer of the surface dialog. It's a film demanding to be viewed more than once. Or perhaps, I'm just going nuts, have lost it and I'm hallucinating in my own right.
Either way, enjoy. 10 out of 10.
The possibility rises out of several conspicuous dynamics in the film.
First, that Ben's life was invested developing Hollywood drama prior to being dismissed by his boss, who will clearly miss his talent and personality in the office, a talent singularly broken by the ravages of alcoholism. He is good at inventing and developing "story". If his occupation had been Investment Banking or Teaching, I'd feel differently. But John O'Brien bore him with a Hollywood mind. That lit the flame for me.
That Ben repeatedly calls Sera his angel during his demise - as he enjoys the best of - and endures the worst of - Las Vegas living. It is possible that all of it is a hallucination during the final pathetic act of his life. The invention of Sera makes his passing bearable, doable, a possible goal for him.
That Sera endures the college team horrors, discuses her relationship with the off-camera therapist to whom she confesses her soul-deep love for Ben ... even the problems with her pimp and landlord constitute deep back story in the mind of a man with a talent for such invention, desperate to flesh out the reasons why this angel will escort him to the next world. In my last analysis, she is an angel divined in his fertile mind to embody all of the good people and events in his life (the wealth flashback memories, e.g.). Sera has come to take him out while steeling the love in his heart. She sees him for what he is, because that's what responsible angels do.
This is a work with metaphor far beyond the veneer of the surface dialog. It's a film demanding to be viewed more than once. Or perhaps, I'm just going nuts, have lost it and I'm hallucinating in my own right.
Either way, enjoy. 10 out of 10.
An unrelenting tragedy, with raw and passionate performances
luke-a-mcgowan12 June 2015
Having recovered from the mind-numbing Heat, a supposed character study, I was eager to sink my teeth into a different 1995 gem and I found it here with Leaving Las Vegas. With only two important characters, the entire film rests heavily on the shoulders of Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, and neither of them disappoint.
Of the two, Nicolas Cage is the Oscar winner and the truly deserving one at that. He is simply hypnotic as Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic so far gone he doesn't even remember why he wants to die. His withdrawal scenes are so real they are upsetting, whereas his drunken charisma is so real its almost funny. The balance that Cage strikes really highlights how tragic his character really is. He conveys hatred and rage and loneliness and despair, and you will be so sad yet so hooked that its impossible to look away. Elisabeth Shue gets off to a slower start than Cage, but she is still an endearing, emotional character, capable of great things.
The writing is very good, giving Cage the perfect, pitiful dialogue in order to serve his woeful character, and even throws in a hypnotic monologue or two. The best thing that Figgis achieves in this film is his cruel and deliberate intersplicing of mood-killing incidents (invariably caused by alcohol) between the moments of love and passion that Shue and Cage share. It is a relentless reminder that their love story is completely doomed. Sting's My One and Only Love is all over this film, which I thought was a very good choice, in addition to the beautiful and haunting score.
The final act focuses a little too much on Shue and not enough on Cage, and whilst their final scene together was appropriately pathetic to suit the tragedy of the film, I couldn't help but feel less engaged. I also didn't enjoy Shue's constant commentary, given that it doesn't really go anywhere.
But between the raw passion of Nicholas Cage and the uncompromising guiding hand of Mike Figgis, any complaints I could ever have otherwise found in Leaving Las Vegas are completely washed away.
Of the two, Nicolas Cage is the Oscar winner and the truly deserving one at that. He is simply hypnotic as Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic so far gone he doesn't even remember why he wants to die. His withdrawal scenes are so real they are upsetting, whereas his drunken charisma is so real its almost funny. The balance that Cage strikes really highlights how tragic his character really is. He conveys hatred and rage and loneliness and despair, and you will be so sad yet so hooked that its impossible to look away. Elisabeth Shue gets off to a slower start than Cage, but she is still an endearing, emotional character, capable of great things.
The writing is very good, giving Cage the perfect, pitiful dialogue in order to serve his woeful character, and even throws in a hypnotic monologue or two. The best thing that Figgis achieves in this film is his cruel and deliberate intersplicing of mood-killing incidents (invariably caused by alcohol) between the moments of love and passion that Shue and Cage share. It is a relentless reminder that their love story is completely doomed. Sting's My One and Only Love is all over this film, which I thought was a very good choice, in addition to the beautiful and haunting score.
The final act focuses a little too much on Shue and not enough on Cage, and whilst their final scene together was appropriately pathetic to suit the tragedy of the film, I couldn't help but feel less engaged. I also didn't enjoy Shue's constant commentary, given that it doesn't really go anywhere.
But between the raw passion of Nicholas Cage and the uncompromising guiding hand of Mike Figgis, any complaints I could ever have otherwise found in Leaving Las Vegas are completely washed away.
It takes its time, but "Leaving Las Vegas" finds its niche in the second-act...
moonspinner5514 May 2006
Nicolas Cage won a Best Actor Oscar playing a screenwriter and miserable alcoholic who hopes to drink himself to death; Elisabeth Shue was Oscar-nominated as the Las Vegas prostitute who tries to be his surrogate guardian angel. "Leaving Las Vegas", an adaptation of John O'Brien's novel by writer-director Mike Figgis, is a well-produced, well-acted drama that takes a awhile to get its bearings, eventually becoming a moving human tragedy. The opening moments introducing the characters are painfully under-directed; when he has no one to ground him, Cage can be a rambling boor (even doing a little shimmy in the supermarket, he is less a character than Nicolas Cage the actor just cutting up). Shue is very moving once Figgis dispenses with her pimp, and also with his penchant for fancy directorial flourishes that don't set any particular mood. By the second hour, the pieces start falling into place and Cage gets to do some great, high-wire dramatic acting. "Leaving Las Vegas" takes time finding its niche but Figgis and his cast finally capture the material's essence. It's a rewarding journey. **1/2 from ****
Movie greatness
stevojaxon26 December 2019
One of my favorite movies of all time. It makes it invaluable for anyone who has an insider's perspective, or for those who have ever been affected by such people and events. Normally I only watch a movie once, no matter how good it is. But I can re-visit and view this work as many times as I like, with it seeming to be the first viewing. Mike Figgis brought together a work of genius. Cage researched the essence of his character to portray it authentically for us. Shue was the icing on the cake in this story. This movie is a mesmerizing experience. To have captured the couldn't care less (except for the love of booze) attitude of Cage, as he attempts to drink himself to death, is a great achievement. There is no redemption, no saving, no moralizing. It is as it is. Alcoholism with all its devastation.
Predestined heartbreaker
tonosov-5123819 November 2023
When two end-of-the-road outcasts meet in possibly the least romantic city in America, somehow one would expect them to better each other and start a new leaf with the power of love. But this is not that kind of story. In fact, one sentiment that I usually hear about this movie is that Ben and Sera are so tender because they accept each other for who the other person is. No, they don't. They may lie at first, but as the movie clearly showcases, he despises that she is a prostitute, and she can't stand his drinking. And this prodigious motif of mutual self-delusion about them being non-judgmental because they have no leg to judge on is the central tragedy in this case. Conversely, I don't know why the pimp was in the movie. Maybe it's some kind of meta-writing piece where the story tries to show that there are really no obstacles for them to be with each other, yet their relationship is still doomed.
The atmosphere is top-notch. Blaring the jazz serenades that suit Las Vegas so well, it really transforms the entire thing into a never-ending lounge bar session at 3 in the morning.
And what's there to say about performances that hasn't already been said? They are both astonishing. Even if Cage has a few of his overacting moments, the facade of a jokesmith that treats his proclaimed intent for suicide with hundreds of ironic and self-deprecating remarks fits this style of acting so well that it does not matter in the end.
The atmosphere is top-notch. Blaring the jazz serenades that suit Las Vegas so well, it really transforms the entire thing into a never-ending lounge bar session at 3 in the morning.
And what's there to say about performances that hasn't already been said? They are both astonishing. Even if Cage has a few of his overacting moments, the facade of a jokesmith that treats his proclaimed intent for suicide with hundreds of ironic and self-deprecating remarks fits this style of acting so well that it does not matter in the end.
beautiful cinematography
kimjoh1 May 2005
I remember seeing this film when it came out, not really knowing what to expect. the only thing i knew about the film was that Nicolas Cage was in it. i saw it with my girlfriend and i remember that throughout the movie nobody made a sound, no annoying popcorn munchers, no one getting up to go to the toilet, just complete silence. And after the film was finished and the credits were rolling across the screen people still sat quiet in their seats. The film is beautifully played and directed. The sober jazz music from sting fits like a glove. To this day my girlfriend want let me see leaving las Vegas again because i get mellow and "preoccupied" for several days.
Loneliness and Loathing in Las Vegas
C22Man14 May 2016
Alcoholism has always been a great device in movies. Over the years there have been many successful films that deal with addiction to alcohol and the devastating effects that come with it (The Lost Weekend, When a Man Loves a Woman, Days of Wine and Roses, to name but a few). It is a serious issue and subject matter, so the films that appear to succeed when tackling the issue are the ones that treat it with the importance it deserves. In saying that, Mike Figgis' Leaving Las Vegas might well be the bleakest of the lot. It features a washed up writer named Ben (an Oscar-winning Nicolas Cage) who heads to Las Vegas with the sole purpose of drinking himself to death. There is little about him gradually succumbing to the disease or how it ruins his family life. It is simply a man submitting to a temptation he can't let go of.
For the most part the film is a twisted love story that revolves around self-destruction and the importance of dependency. Ben meets a prostitute named Sera (an Oscar-nominated Elisabeth Shue) who is just as wounded as he is, only she doesn't turn to drink because of it and forces herself to carry on. The two form a relationship that is genuine at its core, despite the fact that neither can change the other which is highlighted when Ben tells Sera that see can never ask him to stop drinking. This inability to change ultimately proves to be their downfall. Their relationship is equally chaotic and bittersweet. Drunken antics and frustration grow more apparent, but there is a clear love between them and in a way it is understandable why two broken people like this would be drawn together.
Given how character driven the film is, Cage and Shue are the very centrepiece of the entire film. Cage has always been able to play characters on the edge, but he has a tendency to delve into the excessive a little too frequently. That never happens here. He is completely believable in every expression and motion. It's a wonderfully measured performance as his drunkenness never goes too silly and contemplations never get too dour.
Shue is his equal in every way. She has always been an actress who has excelled at warmth and sincerity, and that really pays off here. She has such a strong expression of compassion whenever she is with Cage that it's very easy to forget that they are only acting. Julian Sands appears in the first half as Sera's pimp (unconvincing Latvian accent in all), but for the majority of the film it is simply Cage and Shue who take up our attention. It's a great credit to both actors that they are able to dominate a near two hour film with such ease.
The Vegas they find themselves in is one of bright colours and seedy motels, perfectly suited to the horrid depths that Ben finds himself in. The score, composed by Figgis himself, is usually loud and very jazz-inspired, managing to fit the vivid images that are painted here. As the film progresses I think it does lose some focus. The set-up is executed to perfection and these characters fit together so well as their struggles increase. Everything about their conversations feels natural and expressive that the film struggles to keep this engaging aspect once the relationship begins to crumble. Ben begins to act even more rash because he is angered by Sera's occupation, but it is like he completely forgot their earlier agreement and that's all the more distasteful by the fact that any retreats that Sera makes are because she cares about him so much.
As the film reaches its conclusion there is both sadness and hope present. One of them will never change, but there's a chance that the other will. In reflection, Leaving Las Vegas is not an easy film to watch because of how deep its willing to go into such an unpleasant area. Never the less, it is an important piece of cinema and one that resonates because it doesn't pull any punches. Cage and Shue are the true heroes. Both provide career best performances that are filled with sensitivity and pathos, as well as a chemistry that makes their actions all the more credible. Sure the films narrative wanes toward the end, but I truly believe that the power shown in these performances and the intelligence shown in consideration to the subject matter makes the film leave an undeniable impression.
For the most part the film is a twisted love story that revolves around self-destruction and the importance of dependency. Ben meets a prostitute named Sera (an Oscar-nominated Elisabeth Shue) who is just as wounded as he is, only she doesn't turn to drink because of it and forces herself to carry on. The two form a relationship that is genuine at its core, despite the fact that neither can change the other which is highlighted when Ben tells Sera that see can never ask him to stop drinking. This inability to change ultimately proves to be their downfall. Their relationship is equally chaotic and bittersweet. Drunken antics and frustration grow more apparent, but there is a clear love between them and in a way it is understandable why two broken people like this would be drawn together.
Given how character driven the film is, Cage and Shue are the very centrepiece of the entire film. Cage has always been able to play characters on the edge, but he has a tendency to delve into the excessive a little too frequently. That never happens here. He is completely believable in every expression and motion. It's a wonderfully measured performance as his drunkenness never goes too silly and contemplations never get too dour.
Shue is his equal in every way. She has always been an actress who has excelled at warmth and sincerity, and that really pays off here. She has such a strong expression of compassion whenever she is with Cage that it's very easy to forget that they are only acting. Julian Sands appears in the first half as Sera's pimp (unconvincing Latvian accent in all), but for the majority of the film it is simply Cage and Shue who take up our attention. It's a great credit to both actors that they are able to dominate a near two hour film with such ease.
The Vegas they find themselves in is one of bright colours and seedy motels, perfectly suited to the horrid depths that Ben finds himself in. The score, composed by Figgis himself, is usually loud and very jazz-inspired, managing to fit the vivid images that are painted here. As the film progresses I think it does lose some focus. The set-up is executed to perfection and these characters fit together so well as their struggles increase. Everything about their conversations feels natural and expressive that the film struggles to keep this engaging aspect once the relationship begins to crumble. Ben begins to act even more rash because he is angered by Sera's occupation, but it is like he completely forgot their earlier agreement and that's all the more distasteful by the fact that any retreats that Sera makes are because she cares about him so much.
As the film reaches its conclusion there is both sadness and hope present. One of them will never change, but there's a chance that the other will. In reflection, Leaving Las Vegas is not an easy film to watch because of how deep its willing to go into such an unpleasant area. Never the less, it is an important piece of cinema and one that resonates because it doesn't pull any punches. Cage and Shue are the true heroes. Both provide career best performances that are filled with sensitivity and pathos, as well as a chemistry that makes their actions all the more credible. Sure the films narrative wanes toward the end, but I truly believe that the power shown in these performances and the intelligence shown in consideration to the subject matter makes the film leave an undeniable impression.
Oh Elizabeth...
osazag11 December 2020
If they made the entire movie just of Elisabeth Shue's face I would have given it the same rating. She is an incredible actress and I find her beauty just captivating. With the said, the story is unbelievable and Nick Cage was just ok (no idea how he got an Oscar for this one). I'm not anti Nick (I like many of his movies like ConAir and the Rock) I just thought that playing a drunk was not that hard, though he wasn't bad at all. And what was with the Russian guys in the beginning, that plot element went nowhere. Oh, did I mention how much I like Elisabeth. Oh man, they don't make em like that anymore do they?
Highly Over-rated
ShahrukhRaja15 November 2006
It's difficult to understand why this movie created so much hype. Admittedly, Cage's acting was stupendous - but if the movie was trying to send out a message, it failed miserably. It is never revealed what got him to his alcoholic state in the first place; like he says in one scene 'I don't remember if my wife left me coz I drink too much or I drink too much coz my wife left me'. The only solid point which was depressingly evident was how two people, due to their profession (one being a hooker) and personal habit (the other being an alcoholic), are treated as pariahs in the world and find solace in each other, despite not appreciating the choices made by the other. Full marks to Cage and Shue on how they portrayed their respective characters. However, lessons of compromise and compatibility can be put forward in better ways than this.
Viva Greek Tragedies
hlcepeda5 January 2004
Not unlike John Huston's Under The Volcano, Leaving Las Vegas borrows from Greek mythology, obliquely mirroring the tragedy and pathos of Orpheus' failed attempt to rescue his dead wife, Eurydice, from Hades. Mike Figgis obliges us with a helpful hint in the scene where Nicolas Cage gives Elizabeth Shue a present of earrings: Greek cameos.
As in the ancient tale, love challenges the inevitability of death, although, in the case of LLV, roles are upended and sometimes blurred, and Orphean references are either thinly disguised, or non-specific to the point of being thoroughly sublimated. Academic, to be sure, but completely acceptable as long as LLV can sustain itself and remain engaging. And it surely does, thanks to Figgis' intelligent script and direction, Cage's role as a down-and-out writer and his protracted self-destruction, and Shue's portrayal of a lonely hooker, lifting that old bromide beyond what could have been routine, to a level not seen since Jane Fonda's character in Klute. Excellent performances all around.
With all that said, this film is not for everyone (in particular those who only respond to gratuitous sex, car chases, and mindless pyrotechnics). The lurid depictions of despair, self-loathing, and violence could put off even the most hardened social worker. In my mind's eye, I could see psychiatrists amongst the theater audiences, furiously jotting down their observations. Understandable; the two principal characters are, in the common parlance, screwed up. One cannot cope with failure, so decides to opt out, while the other does cope, but only barely, existing along the ragged edges of what passes for society in Nevada Hell. These details, though, tend to outline and, indeed, strengthen the true heart of this film: Sacrifice and Unconditional Love.
If this film is not for everyone, then who is it for? Those with real life experience and the maturity gained thereby. Those with strong emotional constitutions. Anyone appreciative of impassioned performances. Freudians. Alcoholics, recovering and otherwise. Pimps. Priests. Classicists. Petty whiners in need of perspective. And, more than anyone else, couples who plan on breaking up. In sickness and in health, 'til death do us part. 9.5 out of 10.
As in the ancient tale, love challenges the inevitability of death, although, in the case of LLV, roles are upended and sometimes blurred, and Orphean references are either thinly disguised, or non-specific to the point of being thoroughly sublimated. Academic, to be sure, but completely acceptable as long as LLV can sustain itself and remain engaging. And it surely does, thanks to Figgis' intelligent script and direction, Cage's role as a down-and-out writer and his protracted self-destruction, and Shue's portrayal of a lonely hooker, lifting that old bromide beyond what could have been routine, to a level not seen since Jane Fonda's character in Klute. Excellent performances all around.
With all that said, this film is not for everyone (in particular those who only respond to gratuitous sex, car chases, and mindless pyrotechnics). The lurid depictions of despair, self-loathing, and violence could put off even the most hardened social worker. In my mind's eye, I could see psychiatrists amongst the theater audiences, furiously jotting down their observations. Understandable; the two principal characters are, in the common parlance, screwed up. One cannot cope with failure, so decides to opt out, while the other does cope, but only barely, existing along the ragged edges of what passes for society in Nevada Hell. These details, though, tend to outline and, indeed, strengthen the true heart of this film: Sacrifice and Unconditional Love.
If this film is not for everyone, then who is it for? Those with real life experience and the maturity gained thereby. Those with strong emotional constitutions. Anyone appreciative of impassioned performances. Freudians. Alcoholics, recovering and otherwise. Pimps. Priests. Classicists. Petty whiners in need of perspective. And, more than anyone else, couples who plan on breaking up. In sickness and in health, 'til death do us part. 9.5 out of 10.
A realistic look at depression not motivated by a comic relief
StevePulaski28 June 2011
I tend to give Nicolas Cage a bad reputation because within the last, maybe six years, he's done nothing but forgettable and laughably bad films. The films themselves are poor, and he is not much better. Leaving Las Vegas is for all the people that believe Nicolas Cage hasn't done a good movie. Seeing this before, but rewatching it for the first time in years I can prove that if Cage is handed the right material he can be a good actor.
Cage plays Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic who recently had a crisis in his family. We see a picture of him, his son, and wife. We never exactly know why he is so upset, and the movie characters neglect to ask him any question. It could either be divorce or death. I'm going to assume death since he never hear from the wife or kid. Ben is a screenwriter, and once is alcoholism hits the breaking point, he is fired and moves to Las Vegas.
His plan? Drink. Drink nonstop and ask no questions about it. Drink himself to death. He meets a hooker named Sera (Shue) who is run by her abusive pimp Yuri (Sands). If neglecting to bring home a fair amount of money Sera will be cut with a knife on her thighs. Both have their share of troubles, and Ben only seems to be calm when she's around.
The film is a tragedy. This is the only role Nic Cage won an Oscar for and he's absolutely brilliant in it. Watching this in 1995, you'd probably never guess he was bound for winners like Drive Angry 3D and Ghost Rider in his future. Elisabeth Shue, who I enjoyed so much in The Trigger Effect, a hated suspense film that has a dark feel to it like this, was amazing as well and deserved the Best Actress win.
The score is true Las Vegas jazz. Certain scenes with music are very well shot, and you may find yourself rewinding them just to make sure you pay attention to the actors rather than the soundtrack.
The solace Ben finds in Sera is odd, but not unbelievable. Sometimes when your liver is about to give in and your head isn't on straight, the people you find comfort in are people you probably never would've looked at in your lifetime. Against all odds, Ben can get possibly one last friend out of his life before the drinking takes over.
Shot on only 16mm, the high definition transfer is a little grainy, and I noticed slight audio problems. That doesn't deteriorate from the film's quality, it's just a little odd. Leaving Las Vegas is a true down-note masterpiece as it showcases realism, and Ben's drunkenness without being too comical or too over the top to believe. With outstanding performances from both the leads, a soundtrack, and Casino-like scenery make for an unexpected and truly gripping film.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Elizabeth Shue, and Julian Sands. Directed by: Mike Figgis.
Cage plays Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic who recently had a crisis in his family. We see a picture of him, his son, and wife. We never exactly know why he is so upset, and the movie characters neglect to ask him any question. It could either be divorce or death. I'm going to assume death since he never hear from the wife or kid. Ben is a screenwriter, and once is alcoholism hits the breaking point, he is fired and moves to Las Vegas.
His plan? Drink. Drink nonstop and ask no questions about it. Drink himself to death. He meets a hooker named Sera (Shue) who is run by her abusive pimp Yuri (Sands). If neglecting to bring home a fair amount of money Sera will be cut with a knife on her thighs. Both have their share of troubles, and Ben only seems to be calm when she's around.
The film is a tragedy. This is the only role Nic Cage won an Oscar for and he's absolutely brilliant in it. Watching this in 1995, you'd probably never guess he was bound for winners like Drive Angry 3D and Ghost Rider in his future. Elisabeth Shue, who I enjoyed so much in The Trigger Effect, a hated suspense film that has a dark feel to it like this, was amazing as well and deserved the Best Actress win.
The score is true Las Vegas jazz. Certain scenes with music are very well shot, and you may find yourself rewinding them just to make sure you pay attention to the actors rather than the soundtrack.
The solace Ben finds in Sera is odd, but not unbelievable. Sometimes when your liver is about to give in and your head isn't on straight, the people you find comfort in are people you probably never would've looked at in your lifetime. Against all odds, Ben can get possibly one last friend out of his life before the drinking takes over.
Shot on only 16mm, the high definition transfer is a little grainy, and I noticed slight audio problems. That doesn't deteriorate from the film's quality, it's just a little odd. Leaving Las Vegas is a true down-note masterpiece as it showcases realism, and Ben's drunkenness without being too comical or too over the top to believe. With outstanding performances from both the leads, a soundtrack, and Casino-like scenery make for an unexpected and truly gripping film.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Elizabeth Shue, and Julian Sands. Directed by: Mike Figgis.
The Insidiousness of Alcoholism
Hitchcoc30 August 2009
The strength of this film is that you like the people, despite their enabling and their weakness. This is one of the most realistic portrayals of this disease I've ever seen and while the movie made me crawl, it was more than effective. Nick Cage's character recognizes all that he is. He has come to terms with his self-destructiveness and warns people to stay out of his life. He has flags up everywhere. His counterpart makes the mistake of falling in love with him. She goes through the hell that every person who has a significant relationship with an alcoholic goes through. Her life is no bed of roses and so she embraces his love and companionship, but like the proverbial snake, he is still a snake: it is his nature. The acting here is superb-- the characters so real we have trouble watching them. They move through the "normal" world. She grows to believe that if she sticks with him, he will come around. She can't overcome the puzzle of the control that the booze has on him. To her, if she is that important to him, he will change. There's the rub. See this movie but be prepared for what it is about.
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