Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Leaving Las Vegas was delivered by the Academy given the Best Actor in a leading role to Nicolas Cage and after watching this film, one can succeed and see as to how his performance was powerful and delivered. But more than anything, the heart of the film is in the performances. Also Elisabeth Shue plays Sera, and she really comes out as an angel. She has many rough scenes, but Shue achieves to keep her character deeply human and good. It's an exceptional performance. She could have hold the film by herself, but that isn't considering her opposite, Nicolas Cage. Show cases that he's truly one of the most gifted actors of his generation. This was probably the most impressive performance of his career. Compared to the present time, as most of his recent films appear to be non Hollywood films and straight to video where he phones it in for paychecks, this film is where the praise in which fans have considered about in.

Hollywood has made a lot of movies about Las Vegas. Iconic films like "Casino", "Ocean's Eleven", "21", and "The Hangover", immediately come to mind, conjuring up images of adventure and glamour in the dessert that have captivated the public's imagination for decades. But this is truly a misconception, because the money and glamour of Las Vegas often overshadows the gloomy underbelly that is equally a part of the reality of the city. While Las Vegas continues to be a place where people go to let loose, gambling addiction, substance abuse, and sexual violence also come with the package. This coupled with the isolating loneliness of the dessert, makes Las Vegas a genuinely grim place. "Leaving Las Vegas" is one of the few films about Las Vegas produced by Hollywood that capture the true contradictory nature of this gambling oasis. The film tells the story of a self-destructive alcoholic and a naïve escort who find comfort in each other to numb themselves from the pain of their lives. Nicolas Cage plays the alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter named Ben Sanderson who, after burning all of his bridges and losing his job, decides to move to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. In the opening scenes of the film, the extent of Ben's alcoholism is made blatantly self-evident when an out of control Ben chugs down a bottle of Vodka while driving next to a forgiving but judgmental police officer. During one particularly tragic moment, Ben drunkenly narrates to a young prostitute, "I don't know if I started drinking because my wife left me or my wife left me because I started drinking". The girl takes advantage of Ben's sorry state and proceeds to steal the man's wedding ring. Ben's love interest in the film has a story that is just as tragic. The female lead Sera, who is played by the Harvard alum Elisabeth Shue, is an escort who works for an abusive pimp at the Las Vegas Strip. After running afoul of eastern European mobsters, it is implied that Sera's pimp is murdered and Sera ends up running into Ben. By portraying the gloomy dark side of Las Vegas as the setting of this doomed love story, the film highlights the qualities of Las Vegas that are usually obscured by the ditzy lights and entertainment. Although the initial encounter between the two characters leaves much to be desired, eventually a charming if not doomed relationship forms as these two free-floating characters try to assuage the pain of their individual flaws. While charming, the film is simultaneously cruel because both the male and female leads have horribly self-destructive tendencies. This leaves the audience with the strange realization that the love affair between these two characters is doomed for failure. Yet, the movie tries to remain hopeful and one can't help but admire both the acting and on-screen chemistry between the two male and female leads.The greatest aspect of "Leaving Las Vegas" remains a subtle presence throughout the entire film. The grim nature of the story is hidden by the classical jazz and piano music as well as the upbeat soundtrack. The music is tastefully chosen to stand in deep contrast to the dark and grim nature of the circumstances of the two main leads. Perhaps the raw isolation of the dessert can bring anybody together. As an audience member, one can't help but wonder why these two self- destructive people are together. At one point the movie delivers an answer when the Sera admits says, "The only thing I have to come home to is a bottle of mouth wash to take the taste of cum out of my mouth. I'm tired of being alone. That's what I'm tired of". When one puts it like that, who isn't?

Nicolas Cage won a Best Actor Oscar for this movie, while, Elisabeth Shue was nominated for Best Actress, and Mike Figgis received two nominations: Best Director and Best Writer for a screenplay. Figgis also wrote the original film score for the movie and had a small acting part. So, in many ways, this was HIS movie.This is easily the most depressing Oscar-winning movie in my recollection, and movies don't often depress me. However, this one about a hopeless self-destructive alcoholic, Ben Sanderson (Nicholas Cage), who openly declares that he plans to drink himself to death is depressing beyond belief. When he meets a 'high-price' Las Vegas hooker, Sera (Elisabeth Shue), who loves him so much that she wants to live with him, she must agree never to interfere with his planned 'dipsosuicide.' Sera: Don't you like me, Ben? Ben: Sera... what you don't understand is- no, see, no. You can never, never ask me to stop drinking. Do you understand? Sera: I do. I really do.The two live out their two separate lives while watching their mutual destruction without complaint.I think that Cage DID play the alcoholic personality rather well in that he tries to be loved in spite of his despicable and unapologetic condition, often trying to laugh it off, which, I understand, is often the way that alcoholics deal with the disease. That is, he wants to be loved in spite of his declared suicide pact:Sera: Is drinking a way of killing yourself? Ben: Or, is killing myself a way of drinking?Perhaps, Cage played the role TOO well for me as I will never look at this movie again. It is the type of movie that makes you want to have a coffee enema, a sweat bath, a week-long fast, and then have your body and soul dry-cleaned and then wet cleaned just to make sure.

Leaving Las Vegas is a decent movie with a reasonably well developed storyline and a stellar cast. The highlight is without a doubt Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, Cage delivering his usual over the top acting that suits him perfectly and Shue portrays a troubled woman with pure realism, the chemistry between the two of them is top notch. However, I found the plot very thin, I understood that it was heavily revolved around these two character's relationship, but it never made enough effort to keep an actual story moving forward, any scene that was merely felt forced, like the director was really not interested. My biggest issue is that the two main characters are unlikeable, we are meant to support them without being given a reason to, Ben is a man who threw his career down the drain with alcoholism, while Sera is a prostitute who regrets the decisions she has made, I could not sympathise with them, their suffering was common sense, not a reason for me to feel supportive for these leads. It will appeal to many people and I understand how, but Leaving Las Vegas did not pull me in as I would have hoped, I would not recommend it. An alcoholic befriends a down on her luck woman after moving to Las Vegas. Best Performance: Elisabeth Shue