Leaving Las Vegas

Plot synopsis:
Ben Sanderson (Cage) is a Hollywood agent who has lost everything because of his alcoholism. He loses his job, his family, and decides to commit suicide by alcohol consumption in Las Vegas. After arriving, he meets Sera (Shue), a prostitute, and a deep friendship and understanding develops between them.The movie begins with Ben 'first' shopping for beer, then, in a restaurant. He borrows some money from his colleague Peter (Richard Lewis), and then proceeds directly to a bar and starts drinking. He attempts to pick up a pretty girl (Valeria Golino) and fails. After leaving the bar he visits a prostitute, and succeeds only in getting his wedding ring stolen. He is fired from his job for alcohol related issues and is given a large severance package. When his boss asks him what he is going to do next, Ben responds "I thought I'd move out to Las Vegas". He goes home and starts emptying his house by stuffing bedding in garbage bags, and creating a bonfire in his backyard on which he burns photographs, clothes, passport and other possessions. He then leaves for Las Vegas. As he drives his BMW drunkenly down the Las Vegas Strip, he almost hits a woman in the crosswalk (who turns out to be Sera) who chastises him. Ben checks himself into a sleazy motel called The Whole Year Inn. However, as he looks at this the wording changes to "The Hole You're In".Sera (Elisabeth Shue) is a Las Vegas prostitute who works for a pimp, Yuri Butso (Julian Sands), a Latvian immigrant. Yuri and Sera "share a volatile relationship where Yuri is the dominator and Sera is the masochist."[2] Polish mobsters are after Yuri for an unknown matter; therefore, Yuri breaks his relationship with Sera in fear that the Poles may hurt her. It frees Sera to continue to build her relationship with Ben.On his second day in Las Vegas, Ben finds Sera, on the same street where he met her, introduces himself and offers her $500 to go to his room for an hour. Sera agrees to go to his room, but she gets confused when Ben does not want to have sex with her. Instead, they just talk, and in the process they create an odd relationship with each other. Their relationship, however, is ultimately doomed; Sera has to promise Ben that she will never ask him to stop drinking, and Ben is not allowed to criticize Sera's occupation. At first the two are generally stable. Ben states that he is "totally at ease with this (Sera's prostitution)." However, after spending some time together, they both become more and more frustrated with the other's behavior. Over time, Sera attempts to get Ben to eat healthily but Ben refuses to even notice these actions as he stumbles for more alcohol. Finally, Sera becomes so fed up with Ben's alcoholism that she begs him to see a doctor. Ben, furious but far too intoxicated to express his feelings, goes out and brings another prostitute (played by Mariska Hargitay) back to Sera's house. Sera returns home to find them together and throws Ben out. Shortly afterwards, she is raped and beaten by three teenagers, and the injuries she sustains make her occupation publicly obvious. After being evicted, Sera receives a telephone call from Ben, who is on his deathbed. She goes to visit Ben and they have sex. They fall asleep, and when Ben wakes up, he looks across at Sera, who is lying on top of him, and dies while holding her as she sleeps.

Tags: dark, depressing, dramatic, atmospheric, flashback, haunting, tragedy, romantic

Review:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The performances are absolutely astounding: Nicholas Cage delivers one of the most unforgettable, genuine, and human performances ever captured on film (a well-deserved Oscar for every reason), and Elisabeth Shue, as his soul provider and protector through the trauma of his alcoholic turmoil is sentimental, passionate, and definitely deserving of the Oscar for Best Actress in 1995, providing us with the eye of Ben Sanderson's heart and soul, as his equally troubled lover who has pledged to stay with him through tears and trials.
Director Mike Figgis is intensely effective in following the many turmoils of Sanderson as he copes with terminal alcoholism, even going so far as to declaring he will "drink himself to death in Las Vegas", and the effects of his struggle upon his functions, health, and spirit, as well as the corresponding attributes of his loyal lover, Sara.
Nicholas Cage delivers one of the most heartfelt and eerily convincing performances in the history of film, and this is one lamentable, subliminal look at one of the saddest and unnecessary addictions in humans: striving to either enhance, better, or in this case, destroy their lives in constantly drinking intoxicating and deadly substances.
LEAVING LAS VEGAS (1995) **** Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands.
Cage in a bravura performance, that justifiably garnered him a Best Actor Oscar, vows to give up on life and heads to Vegas to drink himself to death where he meets and falls for pretty victimized hooker Shue (the performance of her career, and Best Actress nominee) who decides to love him for what he is.
Sure, sometimes I might be in the mood for something thought provoking, rather than outright entertaining, but "Leaving Las Vegas," was neither as far as I'm concerned.The story essentially is about a man (Nicholas Cage) who, despite success in his career, has seemingly lost his family due to his drinking, and he has made a decision to go to Las Vegas and spend the rest of his money as he intends to kill himself drinking.
In Las Vegas, he meets an unlikely kindred spirit in a hooker (Elisabeth Shue), and they embark on a rather untraditional relationship with nothing positive to be gained as a result of it.The initial problem for me was, I didn't like either the characters or the premise.
Cage is depressingly real and effective as Ben. I am a fan of many of Cage's unhinged roles, however 'Leaving Las Vegas' is one the films that proves that when he moderates his idiosyncratic lunacy, he can produce genuinely good, measured performances.
The last time that I passed through there ("passed through" being the operative words here)the oppressive weight of the empty pursuit of the material, coupled with the so blatant advertisement, no, BOASTING of the fact that every single molecule of every fibre of the place is designed solely to take as much as is possible and then a little more on credit from, while giving as little as humanly possible to, people who willingly line up and bend over to donate what little is left over after slaving away for another year in some stupid, mindless job that at the best of times only makes them want to kill themselves a little bit less than they did the previous day - multiplied by the air of desperation from those who still think that they will hit that one big score to finally get ahead, all the while knowing that if they ever do (they don't) they will just give it all back to the Vegas machine; divided by the ones on every corner with absolutely nothing left of life or spirit, nothing left to donate to the machine after giving it their entire life's pittance - once welcomed with open sucking arms but now about as welcome as a broken syringe spilling HIV infected blood into a shrimp cocktail buffet (but still allowed in for a moment to drop that nickel that they found on the sidewalk into the slot machine before being pushed back into the hot and stinking street) - yeah that's Vegas and that last time that I passed through the place was literally crushing the life right out of me, I was on my Hog and I could feel it literally pushing me down and I ran a few red lights to get the hell out of there as fast as possible and today there is nothing in this world that could ever drag me back to the place.So yeah, if you want to watch a movie about a place like that, and that features the two people on Earth who most DESERVE the place and each other weeping and moaning in self pity until you want to punch the television - be my guest.
Yes, the acting is very good with Nicolas Cage giving one of the best performances I have ever seen on film and Elisabeth Shue playing it very straight and hard as a seen-it-all prostitute.
However, it is the simple story about two people that come to meet each other in the harsh, loud, nonstop environment of Las Vegas and form a relationship unlike any other in the movies.Ben is an alcoholic, pure and simple.
Thus, while they are together, Ben must continue to drink and Sera continues to walk the streets.This is not an easy film to watch, but after watching it twice I have a better understanding of why people do self-destructive things and will not stop.
(Not to mention brilliant comic performances.) The film is a dreary male fantasy: you're suicidal, drinking yourself to death, and a gorgeous (make that, drop-dead, gorgeous) hooker falls hopelessly in love with you despite the self-loathing and the vomit and makes it her goal in life to get you to orgasm.
Nicolas Cage's performance rides the line of overacting in a few places, but it works given the extremeness of the character.At a few points, the film does feel like it meanders from its strengths.
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.
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..
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.
Nicolas Cage is a Remarkable Actor, and in 'Leaving Las Vegas', He Delivers A Tour De Force Performance, that Earned Him a Very Worthy Oscar, Golden-Globe & SAG, For Best Actor!
'Leaving Las Vegas', superbly directed by Mike Figgis, tells the story of a suicidal alcoholic, played by Cage, who has ended his personal & professional life to drink himself to death in Las Vegas.
I still try to watch it on a monthly basis.Nicholas Cage is extremely convincing as Ben.....and he definitely deserved an academy award for his performance.Both characters were so believable in their common struggles.The music in the movie adds to film....which was performed by Sting.
More of that later, here's a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don't wish to know anything about the plot please run down to the store and get another bottle of vodka while I write the next paragraph).Having lost his job and his wife through drinking, alcoholic Ben Sanderson sells everything he owns and decides to go to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.
The soundtrack is brilliant.The movie is filmed in this way: apparently Sera has been seeing a shrink and the scenes of her talking about her relationship with Ben are inserted at chosen moments.
Leaving Las Vegas is for all the people that believe Nicolas Cage hasn't done a good movie.
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.
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.
And the film had style and good acting performances from the two leads Nicholas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, right?Yes, but "on further review," as they say in the pro football telecasts, my review has changed 180 degrees.
Yet, when films such as "Leaving Las Vegas" are considered the best films of good movie years such as 1995, it makes me wonder much about the people who harbor such opinions.
But in 1995, both Cage and Shue proved they could act in Mike Figgs' 'Leaving Las Vegas'.
Their roles in this movie are still considered today the best parts in both careers.'Leaving Las Vegas' follows the story of Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage), a man that, after his wife runs away with his children, starts to drink, a 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.
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).
Both of them know, however, that their love is doomed: he made her promise not to try to get him to stop his long, alcohol-induced suicide.There are really only two things that matter in this film: Nicholas Cage and Elisabeth Shue.
How much liquor a man can consume?Well,Nicholas Cage has certainly broken all the records?But then in these kind of movies which deals with emotional senses its not important to look for proper story,most important thing here is acting which is being absolutely superb from the part of Nicolas Cage & Elisabeth Shue.Its no doubt Leaving Lasvegas is sad tale of two people who don't have any attachment towards life like as if they have lost everything.
Ben(Nicolas Cage)has only one thing to do in his life after he lost his wife and job,to drink,drink and drink himself to death.Sera(Elisabeth Shue) is a soft hearted hooker who failed to resist herself from Ben.Throughout the movie Stings music has been wonderful which really added flavor's to such a sad and touching story.This movie is all about 'lonely hearts' who don't have anybody to care for,for those who have given it up all no worry,no happiness,no emotions but only to live and die in the same moment......
The idea behind Leaving Las Vegas sounds pretty bad: an old and washed up story about someone (or two people) the audience either wont be able to relate to or wont actually like (an alcoholic and a prostitute); a relationship revolving around love that doesn't involve any sex and a film that's shot in a very bizarre way.
For such a cheap budget, this film is well handled by Mike Figgis and has strong performances from both Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue.
This scene shows how frank Ben is: He's decided to drink himself to death.Overall this movie has strong performances and I would call it one of the greatest love stories of all time ***9/10***.
Not really a bad movie, but Cage is just terrible in this soft-porn flick.This story of the dark side of life could have been worth the watching, the plot is gripping and Elisabeth Shue in particular does a terrific job.
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.
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.
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: 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.
Based on the novel by John O'Brien who at the age of 34 allegedly shot himself around the time Mike Figgis launch this film on production, this drama piece stars Nicolas Cage as a former Los Angelos screenwriter Ben Sanderson who's alcohol addiction costs him his wife, his son, and eventually his job in Hollywood.
Leaving Las Vegas is a powerful, potent romantic piece complete with a phenomenal performance by Nicolas Cage and co-star Elizabeth Shue, and Mike Figgis's successful direction on bringing John O'Brien's memoir to the silver screen.
Leaving Las Vegas is a very powerful character drama that happens to be the best acting Nicholas Cage has ever done.
It appears I do not fall into either category, for I can see that Mike Figgis' Leaving Las Vegas is very well crafted and feels 'real'  but I certainly wouldn't want to sit through the experience again.Nevertheless the performances in the film alone are worthy of a great deal of praise  between Nicholas Cage as the broken over-the-hill alcohol and Elisabeth Shue as the angelic prostitute, it is impossible to decide who is best.
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" is the sort of film that places the viewer in the depth of sadness the characters feel.
Still could be worse, but it certainly won't get better, not by a long shot.I get moved in a film, such as Mike Figgis' Leaving Las Vegas, when the characters have genuine feelings to one another, and, perhaps, there isn't the usual feeling that things will work out in the end.
Nicolas Cage plays Ben Sanderson, a man nearly at the end of his emotional rope who has come to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.
"Leaving Las Vegas" is a Drama - Romance movie in which we watch a man who is a well-known Hollywood screenwriter and lost everything because of his alcoholism.
In any other film it might be a major fault that the characters have so little back story, but there's a magnetism in Cage's and Shue's performances and in Figgis's screenplay that makes it better that we know so little about Ben and Sera outside the actual events taking place on screen.
Nicolas Cage plays an alcoholic screenwriter who travels to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.