Leaving Las Vegas Reviews

Bitter-sweet beautiful film

This is a brilliant film, which defies the standard Hollywood happy ending formula which determines so many movies.

The story follows Ben's (Nicholas Cage) downward spiral from top Hollywood writer to jobless, wifeless, directionless drunk who plans to drink his way to death without anyone's intervention, including the prostitute whom he falls in love with. Nicholas Cage is superb in the role, the type of which he does best (why oh why did he sell out to Hollywood?!) and Elizabeth Shue is also outstanding as his 'lover'.

The way in which neither of them can give up (alcohol and prostitution respectively) what each of them would like the other to give up is very endearing. Perhaps if they both had quit (a possibility outside of Ben's comprehension), a true friendship and relationship might have blossomed but for that we will never know and we are left with the sad ending we are given: all we know is that both lives were touched by one-another's and perhaps thats all we can ever ask for in life? A classic film.

Destructive Love

A love affair in Vegas between an alcoholic and a prostitute doesn't sound like material for a film anybody would ever call 'beautiful' ... but that's exactly what this is. It's the story of a man on the verge of suicide and a woman terrified of forming any kind of real human relationship, and how they eventually lead each other to some form of internal salvation.

The casting here is really spectacular -- this is probably the best Nicholas Cage performance you'll ever see, and Elisabeth Shue is completely believable in a difficult role. How many living actors could have played these roles better? Not many.

This is basically 'Lost In Translation' for drunks and hookers, and the film never tries to shy away from the reality of either. At times this makes for uncomfortable viewing, but it's all necessary to create the portraits of these characters and exactly what the relationship means to both of them. If you're in the mood for an honest, brutal romance, don't miss this.

Pretty darn good!

Altogether a very strange but enchanting tale which sees Nicolas Cage in a far more real character than his action-packed roles.He stars as a drunk no-hoper who seeks to end his life through alcohol abuse in the glamour city of Las Vegas.Persuading him not to do this is a high-class prostitute played by Elizabeth Shue.I would say if you liked American Beauty,something unusual but touching,try this.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Brilliant brilliant brilliant; but...

..this film made my alcohol taste weird for a while. Don't worry, I'm alright now, and i've forgiven it. Really captures exactly what it is like to be extremely drunk. Superb acting.

A moving love story that is really gruesome and sincere to watch.It provides a very shocking and revealing look at the lives of a hopeless drunkard and a lonely prostitute. It is intense but worth watching to understand the nature of different loves.

Dark, dirty, shocking and intense, a great film and top performance from Nick Cage.

Nicholas Cage has left the building...

I loved this film. Even after repeated viewing I cant believe two people can lead such devastating lives. The characters amaze me every time. The acting is superb. I think it is one of Nicholas Cage's best performances as the 'drink myself to death' Ben.

The film is shocking in places (its an 18 for a reason), but it's meant to be - it shows how a persons life can change after a major event in their life - in this case the break up of his family.

The soundtrack is fantastic too with performances from Sting, Don Henley and the director Mike Figgis - truly a multi-talented guy!

Brill how cool to drink youself to death!!!

This is such a powerfull film.

A man hell bent on drinking himself to death cause he wants to, teams up with a Hoocker who works the streets cause she has to.

Such a great story about TRUE acceptance and respect for a persons choice on how they want to live there lifes.

Truly emotional very, very good.

Leaving

Absolutely boring film, no real Story

Fine acting but not very satisfying

This is a love story and that's all it is. I wanted more than that from this film. I wanted it to have something to say about love or about alcoholism and about desperate lives in general. If it's about unconditional true love then I personally think it misses the mark because anyone who is truly in love with a person in the same situation as Cage's character would try and help them get out of it, not watch them die. It's just watching two characters without the strength or the courage to lift themselves out of their depressing existence and it's therefore very difficult for me to empathize with them. Fine acting and it's not a bad film, it's well made, it's just very unfulfilling.