Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Director:

Mike Figgis

Writers:

John O'Brien (novel)
Mike Figgis (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Death | Fired | Sex | Alcoholic

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 25 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Ben Sanderson
Elisabeth Shue	...	Sera
Julian Sands	...	Yuri
Richard Lewis	...	Peter
Steven Weber	...	Marc Nussbaum
Kim Adams	...	Sheila
Emily Procter	...	Debbie
Stuart Regen	...	Man at Bar
Valeria Golino	...	Terri
Graham Beckel	...	L.A. Bartender
Albert Henderson	...	Man at Strip Bar (as Al Henderson)
Shashi Bhatia	...	Hispanic Prostitute
Carey Lowell	...	Bank Teller
Anne Lange	...	Business Colleague
Thomas Kopache	...	Mr. Simpson

Also Known As:

Leaving Las Vegas (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality and language, violence and pervasive alcohol abuse.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

France | USA | UK

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #33977) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Bally's Casino Resort - 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Initial Productions

Trivia:

Nicolas Cage researched his character by binge drinking and visiting many hospitalized career alcoholics. Elisabeth Shue associated with prostitutes and interviewed them on the strip in Las Vegas.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The level of liquid in Ben's glass when he's packing to move to Sera's place. Ben is emptying bottles in the glass and drinking from it while he packs, which explains the different levels.

Quotes:

Ben Sanderson: Giving you money makes me want to come.
Sera: Then come.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (#9.12)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

You Turn Me On

The dignity of love and the depths of despair

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.