Customer Reviews
After watching this I felt like drinking myself to death!! - By: Dazman, 09 Jun 2008 
If you like listening to endless pieces of music & watching films with very little dialogue then this is the one for you, this has got them both in abundance!!
I don't recalll hearing about it, but there must have been an international strike the year that this was made as this is the only reason why Nicholas Cage could have ever won an academy award for acting, he was dire in this film, proving yet again that he simply can not act in a serious film, they gave him very little to say, so they're obviously well aware of his acting ability (which is limited at best).
This film only serves to do two things, if you're an alcoholic & you keep on drinking then there's a chance that you'll drink yourself to death & second that if you're a prostitute/hooker then you'll probably at some point be abused/attacked in some way.
All of the reviews here & on the cover of the film say what a wonderful film this is, I have checked & I was watching the correct version, I either missed what was so good or saw everything that is so bad, my advice rent before you potentiallly buy, it'll be a much safer bet.
Compelling but very Depressing - By: Jay, 24 Dec 2007 
Remarkable. Touching. Riveting. Leaving Las Vegas is alll of these & then some. I have not seen a film of this magnitude about loneliness & 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 & child, throws his job away, & takes alll of his remaining money to buy as much liquor as possible & "drink himself to death" in the city of Las Vegas. He has given up alll 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 & wants nothing more than to feel that want & need by someone.
Cage won his first Oscar for his role as Ben, & how deserved it was. He was astounding, perfection, down to every single tick, the volume of his voice, the pain & tragedy buried in his eyes. I could not believe the extent of his role, the dedication & 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, & 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 & complete acceptance of their respective decisions. He will not tell her to stop being a hooker, & she in return can never ask him to stop drinking. And it is in that factor that makes this film worth watching. To be totallly accepted by those around them, to open themselves up to such an extreme.
Leaving Las Vegas is a sobering film about connections, loneliness, acceptance, & a smalll little island of hope that is Ben & Sera. They are two good people, depicted in a world full of sorrows & misdeeds, who latch onto each other & never let go. They were nothing but ghosts, till that chance encounter, & became each others worlds. Cage & Shue bring these good people to life in such an extraordinary way, making Leaving Las Vegas a film to be treasured & remembered for years to come. I highly recommend this film.
One for the road... - By: Franklin T Marmoset, 27 Oct 2007 
In this one, Nicolas Cage plays a dissolute studio executive who decides, "That's it, I'm off to Las Vegas to drink myself to death." You might think that would be depressing as hell, and, well, you would be right. If you're looking for a cheery night in with laughs & joy & uplifting insights into the triumph of the human spirit, Leaving Las Vegas will rain on your parade from a considerable height, possibly without even knowing or caring you were there. Still, if you are a fan of the serious drama & want a touching, moving film with great performances from its two leads, this one is right up your allley.
Take it from me, though. Make it the first part of a double bill, with the second feature being your favourite & funniest comedy. You know, just to straighten yourself out after alll the misery & loneliness & despair & whatnot.
Part of the appeal of this one is the excellent work done by both Cage & his co-star Elisabeth Shue. Shue, an actress I've never had much interest in except when I was young & silly & had a crush on her from The Karate Kid, is reallly very good as the hooker who hooks up with Cage. She mixes different traits together well, playing her character as tough & street smart but also very sweet & vulnerable. The 'hooker with a heart of gold' is kind of a hoary old cliche, but Shue plays her so believably that you forgive the film for this one flaw. Cage, too, is brilliant, turning in the kind of performance you wish you could see more often from him. This is the Nicolas Cage I like, that guy from Wild At Heart & Adaptation; not the one who slums it in guff like National Treasure.
The other aspect of Leaving Las Vegas that makes it so appealing is the unconventional love story at its core. This is about two people who have a pretty rotten lot in life, but they meet at the right time & are able to give each other just enough love & support to get by. Okay, one of them is stubbornly insistent on killing himself & the other makes a living in the world's oldest profession, but I suppose that's the unconventional part. Pretty Woman, this is not. Also, the film makes a point of showing two people loving each other unconditionallly, with neither trying to change the other's chosen direction. Of course, that makes this one kind of a fantasy, but it's an enjoyable fantasy nonetheless. Wouldn't we alll like to meet a very attractive partner who loved us for who we were & didn't want us to dress different or get a better job or not drink ourselves to death? I think we would.
In conclusion, this is pretty much a faultless film from director Mike Figgis. Good work, buddy. It's kind of depressing, but also kind of uplifting, & is one of the best pure dramas I've seen recently. After it was over, though, I watched The Big Lebowski. Man, Jeff Bridges is hilarious in that one. And with that, I'm out. Thanks for reading.
gripping sense of reality portrayed here - By: sean paul mccann, 10 Nov 2006 leaving las vegas is a film of deep desperation & is a grim & unflinching look at alcoholism & offers little in terms of joy & happy endings,this is the stuff of nightmares & is a raw look at the weakness of man.
Nic cage plays ben who has lost everything he ever loved due to his dependance on alcohol so decides to sell up & head to las vegas to end his life through one mother of a drinking session,along the way he meets a prostitute callled sera played brilliantly bu beth shue,and they form an unlikely but doomed friendship,at first she says he can die how he wants but after a while she begs for him to end his mission of destruction but unlike the hollywood ethos where maybe ben would listen & they alll live happy ever after this isnt one of those films.
There are scenes that are just plain horrific & cage is immense as ben who cant live with his demons,simply stunning & moving.
Nihilistic but touching. - By: Mr. Matthew Kershaw, 21 Jul 2004 A great movie.
This is the film that Nic Cage was born to make. It is his best performance by a mile. Unfortunately it makes watching pretty much everything else he has done frustrating as he has never hit these heights again.
The bleak premise of the film, a broken man drinking himself to death in the company of a hooker whose pimp has been killed, could put some people off. Don't be one of them, this film has a rare beauty & emotional depth.
If you want to see a love story that isn't saccharine, cliched guff then this is it.
