blackmantired I have watched this movie at least3 times, hoping that at each viewing it will get better. It never does. It never truly captures me. I find it slow, dull, and depressing. Nicholas cage's performance is one note. Elizabeth Shue gives a much more complex and varied performance. Her performance is much better than the material. Cannot see why Nicholas Cage won the Oscar. A slow, over rated piece of Hollywood claptrap. A forgettable movie with no outstanding scenes or dialogue.

KnockKnock1 This movie is essentially an updated version of The Lost Weekend which is a really old movie made long ago. A day in the life of a decent person that has fallen victim to the grip of alcoholism. Nicholas Cage's character wants to drink himself to death. Aside from all the drama that surrounds, thats really what he wants to do. The one Woman that could have saved him but loves him anyway, is performed by Elizabeth Shue. She respects him for what he is, and helps him on his way. I guess that is what true love. Accepting someone for what they are without judgement and that accurately sums up this magnificent film.

kijii 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.

sol- An alcoholic writer who has travelled to Vegas to drink himself to death befriends a lonely prostitute who falls in love with him in this unusual romantic drama. With atmospheric aerial shots of the neon lights of Vegas, melancholic background songs and nifty slow motion shots, 'Leaving Las Vegas' works very well as a mood piece of sorts. Lead actor Nicolas Cage lets his character's desperation shine magnificently through as well as his acceptance of the fate he has planned for himself, finding himself "at ease" with his situation to use his own words. Elisabeth Shue also has her fair share of strong moments too, especially as she finds herself scorned by motel proprietors and young clients who look down upon her alike. The connection between Cage and Shue never really clicks though. Certainly, she seems to like him a lot (though why remains a mystery for the most part) but he only seems to find solace in her every now and again. He is in fact so inebriated throughout that it is hard to see him as a character in love, or even potentially in love. The film feels very long at nearly two hours as too as the only factor really driving the film is the pair's up and down relationship and Shue's struggle to make enough money to support them both. 'Leaving Las Vegas' is, however, still a very powerful experience even if one does not quite buy the romance. The mood of the film, as mentioned, is absolutely unshakable and there is something quite interesting in how calm and at peace Cage seems to be after making the firm decision to drink himself to death.