Leaving Las Vegas [RSC Film Club 54]

[LimeGreenLegend 4,287]

The second half of our Oscar double-bill is the film that got Nicolas Cage a Best Actor award, Leaving Las Vegas, as nominated by @omarcomin71.

Cage plays suicidal, alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson who, when he feels like he has nothing left to live for, resolves to go to Las Vegas and drink himself to death.  While there he meets prostitute Sera, plated by Elisabeth Shue and the bond they form may be enough to bring him back from the brink.  As well as Cage's win, the film was nominated for Best Director, Actress for Shue, and Adapted Screenplay.  

i don't know if i started drinking 'cause my wife left me or my wife left me 'cause i started drinking, but f*ck it anyway

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I have seen this before, a long time ago, and though I remember the great performances from Nicholas Cage and Elisabeth Shue I recalled not really liking it. But I must have got this mixed up with another Nicholas Cage film, because this is excellent. It is all about the two leads. I suppose you could call it a romance, but it's not really. Just two people not part of “normal” society, for different reasons; one is an alcoholic intent on drinking himself to death, the other a high class Las Vegas hooker. The music is good too, I quite like Sting. It was also a little touching to see Julian Sands as, who has to be presumed dead now, although it's not really a great performance from him.

 

9 / 10