Leaving Las Vegas (The Movie)
A BarAmerica review of Leaving Las Vagas.
(1995) Nicholas Cage, Elizabeth ShueDirected and Scripted by Mike Figgis
Based on the novel by John O'Brien
Nicholas Cage won an Oscar for Best Actor for capturing the desperate intensity and pathetic self-loathing of Ben, a failed screenwriter whose alcoholism has pushes him to drink himself to death. Though as improbable a street whore as Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Elizabeth Shue brings Sera to life, artfully infusing her character with the edgy powerlessness of a prostitute that believes herself to be in control of her own life.
The doomed love affair these characters play out is both profoundly touching and disturbing; a tragedy of epic proportion. A brilliant film adaptation that captures the stylish darkness and grotesque power of the original novel. Winner of Best Film 1995 NY Film Critics Circle, and L.A. Film Critics Association.
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