Leaving Las Vegas

1995 Drama

Mike Figgis' grim drama documents a romantic triangle of sorts involving prostitute Sera (Elisabeth Shue), failed Hollywood screenwriter Ben (Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage), and the constant flow of booze which he loves more dearly than life itself. Arriving in Las Vegas with the intention of drinking himself to death, Ben meets Sera, and they gradually begin falling for one another. From the outset, however, Ben warns Sera that no matter what, she can never ask him to quit drinking, a condition to which she grudgingly agrees. A darkly comic tragedy, Leaving Las Vegas charts the brief romantic convergence of two desperately needy people who together find a brief flicker of happiness.

Director: Mike Figgis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis, Valeria Golino

Reviews

  • Cage and Shue make these cliches into unforgettable people.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • Dark and giddy at the same time, Leaving Las Vegas takes us into dreamy, intoxicated places that no movie about an alcoholic has gone before.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • A uniquely hypnotic and haunting love story sparked by Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue at their career best.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

  • I don't see how you can get away from calling Cage's performance a great one.

    Michael Wilmington - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

  • Cage's great performance is matched by Shue, who becomes the focus by the middle of the picture.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Actor in a Leading Role

    Academy Awards (1996)

  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

    BAFTA Awards (1996)

     
  • Best Actor

    Boston Society of Film Critics Awards (1995)

  • Best Actor

    Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (1996)

  • Best Actor

    Chlotrudis Awards (1996)