Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Mike Figgis

Writers:

John O'Brien (novel)
Mike Figgis (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Death | Fired | Sex | Alcoholic

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 25 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Ben Sanderson
Elisabeth Shue	...	Sera
Julian Sands	...	Yuri
Richard Lewis	...	Peter
Steven Weber	...	Marc Nussbaum
Kim Adams	...	Sheila
Emily Procter	...	Debbie
Stuart Regen	...	Man at Bar
Valeria Golino	...	Terri
Graham Beckel	...	L.A. Bartender
Albert Henderson	...	Man at Strip Bar (as Al Henderson)
Shashi Bhatia	...	Hispanic Prostitute
Carey Lowell	...	Bank Teller
Anne Lange	...	Business Colleague
Thomas Kopache	...	Mr. Simpson

Also Known As:

Leaving Las Vegas (France)
Adiós a Las Vegas (Argentina) [es]
Adieu Las Vegas (Canada: French title) [fr]
Adjø Las Vegas (Norway) [no]
Afinontas to Las Vegas (Greece) [el]
Despedida em Las Vegas (Brazil) [pt]
Elveda Las Vegas (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Farväl Las Vegas (Sweden) [sv]
Las Vegas, végállomás (Hungary) [hu]
Leaving Las Vegas (Denmark) [da]
Leaving Las Vegas (Spain) [es]
Liebe bis in den Tod (Germany) [de]
Morrer em Las Vegas (Portugal) [pt]
Via da Las Vegas (Italy) [it]
Zbogom Las Vegas (Slovenia) [sl]
Zostawic Las Vegas (Poland) [pl]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality and language, violence and pervasive alcohol abuse.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

France | USA | UK

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #33977) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Bally's Casino Resort - 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Initial Productions

Trivia:

The Rolex that Ben wears in the film is John O'Brien's actual watch.

Goofs:

Continuity: The toilet paper is folded when Sera first sits down to urinate. The next shot of her sitting on the toilet shows that the toilet paper isn't folded any more.

Quotes:

Ben Sanderson: Nurse.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Phil Hartman/Gin Blossoms (#21.16)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Ridiculous

Unconditional love in an alcoholic haze.

Ben Sanderson is an alcoholic, who after getting released from his well paid screen writing position, heads to Vegas with his severance pay. Where he seriously plans to drink himself to death. But whilst cruising down the strip he meets Sera, a nicely turned out prostitute, and both troubled souls come together in an unlikely romance.

Based around the semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien, an alcoholic who committed suicide before the film made it to the screen, this is a sad, dark and deeply upsetting picture. Sanderson and his plight has no motive, we are not fed reasons for his nihilistic behaviour. We find him at the beginning of the film joyously hurtling thru a liquor market isle, promptly filling his shopping cart with bottles of liquor. From here on in we know that this is no ordinary film about an alcoholic trying to get off the booze, we are on a train to Bleakville, stops at Love and Liberation seem a very long way away.

Enter Sera, the sweet and wholesome prostitute, who having escaped the abusive and borderline psycho pimp, Yuri, is herself in need of liberation. But can she carry the burden of both?. As this unlikely, and almost certainly doomed romance starts to become significant!. Nicholas Cage as Sanderson is terrific, very compelling, realistic and segueing from zany wired comedy to the desolation of Sanderson's death wish descent within a heart beat. Elisabeth Shue as Sera is also incredibly potent, if perhaps guilty of looking too pristine, and prompting questions of why she would be drawn to Ben's world anyway,? Shue none the less works her socks off to make Sera sensitive and believable. Directed by Mike Figgis, who shot it beautifully in Super 16 film, the film won a Best Actor Academy Award for Cage, and garnered nominations for Best Actress {Shue} & Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay {both Figgis}. Massively popular and praised on release, it has lost none of the impact that it had back then. 8/10