Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
One of my favourite films from the 90's.
A drunk and a prostitute form a desperate relationship in Sin City. Gruelling and seedy, Leaving Las Vegas is definitely an all tunnel, no light affair of two lost souls. Director Mike Figgis filmed this in a quite mesmerizing 16mm format giving the film an earthier feel to it whilst losing the day glow slick glamorous look of modern Vegas movies.
Nicolas Cage won the Academy Award for best actor for his role and rightly so, his performance is possibly a career best. However co-star Elizabeth Shue is also terrific. Gorgeous to look at, her tart with a heart comes across like an alcoholics wet dream. Her character, Sera, is the one the viewer bonds with or at least i did, rather than Cage who whilst not his usual OTT self, was probably a little too close to real life with his mood swings therefore not coming across as likable all the time.
Heart warming and funny yet also distressing and harrowing. Leaving Las Vegas is a superb film, but possibly not one to play a drinking game to.
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