Review – Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas is a very difficult movie to watch. I mean that. Only Nicolas Cage could have pulled off the lead role. Leaving Las Vegas seemed to be written for him and his penchant for “just past the edge” character roles. Elisabeth Shue has come a long way from her days of The Karate Kid and Back to the Future II.

What makes this movie difficult to watch is the level of reality the film went to in actually showing the downward spiral of unbridled alcoholism. Nicolas Cage’s character goes from a well dressed salesman who drinks too much to someone who has a moment of clarity that he has lost it all after he gets fired.

Most movie type stories would normally pivot from that moment of clarity to a deep struggle with rehab, life, etc. Not this movie. Nicolas Cage’s character decides to drink himself to death in Las Vegas. The severance check, house, everything gets turned into cash for booze.

Once in Las Vegas Nicolas meets Elisabeth Shue’s character. Again movie watchers expect to see the “hooker with a heart of gold” story and a life saved. This movie even baits us to go that direction with the deal they struck. Elisabeth does an absolutely stunning job in this film.

Realism

I don’t know just how much damage Nicolas Cage did to his body for this film, but, you actually see the atrophy of his body and muscles. Makeup cannot make your body look that thin and gaunt like someone in a prisoner of war camp where the war had no rules.

The level of research which must have went into the character, the shakes, reaction to first hit after shakes, etc., must have been in depth. Keep in mind this was 1995. We didn’t have rehab facilities running television commercials and the continual discussion in the press about addiction and its effect on the mind. Whoever worked on this movie had to plow that ground themselves.

Do watch this movie, but

• Don’t watch this movie after a big meal
• Don’t plan on going out for a big meal after watching this movie
• Definitely watch it sober