I've seen fuckup-falls-in-love-with-prostitute movies before from the Israeli film The Policeman to Taxi Driver, Mona Lisa and Pretty Woman. So I can hardly give Leaving Las Vegas points for originality even though it leads the premise in a somewhat different direction. The writing is decent on average but sometimes simplistic or annoying, and Cage is charismatic and likable but his acting falters here and there. Shue may actually be more consistent.

Great story and strong performance by Nicolas Cage. You just get mesmerized troughout the whole movie because of this mood that the movie has.

I don't know how to rate this. Cage is magnificent in this film, but it is so bleak that I sort of wish every copy of it were burned--if I were into burning movies, which I'm not. Still, my hatred of it means it must have a certain power.

I hadn't anticipated such a strong movie, so I was taken aback a bit by this heavy, depressing movie, with a screenplay that leaves a few holes, but is nevertheless powerfully portrayed by Cage and Shue. No idea why Nicolas Cage always makes these stupid movies when he can act so well in a movie like this.

Not sure how this one has aged, but I remember it being really powerful.

A movie about people who hate themselves. An alcoholic's anthem. Fuck Life: The Movie. All wrapped in a very nice aesthetic, a great repetitive soundtrack, and some curious editing and narrative techniques. This movie just kind of does whatever it wants.