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Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas

1995
Drama
1h 51m
Because his wife left him and took his son with her, screenwriter Ben Anderson has started drinking, a lot. He's getting more and more isolated and he troubles women in bars because he wants to have sex with them. When he gets fired, he decides to leave everything behind and move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. In Las Vegas he meets Sera, a prostitute with some problems as well who he moves in with. (imdb)
Your probable score
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Leaving Las Vegas

1995
Drama
1h 51m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 60.55% from 3928 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(3928)
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Rated 19 Sep 2018
94
79th
I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it actually was. The directing was actually really good and the story was a very tough watch, which makes it an effective one in return. Dialogue and writing seemed real to me. Shue was very good and Cage was as well. Probably the best performances I've seen from both of them in a long while. Obviously not for everybody but it's very well made and acted.
Rated 05 Mar 2007
4
70th
Excellent film. Cage and Shue both give wonderful portrayals of alienated people who need someone to love. Their self-destructive behaviors lead them both down an increasingly dangerous path, and the ways in which they destroy their lives and reach out is heartbreaking.
Rated 06 Jun 2009
91
82nd
Both a manifestation and indication for the destructive, catastrophic and detrimentally cataclysmic repercussion and results of alcoholism, Leaving Las Vegas is a chronicled account of two calamituous and disconsolate people struggling to find devotion and rapture in an unrelenting metropolis. Cage and Shue give out harrowing, traumatic effort in their articulation and intonation. Every verbal communication and discussion they're in is so believable. A moving and depressing film overall.
Rated 23 May 2013
85
86th
Note to self remake this with Kevin James and Vegas buffets.
Rated 28 Nov 2007
89
86th
Frighteningly accurate depiction of alcoholism. Nicholas Cage and Elizabeth Shue give the performances of their career in this harrowing portrayal of two lost souls attempting to find love in Las Vegas. Heartbreaking.
Rated 20 Nov 2010
20
44th
There is nothing convincing about the essential storyline, not the level of convenient coincidence (the pair, before they're a pair, keep bumping into one another on the Vegas Strip, and the man bumps unknowingly into the woman's pimp in a pawnshop as well, and into the pimp's future assassins at a gas station), nor the underlying adolescent daydream of Instant and Total Acceptance-As-I-Am, nor the overlying pretense of Pulling No Punches.
Rated 23 Aug 2007
90
95th
Excellent. Nicholas Cage's masterful portrayal of the chronically depressed alcoholic screenwriter who goes to Vegas to drink himself to death in this beautifully moving film helps remind you why he gets paid so much to appear in so much crap nowadays. Recommended for purchase.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
100
99th
Very Great
Rated 09 Jul 2009
92
87th
[May Contain Spoiler] Figgis opens the viewer a look into two different worlds. The brutal and dirty world full of violence and defiance without hope on one side, and the bond of love between Ben & Sera that seems to be strong enough to take all obstacles on the other. Ben's and Sera's destinies are linked until the bitter end. There's no happy end,but even in the darkest hour he learnt the greatest of all fellings...
Rated 20 Jan 2010
58
48th
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.
Rated 07 Jul 2010
60
54th
This is one of those movies which is obviously and incontestably well-made, well-written and well-acted but it tries so hard to ruin your day by being weird and sad that it's hard to say you actually like it.
Rated 21 Feb 2007
80
95th
Cage is a class act.
Rated 08 May 2007
88
76th
One of the most depressing films I have ever seen.
Rated 08 Jul 2007
90
96th
Cage's finest performance and he absolutely owns the screen.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
93rd
Though depraved in nature, the characters in this movie are incredibly powerful. There is a fantastic story woven here, that remains with the viewer long after the movie finishes.
Rated 19 Aug 2007
80
68th
Unique film: a love story between two losers. Probably has some kind of record for sheer volume of alcohol consumed. NOT the feel-good movie of the year, which is precisely one of the things I like about it :-)
Rated 26 Mar 2009
96
96th
Cage's most interesting and rewarding performance. Shue is also irresistible. HIghly recommended.
Rated 09 Apr 2009
97
99th
Deeply touching. Off all the suicides attempts I saw in movies, read in papers or even experienced in real life, drinking to death feels like the saddest of em all. Comparable to Requiem for a Dream in terms of the depression effect it left on me.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
74
74th
When he's not total shit, Nic Cage is very good!
Rated 30 Sep 2009
90
96th
A romantic drama about the marginalized that does not pull any punches. The performances are so convincingly gut-wrenching that it's impossible to not get entangled inside the cyclone of despair as it slowly spirals out of control. The thing is, much like alcoholism, you can see it going down that path from the first 30 minutes. And still somehow the horror of the ending is more heartbreaking than you can ever imagine.
Rated 19 Feb 2010
95
99th
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 to.
Rated 19 Mar 2010
9
90th
(after repeat viewings) I love the state of mind I find myself in when watching it and Cage is sensational, an oscar well deserved.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
73
88th
Sort of familiar story but it is well acted particularly by Shue. It's actually probably the top of the mountain for both leads careers.
Rated 12 May 2011
80
90th
i'm pretty sure nicolas cage did not know he was being filmed.
Rated 17 May 2011
90
85th
Nicolas Cage puts in the first performance of his lifetime here portraying a desperate alcoholic. This is a phenomenal look into the life of a chronic alcoholic who has absolutely nothing else in life and has hit rock bottom. Takes turns swapping dark humour with outright depressing drama with a screenplay that doesn't pull any punches with the subject matter. Nicolas Cage really deserved his Oscar.
Rated 14 Jun 2011
85
87th
The story is very good and the acting that Shue and Cage do is excellent, so why isn't this higher? Probably because I've never been more annoyed by a soundtrack in my entire life. Seriously, does every second need to have some music playing in the background? No it doesn't. Silence doesn't necessarily hurt a film and when you have music blaring in every single moment you are discrediting the actors' performance. Let them display the mood.
Rated 12 Mar 2012
85
94th
Probably Cage's best acting ever!.. and its as a drunk! Amazing story about beautiful love, doomed from the start, between two lost souls. You feel the end coming every minute that passes after the hooker and the drunk meet and yet you dont want it to end.
Rated 24 Apr 2012
85
80th
Man, I want a drink. Of course there are amazing performances by both leads, and the movie takes some cliches but crafts an interesting story. An affective look at alcoholism.
Rated 25 Jun 2012
86
86th
Real look at the life of the disintegrating. The relationship isn't a real one, they need each other for theatrical reasons, her throwing herself into he pit of drunk frat boys, the dying scene, him a reflection of a life that could be worse. What I found most memorable is the nuance within Cage's character in which elements, shards of his old personality, the seasoned screenwriter emerge through the drunk haze and can even charm us, until the descent to the true place he wants his life to be.
Rated 11 Jul 2013
84
67th
I still think the core premise--that Ben (Nicolas Cage) could go to Vegas with ample money to drink himself to death AND find a beautiful, patient woman (Sera, played by Elisabeth Shue) to take him in and stick by his side until he dies--is kind of contrived, and Mike Figgis' direction, while generally strong, hints at the excesses he likely falls into in his (many) lesser films. But Cage gives a powerfully raw performance (he rightly won an Oscar) and Shue evokes love and pain beautifully.
Rated 30 Aug 2018
80
81st
The ethereal scene framing and an outstanding score really do wonders in portraying the film's main character, the city of Las Vegas.
Rated 11 Jan 2007
74
76th
Grande interpretação. Grande história. Grande fim.
Rated 23 Feb 2007
75
51st
Very depressing but well acted
Rated 04 May 2007
95
82nd
Very dark unflinching look at one man and how he suucombs to alcaholism and the effect on the woman he loves.
Rated 26 May 2007
65
62nd
Shue is hot in this movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
48th
Wonderful character work. See it for the fine performances...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
84th
This movie turned me into a Nicholas Cage fan. Harrowing and weirdly seductive.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
95th
Nicolas Cage gives the performance of his career as a washed up alcoholic determined to drink himself to death.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
95th
Brilliant.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
83rd
cage breaks through big time
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
82nd
Moving, sad but endlessly watchable.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
93
96th
I've rated this film at 93 - the highest of any. This film is considered Cage's best performace by many - and you can add me to the club. He plays the role of "pathetic" PERFECTLY, and the supporting cast is there and very complimentary to Cage. This is a must see for anyone who loves a dramatic love story.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
20
4th
This sucked. It's basically lying around and drinking and whining.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
41st
very well done movie .. Nicholas Cage rightly deserved the Oscar for this movie , he did an excellent job
Rated 14 Sep 2007
80
67th
Great deep movie.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
75
79th
Depressing, but well made and acted.
Rated 20 Sep 2007
90
89th
Too depressing to watch twice
Rated 15 Oct 2007
95
82nd
Tremendous film about a flawed and desperate character. Amazing performances.
Rated 31 Oct 2007
78
15th
A very good movie for an illustration of what alcoholism and co-dependence can do to two lives... Deep and heavy subject matter.
Rated 10 Feb 2008
80
83rd
Cage is great as the man who tries to drink himself to death. Jazz soundtrack sets the mood perfectly. Screenplay has few weak moments but overall it was a nice movie.
Rated 18 Feb 2008
65
52nd
An interesting movie focused on self-destruction; sadly lacking thanks to its sanitized, 'sugar-coated' nihilism.
Rated 29 Mar 2008
95
69th
a Sad, but ultimately...sad film
Rated 03 May 2008
70
27th
A better interpretation of two age-old archetypes than expected. Good movie; it reaffirmed my suspicions that Nicolas Cage actually can act. It dances with greatness and hits it occasionally, but overall, solid, if not stellar.
Rated 17 Jun 2008
6
55th
The performances are good but the story is a little dry. There just wasn't enough here to make a 2 hour long movie. Cage needs to go back to doing these roles instead of making every blockbuster that's offered to him.
Rated 21 Jun 2008
75
71st
Perfect actings of Cage and Shue. But it is of those movies in order that are tanned only the actings and the essence of the characters.
Rated 08 Jul 2008
85
44th
Slightly depressing, but wounderful performances from Nic Cage and Elizabeth Shue...mind if I were to drink myself to death I probably do it to Stings rather sucidal soundtrack...
Rated 24 Jul 2008
100
95th
THE MOST TOUCHING LOVE STORY
Rated 27 Jul 2008
92
93rd
Cage's performance is outstanding and quite memorable.
Rated 28 Jul 2008
84
48th
Very sad film.
Rated 31 Jul 2008
80
84th
Great, dark film with fantastic performances from the two leads
Rated 03 Aug 2008
90
90th
Ach so harsh though1
Rated 26 Aug 2008
85
84th
It's realistic depiction of alcohol addiction. Cage plays it wonderfully.
Rated 14 Sep 2008
79
80th
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.
Rated 04 Dec 2008
75
72nd
Loved it, endlessly engaging.
Rated 22 Dec 2008
20
2nd
Wholly depressing film is like watching a suicide without being able to stop it. And it's just as nonsensical suicide itself is. Good performances is all this "romantic tragedy" has to it's benefit.
Rated 01 Jan 2009
75
60th
Hard to watch, but well done.
Rated 17 Jan 2009
32
35th
Anything where Nic Cage kills himself, whether it be slowly, like in this movie, or what have you, is always a good thing.
Rated 04 Apr 2009
88
86th
When Nicholas Cage used to be an actor. This film is dark, thoughtful, and terrific.
Rated 09 May 2009
10
52nd
Subtle, simple, sweet, and sad.
Rated 10 Jun 2009
85
96th
Best performance by Cage ever. Tragic sort of true story(the author took his life).
Rated 14 Jul 2009
90
93rd
This will probably be the one and only time the following will be said about any movie; Cage totally saved this one.
Rated 11 Sep 2009
80
78th
solid performance from cage makes this depressing film engaging.
Rated 21 Nov 2009
86
73rd
Great story and strong performance by Nicolas Cage. You just get mesmerized troughout the whole movie because of this mood that the movie has.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
81
83rd
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.
Rated 09 Mar 2010
70
21st
Not sure how this one has aged, but I remember it being really powerful.
Rated 06 Aug 2010
86
68th
Sick but fine.
Rated 25 Nov 2010
9
77th
There are many truly haunting moments. One that sticks out is when Sera tells Ben to see a doctor at the dinner table. Cage's look and voice gave me chills. Great film that powerfuly portrays the terrible destruction of alcoholism.
Rated 09 Dec 2010
81
87th
Highly underrated, visually stunning, heartfelt, complex study of two selfdestructive people who saves each other. A hauntingly beautiful jazz score and Shue and Cage deliver career best performances.
Rated 14 Jan 2011
99
97th
Extraordinary, one-of-a-kind character study of two disparate individuals. Shue is terrific, but Cage is the standout, earning his well-deserved Oscar and delivering the performance of a lifetime. Directed with finesse, and utilising a brilliant score, Figgis presents these two unapologetically seamy characters; their plight is all the more sympathetic because they don't play for your sympathy. Tough going at times, but never depressing and in its way, incredibly moving by the finale.
Rated 17 Jan 2011
80
86th
8- highly recommended, great :: great title
Rated 26 Jan 2011
64
22nd
Good film, but I can't think of it without getting sad
Rated 02 Mar 2011
85
73rd
Nick Cage's most brilliant performance and his second most disturbing one.
Rated 31 Mar 2011
76
58th
Sobering depiction of alcoholism & how it destroys lives. Difficult to watch at times due to its realism, but fantastically acted by Cage & Shue.
Rated 18 Apr 2011
65
57th
beautiful
Rated 18 May 2011
72
21st
I adore Cage, and this is definitely one of his best performances (though not of his usual mould), and Shue provides great support, but the film-making is not very inspired and neither is the script.
Rated 27 Jun 2011
93
90th
Peliculón
Rated 22 Jul 2011
80
74th
A good movie that, save for a few chinks in its armor, would have been great. It's hard to explain, but it feels like it spends too much time treading water in attempt to keep it from mediocrity, when that struggle wasn't actually necessary and it should have been working on it's strengths. If it weren't for the melodramatic ending I'd have bumped it up a bunch, but as is it just proves the time honored fact that broken alcoholic men always get the girl.
Rated 21 Aug 2011
99
0th
ohhhh the pain.
Rated 29 Oct 2011
79
68th
I actually legitimately love Cage's roles in most movies. Some may be bad movies but he goes all out in a lot of them. Leaving Las Vegas was a case of him being in a role that worked.
Rated 13 Dec 2011
100
99th
This is a great film, with two amazing performance by Nicholas Cage and Elisabeth Shue.
Rated 12 Jun 2012
74
84th
I had to search on the internet if alcoholism can really become this terrible. The most depressing part of the movie is that the answer is yes.
Rated 02 Aug 2012
75
72nd
Strong direction/camerawork, enjoyable soundtrack and stellar performances from Shue and especially Cage (along with "Adaptation.", his very best). Powerful film overall, although it didn't blow me away.
Rated 01 Sep 2012
80
37th
Despite being the film for which Nicolas Cage won his Oscar (and though he's better in at least Vampire's Kiss and Adaptation, it's a damn good performance), it's the Elisabeth Shue role that really resonated with me. It's her story that holds the most weight. Love the super 90's direction and the soundtrack.
Rated 26 Sep 2012
74
76th
Powerful performances but it's so depressing it always drives me to drink.
Rated 24 Dec 2012
80
57th
Starts out great, then slopes downward toward a mawkish finale. Still, features some good Cage flip outs.
Rated 24 Apr 2013
81
62nd
I first watched this years ago and it was honestly not as good as I remembered it to be. The script is so awkward and rushed in places that it wouldn't have hurt the movie if they had made it longer. On the other hand, the oscar was completely deserved on behalf of Nicholas Cage, this is without a doubt the best acting job he has ever done. Shue is great as the female lead too and the two characters play well of each other despite the initial awkwardness. The acting carries this all the way.
Rated 26 Jun 2013
31
2nd
pointless, boring and sad
Rated 29 Sep 2013
80
89th
I was looking for a depressing movie and I found a perfect match.
Rated 15 Sep 2014
80
92nd
Although this occasionally feels like a TV movie, usually reserved for a Channel 5 week day afternoon, it is elevated to greatness thanks to Nic Cage delivering his best ever performance. By far.
Rated 27 Nov 2015
70
75th
Maybe the best performance I've ever seen from Cage. While still manic and oddball there is more of a genuine, engaging aspect to him here despite playing a self-destructive alcoholic.

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