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Rating: 5 out 5
It has been years since I have been to Vegas. Sin City is a place where you can only do a weekend in. Anything more, and you might find yourself in trouble or dead broke. I love Sin City because there is something to do. If you love to gamble, you can hit up the casinos and play that poker, blackjack, or craps. If you want to see a show, the city has it, and you can get drunk as a skunk in Vegas. As the saying goes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Ben Sanderson (Cage) is an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter. He was very successful until alcohol took over his life. He hit a downward spiral where his excessive drinking loses his job, family, and friends. After contemplating his life in Los Angeles, he decides to burn his shit and move to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. As he drives on the Las Vegas Strip, he almost hits a woman named Sera (Shue), a high-end sex worker. Sera works for her pimp, Yuri, who is being tracked by Polish mobsters. During a fated encounter and underwhelming sexual encounter, Sera and Ben feel a connection. This connection leads Sera and Ben to fall for each other. The pair decide to live together with whatever time Ben has left. The couple decided to not ask about the other’s life path. As time passes, things become difficult for Sera as she watches Ben slowly die.
The story is straight-up sad and dark descent into alcoholism but also love. Ben represents the descent into alcoholism and death. I felt uncomfortable watching Ben waste away as if nothing was wrong. A man who was a movie executive, but we don’t know how he became an alcoholic. All we know is Ben’s simple explanation: “I’m not sure if I lost my family because of my drinking, or if I’m drinking because I lost my family.” Ben cashes his severance check, burns all his clothes, and drives to his death place in Las Vegas. Watching Ben, he seems to not care. A sex worker steals his wedding ring, and he pawns a $20k Rolex watch without caring. His mind is made up, and he is going out with somewhat of a bang. The film shows the real effects of alcohol. Ben constantly looks tired, but throughout the film, he doesn’t eat anything. He only eats an ice cube, and when he goes to dinner with Sera, he gets spaghetti but drops his fork. This reinforces his dependency on alcohol, and mostly they can’t keep food down.
The other side of this sad story is Sera. Sera works as a sex worker and has a connection with Ben. She actually falls in love with Ben. From her point of view, she cares about Ben and feels alive with him. She cares for him, but he sets the rules with him, stating never to ask about his drinking, and he will never ask about her job. Sera goes to great lengths to make Ben happy and even see her. She goes through great lengths to make love to him, but he doesn’t want to sleep with her for some reason. He likes her but doesn’t want to do he thang with her. While watching, you see that everyone wants love. Sera is pushed aside when Ben hooks up with another sex worker but is also brutally raped. Sera struggles with her feelings for Ben throughout the movie because she can see a life with Ben.
These two characters make it a sad tale. You sit, wanting Ben to see Sera. She is a great woman who seems to escape her pimp and is looking for her own happiness. Sera is looking for love. How many men would love a woman like Sera? I would. It is heartbreaking to see how everything unfolds in the end, with Sera sitting in bed with Ben as he has passed away, accomplishing his goal. The somber look on her face tells it all.
The acting was exceptional, fantastic, and outstanding in this film. They are the ones who drove this film to make it emotional and memorable. I have to give major props to Nicolas Cage. Cage’s career has taken many twists, turns, ups, and downs since winning the Oscar for this role, but he was something special while watching this film. Playing Ben Sanderson, a man who is an alcoholic and decides to drink himself to death after losing everything, Cage showed what happens to an alcoholic. I’ve read that Cage filmed himself drunk to study his speech patterns while also binge drinking and visiting many hospitalized career alcoholics. Cage beautifully displayed many different sides to Ben, from showing that gentle smile to flipping out to showing a man who gave up on the world and himself. Cage completely deserved his Academy Award.
I couldn’t get enough of Elisabeth Shue as Sera. I have always had the biggest crush on Shue, and this is one of my favorite roles that she has done. Shue showed Sera as a sex worker who falls for Ben. Shue did her homework for the role as she interviewed sex workers on the strip in Las Vegas. Shue showed Sera as a woman trying to escape her pimp but ending up back in his world. What is great about this role is that Shue showed all sides of Sera with fear, pain, love, concern, and everything you want in a woman. Shue is still as beautiful as ever, and I love her smile. She deserved her Oscar nomination.
I want to take a moment to talk about the music of this film. Damn, Sting, you got the feels going. Angel Eye was good. I enjoyed it, but when Sting came through with “My One and Only Love,” that shit hit me HARD. It is such a sweet melody song with the piano, and Sting tells you you should be playing this for the person you love. You think the song is out of place because neither character should be in love with the other, but at that moment, they are. The film also drops that “Lonely Teardrops.” It seems like when this song came on, bad things happened.
Leaving Las Vegas is one of my favorite films. It has a lot of depth and sadness to it. Nicolas Cage was beyond phenomenal in this film, and Elisabeth Shue was stunning and equally impressive. The soundtrack hit hard with “My One and Only Love.” Watch this film and make sure you leave Vegas.
BONUS CLIP!!!!
