2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved, was less intimidating and made him less tense. 'Leaving Las Vegas' Was Nicolas Cage's Best Moment - Business Insider Max and I would say it was like a death-bender movie in the vein of Leaving Las Vegas. Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis and based on the semi-autobiographical 1990 novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Considering how much fear and loathing there apparently is in Las Vegas, its not terribly surprising one would want to leave it. "[8] Cage researched by binge drinking in Dublin for two weeks and had a friend videotape him so he could study his speech. [10][14][15] United Artists distributed the film in North America, while RCV Film Distribution and Atalanta Filmes handled the European release, and 21st Century Film Corporation distributed the film in Australia. While Sera is working, Ben goes to a casino and returns with another prostitute. Though 35 millimeter film was the norm for mainstream movies, 16 millimeter was a cheaper option, which was necessary because of Leaving Las Vegas's tiny $3.5 million budget. Retrospective: In 'Leaving Las Vegas,' Love Doesn't Win What this elegance actually shows us is who Ben was before he succumbed to addiction. Recognizing, too late, the end of a relationship. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Ben is more interested in companionship than sex. Cage was grateful that he only had to be in the headspace of a suicidal character for less than a month. [2], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 91% based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, San Sebastin International Film Festival, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, Oscars: Six Contenders on the Challenges and Rewards of Making 2021 Indies, Leaving Las Vegas and the Writer Who Didn't Live to See It, Cage relishes operatic role in tragic 'Leaving Las Vegas', FILM REVIEW;Lurching Through a Life Of Alcoholic Abandon, Viva, "Las Vegas!" Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - User Reviews - IMDb Well also close by adding we think Mike Figgis (who also wrote the script) offers a thoroughly genuine account of mental health struggles here. We just know his wife is gone, along with his son. Mike Figgis based Leaving Las Vegas on a 1990 autobiographical novel by John O'Brien, who died of suicide in April 1994, shortly after finding out his novel was being used as the basis for a film. Mike Figgis, who wrote, directed, and composed the music for this movie, is a filmmaker attracted to the far shores of behavior. Cookie policy. The Oakland A's Say They're Leaving for Las Vegas - WSJ Yet they meet for a final time when Ben is on his deathbed. Bottling things up is the norm. Cage received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actor, while Shue was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actress. Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis, and based on the semi-autobiographical 1990 novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Sera works for the abusive Yuri Butsov (Julian Sands), a pimp, whos bumped off early in the film leaving her as a free agent. Sera receives a call from Ben, who is on his deathbed. And that's the end of the season. He also appears in the film twice: Once as the mobster at the gas station and once as the lounge singer in a taxi ad. When Sera suggests a weekend getaway, he quickly accepts. Mistakes. "Leaving Las Vegas" is one of the best films of the year, deserving many Academy Award nominations. Shue spent time interviewing several Las Vegas prostitutes.[9]. There was also a week and a half of rehearsal. Their vacation is ruined, however, when an inebriated Ben breaks a glass table by the pool. Ultimately, Figgis seems to contend, no one can fight our darkest fears in our place. For Cage, the success opened the door to bigger projects. Cage, a resourceful and daring actor, has never been better. Polish mobsters are after Yuri, so he ends his relationship with Sera in fear that the Poles may hurt her. The woman's name is Sera (Elisabeth Shue). [13], Leaving Las Vegas had a limited release on October 27, 1995. Or else! Its so frightening because Cages performance expertly captures the psychological temperament and physical disintegration of alcohol addiction. The film is perhaps the best cinematic argument for why, as a society, we should remain hyper-vigilant to how we romanticize alcohol. I thought I was living life, but in actuality I was barely living at all. One early morning, he drives drunkenly from his Los Angeles home down to the Las Vegas Strip; he nearly hits a woman, Sera, on the crosswalk. Please read this information and gain knowledge. [13], The film was a success at the box office, particularly considering its budget, grossing $49.8 million. The dynamism of his performances comes from this concentrated focus on making his imagination feel real, allowing himself to disappear both emotionally and physically into a character. Leaving Las Vegas Jump to Edit Summaries Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. For some reason or another, Richard Wagners Parsifal came out of Cages heartand mouthwhile shooting a gambling scene. As the pair continue to hit it off, the audience begins to wonder if Ben will abandon his plans and commit to Sera.

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