In 1990, John O’Brien published semi-autobiographical novel titled, “Leaving Las Vegas.” After losing his job, family and close friends, screenwriter, Ben Sanderson heads to Las Vegas where he intends to ingest alcohol every day until he dies. Ben meets a prostitute named, Sera. Together, they form a romantic relationship. After John died in 1994, MGM and United Artists (now owned by Amazon) purchased the films rights to adapt the book with Nicolas “Nic” Cage as the main protagonist and Elisabeth Shue as the love interest.
Released in 1995, (same year Now and Then came out) it became a huge success both critically and financially. Nic ultimately won an Oscar for “Best Actor.” Anyway, I have one good reason why I wanna share my opinion on this ‘90s flick. Mr. Cage will attend Fan Expo Dallas 2026 on September 12-13. Which is Saturday and Sunday. I got plans to take a pic with him. I can’t wait to have a good time.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS.
Sober & Drunk Aspects
Sober: Nicolas “Nic” Cage & Elisabeth Shue both did an excellent job for their respective performances.
Mike Figgis (Internal Affairs, Stormy Monday) did a good job directing. He also wrote the script and orchestrated the soundtrack along with Anthony Marinelli.
Cinematography’s shot in good condition.
Pacing wasn’t a slow burn. I was hooked since the beginning.
Chemistry between Ben & Sera serves as the main highlight.
Lou Rawls, Steven Weber, Mariska Hargitay, Valeria Golino, Emily Procter, Laurie Metcalf, French Stewart, Julian Lennon and the late Richard Lewis make brief appearances.
Primary Themes are Addiction, Alcoholism, Loneliness & Acceptance. Each one’s handled maturely.
Without giving too much away, this is not your typical romantic drama with a Hollywood ending. It devoid cliches. Which is a breath of fresh air.
Fun Facts
- To prepare for his role, Nic researched alcoholism and got himself intoxicated in way to deliver an authentic portrayal on getting drunk. Remember kids, do not excessively drink. Otherwise, you’ll die from alcohol poisoning.
- Nic later played another character named, Ben in “National Treasure” and its sequel, “Book of Secrets.” Please, Disney give me a third installment not an unnecessary live-action remake like “Moana.”
- Roger Ebert ranked Leaving Las Vegas as his 7th favorite film of the 1990s. He and Martin Scorsese ranked their favs. Check out a full episode of “Roger Ebert & The Movies” on YouTube. It’s really interesting seeing them discuss their favs.
- Nic has a habit appearing in films set in Las Vegas. You know, “Honeymoon in Vegas,” “Con Air,” “Next” & “The Trust.” To quote George Lucas, “It’s like poetry it rhymes.”
Random Thoughts
- Ben said my favorite line, “I’m like a prickly pear!” “I’m a prickly pear.”
- I have never been to Las Vegas. I’m into blackjack and slot machines. I’d stick to a minimum bet as possible.
- I saw Elisabeth Shue signing autographs at Fan Expo Dallas 2026. I didn’t get my photo with her. No disrespect, I’m not a fan of her work. She’s a talented actress.
Drunk: Last scene ends with a Freeze Frame. From my point of view, I think it ruined a dramatic conclusion. I think ending a movie with a Freeze Frame feels awkward like the final scene from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
The Final Verdict: A-
Despite one nitpick, Leaving Las Vegas is a near-perfect romantic tragic drama. Nicolas “Nic” Cage knocked it outta the park. He deserved an Oscar. Elisabeth Shue was good. If you’re excited to take your pic with Mr. Cage at Fan Expo Dallas 2026, check out his Oscar winning performance. Which Nic Cage films should I review next? Please leave a comment.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 