Review of Leaving Las Vegas (1995) by Jesse O — 21 Jul 2013

I've never been the biggest Nicolas Cage fan. In fact, I think he's largely been awful. Awful but entertaining. But if I'm going to be a fair man, and I am, I must give him credit for his performance in this movie.

Was it Oscar-worthy? Quite frankly I think Elisabeth Shue did a better job, but sometimes acting is more about what you don't say than you DO say and that is where Cage's performance succeeds.

He manages to tell this character's story without really explicitly saying what made him the way he is. It is implied, in some scenes, that something may have happened to his son and that's what made him the way he is.

But they never tell you, so instead you focus more on the character's actions rather than what happened in his past that made him this way. Another thing Cage succeeds at is physically making this character look as horrible as possible.

Granted some of that is the make-up, but his body presence gives off a vibe of complete and utter loss of hope. He is set on drinking himself to death and his body language reflects that. It's obvious that the characters, when pursuing a relationship, the fact that these people were never going to change who they were meant the whole relationship was doomed to failure right from the start.

It is a tragic and depressing love story because you do wish for these characters to be able to solve whatever issues they have and at least have a real relationship based on love instead of a relationship based on dependence.

But, again, the whole relationship is doomed right from the start. The writing is excellent, while it is a depressing story, Ben and Sera's relationship is complex and believable. Even if the outline of the characters is a bit generic, drunk writer meets hooker with a heart of gold.

Thankfully the writing and the acting overcome these issues. Would I say this is Nicolas Cage's best performance I've seen? I think that would be highly likely and I'm glad to give him the credit he so justly deserves for his performance here.

But he also has a great leading lady in Elisabeth Shue and an incredible script to work with. Great movie here, depressing as hell, but still a damn great film.