Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Directed by Mike Figgis. The movie was nominated for 4 Oscars (incl. Best Director). That is surprising because such movies - I mean budget - $4 MUSD are rarely seen on huge events. But it resulted in one only. Nicolas Cage was announced to be the Best Actor in a Leading Role.

The story is about Ben - Hollywood scriptwriter and Sera - prostitute who are stuck in Las Vegas. As it is supposed these two are incredibly unhappy. Ben is a hard drinker and lost his job. Sera is a beautiful woman but has typical problems as blows, deep solitude etc.

Ben understands that his future is fictional - there is no bright future for him. In Las Vegas he meets Sera. She feels pity about Ben. He says "I came here to drink myslf to death". Of course Sera is a poor lamb too. Yuri, her procurer, beats her often and once had cut her bottom even. She is a person who tries to live through despite all bad things happening. Ben is hopeless case but Sera loves him and tries to help. "Why are you killing yoursef?" asks Sera. Ben murmurs "You can never, never ask me to stop drinking".

I do not like Cage (Coppola). However I did like his perfomance this time. It is said that he was drinking pure alcohol while being shot so that his speech would be tipsy indeed. He visited hospitals and other facilities to impress in his memory people who suffer from alcoholism. His hands shaking, watery eyes, pathetic speeches about fate are pretty convincing.

Sera (Elisabeth Shue) acts very truthfully. Nothing to add. Except for that her perfomance is stronger than Ben's. But who cares.

We watch them colliding, quarreling but mostly loving. Great chemistry. There will be no happy ending.