Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-... Read allBen Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 32 wins & 30 nominations total
- Man at Strip Bar
- (as Al Henderson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAuthor John O'Brien, on whose novel this movie is based, committed suicide two weeks after the movie went into production. Director Mike Figgis contemplated abandoning the project, but decided the film would make a good memorial for O'Brien.
- GoofsYuri is supposed to be swearing in Latvian on the phone. In fact, he speaks gibberish.
- Quotes
Ben Sanderson: I don't know if I started drinking 'cause my wife left me or my wife left me 'cause I started drinking, but fuck it anyway.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits do not appear until fifteen minutes into the film.
- Alternate versionsLaserDisc version is unrated and contains more sexually explicit footage. First pressings of the VHS versions also contained this footage but later pressings did not. The Unrated Edition has also been released on DVD and runs 112 min.
Cage plays a suicidal alcoholic who has come to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, and Shue plays the unexpected problem - a prostitute who falls in love with him. The only reason this film did not receive a ten from me is the voice-over technique which was tastefully minimal, but, in my opinion, the only mistake the director made. It does help to provide closure, but I felt that closure was an unnecessary compromise here.
This is not an entertaining film, and in truth, I am surprised by its popularity among typical audiences. It is a serious film, and a work of art, but fun is not to be found here. DO NOT see this film if you dislike feeling emotionally drained and ethically challenged, and DO NOT see it if you are very prone to boredom, or easily offended by sexual violence, substance abuse and the horror of daily life on the street.
This is an intensely sad film about love shared by people who are caught in the gravity of their lives and can not escape. It is also a story of redemption and respect, found in improbable places. It is NOT a fun-filled frolicking romantic comedy, but rather, the opposite, and it achieves a beauty, dignity and power almost unique among films treating such starkly real and disturbing subjects.
- mstomaso
- Jun 2, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Rời Khỏi Las Vegas
- Filming locations
- River Palms Resort Casino - 2700 South Casino Drive, Laughlin, Nevada, USA(interiors, as Gold River Casino and Resort)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,600,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $32,029,928
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $70,864
- Oct 29, 1995
- Gross worldwide
- $32,029,928
- Runtime1 hour 51 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1