_**Cage terminally drunk in Las Vegas with Elisabeth Shue and lots of jazz/blues**_

An alcoholic in Los Angeles (Nicolas Cage) cashes out of the film industry and moves to Las Vegas to apparently drink himself to death. He meets a prostitute (Elisabeth Shue) with whom he has a welcome affinity and they develop a relationship of radical acceptance.

"Leaving Las Vegas" (1995) is one of those downbeat realistic dramas about lost souls in hopeless dissolution. It’s well-done for what it is and Shue’s beauty is effectively showcased despite the unappealing nature of her profession. And I understand the message of “loving” acceptance with no questions. Although it could be argued that true love refuses to enable people to destroy themselves and holds them accountable to some reasonable degree.

A guy who was my best friend 20 years ago developed an alcohol problem that became increasingly glaring. He died recently, but I didn’t see him for the last four years of his life because I refused to see someone drink themselves to death.

The film runs 1 hour, 51 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area (Burbank & Santa Monica) and Nevada (Las Vegas, Laughlin & Paradise).

GRADE: B-/C+