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79
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76
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71
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69
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67
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65
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64
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62
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61
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61
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58
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57
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57
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
55
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55
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55
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54
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54
Get Smart
53
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49
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48
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47
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44
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41
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37
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37
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37
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36
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36
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35
Jumper
34
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34
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33
Superhero Movie
31
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24
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22
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xx
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xx
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xx
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76
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75
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86
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86
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84
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84
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83
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83
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83
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83
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83
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82
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81
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80
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80
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79
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79
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79
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78
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76
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76
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75
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74
Mongol
74
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73
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72
Woman on the Beach
72
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72
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72
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71
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71
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71
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70
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70
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70
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70
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69
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69
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69
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68
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68
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68
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67
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66
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66
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64
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64
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64
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64
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64
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63
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63
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63
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62
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62
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62
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62
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61
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61
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60
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60
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60
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59
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57
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56
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56
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56
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55
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55
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55
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55
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55
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54
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53
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52
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52
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52
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52
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51
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51
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51
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49
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47
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45
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38
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37
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34
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33
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30
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29
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xx
Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
|
Leaving Las Vegas
MGM / UA
FILM:
MPAA RATING: R for strong sexuality and language, violence and pervasive alcohol abuse
Starring
Nicolas Cage,
Elisabeth Shue,
Julian Sands,
Richard Lewis,
and
Steven Weber
After being fired, an alcoholic screenwriter (Cage) takes his final paycheck to Las Vegas where he plans to drink himself to death. He comes in contact with a prostitute (Shue) who needs to be needed.
| GENRE(S): |
Drama
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
John O'Brien (novel)
Mike Figgis
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Mike Figgis
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: February 24, 1998
Video: February 24, 1998
Theatrical: October 27, 1995
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
111 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
Cage and Shue make these cliches into unforgettable people.

100
Variety
Leonard Klady
The film pulls no punches, takes no prisoners and flies in the face of feel-good pictures.

100
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Rick Groen
At best, Leaving Las Vegas is pure alchemy -- it makes of flawed humanity a hymn, and of forlorn hope a beacon.

91
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
Dark and giddy at the same time, Leaving Las Vegas takes us into dreamy, intoxicated places that no movie about an alcoholic has gone before.

90
Film.com
Robert Horton
Furiously uncompromising, and therefore absolutely alive.
90
Newsweek
David Ansen
Anyone who cares about ravishing filmmaking, superb acting and movies willing to dive into the mystery of unconditional love will leave this dark romance both shaken and invigorated.

90
The New York Times
Elvis Mitchell
Mr. Cage digs deep to find his character's inner demons while also capturing the riotous energy of his outward charm. [27 October 1995, p. C3]
90
Film.com
Keith Simanton
Stands on its grim integrity and the astonishing performances of the leads.
90
Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
A uniquely hypnotic and haunting love story sparked by Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue at their career best.
90
Film.com
Sean Means
Cage again proves himself the most fearless actor now working in movies.
88
ReelViews
James Berardinelli
Draws its audience along a rarely-traveled path whose scope can only be fully appreciated in the silence of the aftermath.

88
Mr. Showbiz
Anne Harris
Leaving Las Vegas may not be a top choice for an upbeat outing, but there's something oddly poetic about the simplicity of Ben's mission and Sera's acceptance of it.

88
Chicago Tribune
Michael Wilmington
I don't see how you can get away from calling Cages performance a great one. [10 November 1995, Friday, p.C]
80
Washington Post
Rita Kempley
Doesn't go down smooth, but it doesn't promise to.

80
Washington Post
Desson Thomson
What keeps the film (adapted from the late John O'Brien's harrowing semi-autobiographical book) from being completely unbearable are the extraordinary performances.

78
Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
An amazing, bracing, funny, audacious, tender, and sobering piece of filmmaking. Few movies have ever dared to be this remorseless in their portraits of addiction.

75
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalle
Cage's great performance is matched by Shue, who becomes the focus by the middle of the picture.

75
USA Today
Mike Clark
Deliberately downbeat, it's best as a two-person character study, stumbling a bit whenever it extends its parameters.

70
Los Angeles Times
Kenneth Turan
Beautifully put together, sensitively acted by Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, directed by Mike Figgis with assurance and style and making exceptional use of its musical score, this doomed romance is finally not as satisfying as all of that would have you believe.

70
Chicago Reader
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Needless to say, the plot goes nowhere, but under the pornographic circumstances Figgis, Cage, and Shue all do fine jobs.

63
San Francisco Examiner
G. Allen Johnson
Nicolas Cage gives one of the best performances of his strange, courageous career.

60
TV Guide
Harlan Jacobson
Leaving Las Vegas is special. A courageous plane wreck of character study.

50
Time
Richard Schickel
A movie that may be just a bit too pleased with its own artful bleakness.


The average user rating for this movie is 6.9 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
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