Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Soft-porn movie about the love between an alcoholic bent on drinking himself to death (Nicholas Cage) and a warm-hearted prostitute (Elizabeth Shue). I'm never understood the appeal of these sort of movies but actors seem to love them, since it gives them a chance to act with a Capital "A" Cf: Ray Milland in Lost Weekend,  Albert Finney in Under the Volcano and Nicholson and Streep in IronWeed. 

 Leaving Las Vegas is the same type movie, except it has lots more graphic sex, profanity, and sleazy characters. One could accept that as "realism" if the rest of the movie wasn't so unrealistic. For example: How can Cage drink so much and stay lucid? Or, why is someone as beautiful/intelligent as Shue street-walking in Las Vegas?  In reality, Shue would be making big money "escorting" rich clients.  And why would she care about down-and-out Cage, except it makes a good story?  Its hard to feel the "realism" when Shue's character is just the cliched "prostitute with a heart of gold."

Summary: I'm not a fan of sad stories about unlikable losers killing themselves with booze - but Shue and Cage do some fine acting and *almost* make the film enjoyable.  BTW, isn't it interesting that Hollywood gives us downer stories about the evils of drink, but takes a more or less positive,"isn't it wild and wacky?" approach to cocaine and MJ.  No doubt lots of Hollywood execs got in on ground floor of the legalized Marijuana business.  Rating **