How others will see it. It's hard to imagine that Hollywood ever had a production code, after seeing this movie. Sex, drugs, violence, language, nudity. This film has it all, enough to offend and even shock the experienced viewer. And these actors get paid seven (eight?) digit salaries to say and do these outrageous things! Where do I sign up? I may not be the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola...
If you are not a Puritan at heart, and if you can accept that some Hollywood films are not destined for a warm and fuzzy ending, then Leaving Las Vegas may be a film for you. You might even work up some sympathy for our (anti-?)hero leads, who have a difficult time of things.
How I felt about it. Why does Cage want to drink himself to death? Because he loves to drink, and would rather drown in it than face up to his failures. His character may be pathetic, but it is not so complex. It's also easy to see why Cage takes to Shue. She's not only hot, she's nice to him.
This brings us to Elisabeth Shue, who garned an Oscar nomination for this timely performance, just before advanced years (mid-thirties) took away A-list roles.
It turns out (big surprise) that it's feast or famine being a Las Vegas hooker. You score quietly now and then, but mostly you meet ridicule from wise guys, condemnation from Puritans, and physical abuse from both pimps and customers.
So, you toughen up, at least on the outside. But, to provide a decent story, you have a heart of gold you are just waiting to give to someone, someone more interested in you than in your body or act.
Such someones are apparently much scarcer than I would have figured, even in a place like Las Vegas, a sin capital set up to strip money from visitors (often stupidly) seeking pleasure and fantasy. A drunk flush with cash and discarded from all past relationships is a juicy set up for a predatory prostitute, but because it is a movie, she becomes an enabler instead, once her bad pimp Yuri runs into mob problems.
But we know it would be tough to wring a happy ending out of this set up, and because a closer is needed, it is easily guessed. But shed no tears for Nicolas Cage. Not only did he win an Oscar, he can still get top work, unlike actresses and prostitutes past the bloom of youth.