A powerful and unforgettable film set in the neon city of Las Vegas – the perfect image of the American dream that just won’t come true. Ben (played by Nicholas Cage in one of his most successful roles) has nothing left to live for, apart from his alcohol addiction in which he revels. When he also loses his job, he decides to stop everything and to hit the bottle as it has never been hit before in Las Vegas. Through the veil of the gambling world, the bottle and the songs, he sees the dyed-in- the-wool whore Sera. She is just as determined to survive as Ben is to finish himself off. With her help, Ben wrestles his way through his despair and disgust at himself. Leaving Las Vegas is based on the autobiographical novel by John O’Brien and his long road in the abyss. The brief time that Ben and Sera spend together and the relationship that develops between them are portrayed by director Mike Figgis in a very penetrating and moving way, full of tenderness and warmth without forgetting the ugly side of the coin. Alongside Cage, the role of Sera (Elisabeth Shue in her first leading part) has been widely praised.
