Review – Leaving Las Vegas

I guess it probably goes without saying that a movie about a guy who’s set on drinking himself to death and the hooker who falls in love with him is going to be a bit of a bummer. The thing that impressed me the most about this picture is that it actually manages not to stoop to the clichés that so often infect sentimental outings with jazz-heavy soundtracks. Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue both turn in solid performances, doing a superior job with a superior script and ably tackling the often frank and brutal aspects of their characters. Sure, it’s a little sappy and sentimental in parts, but when it’s the guy on the skids and the hooker with the heart of gold, anything short of maudlin is a major achievement. Worth seeing