I didn't know where to post this but I think I should here because I'm talking about a movie and expressing my opinions on it. I think this needs a little backstory here too... I'll really try to not write a lot so it's not too long for you to read but I'll say this. This movie changed my life, so I need to post a little history.

 

Just a random night in 2008, I had recently discovered Nicolas Cage and saw him in 'It Could Happen to You' the movie made me happy and made me smile. A perfect love story that we all like to see. I was bullied at the time I discovered Nicolas Cage, I was quite weak and rather sad and spent quite a lot of time on my own and didnt have any friends. It was a Friday night this time. My school work was all done and it was around 8pm, and I recently got my Leaving Las Vegas DVD that I purchased. I put in the DVD player and let it play. I had no idea what was in store for me... 2 hours later and I was on the floor. Tears flowing like I've never experienced before. The experience of that movie changed who I was forever. Before that, it was all happy fun cartoons with Sonic the Hedgehog, to come crashing down into the depressing realism of Leaving Las Vegas. Even after only about 30 minutes into the film I was already a wreck and this carried all the way until the credits. I just sat and stared at the DVD menu, with it's saxophone music, for about 10 minutes just sitting in awe in what I just had witnessed- the single greatest piece of cinema I have ever seen.

 

I did a little test while writing this, I popped the DVD back into my player and tried to see what I could watch... Right, I couldn't even get past the DVD menu... I was already starting to tear up and then I selected the credits. Seeing Ben smile and then the music plays in the credits had me crying. 

 

This movie dug deep into my core and brought out the person who truly am and the person who's writing this now, that night I was changed forever- all for the better (not saying I was a bad kid, because I wasn't) but I grew in confidence, found the type of movies/books I love and made me fall in love with the art of acting and knowing it can change people's lives. Which is what Nic always wanted and something I wish to pursue. Before Leaving Las Vegas all I saw in movies was something goofy to waste your time on (because that was what I was always used to) you know, your super hero movies and action movies but this, this was something special. 

 

The movie, needless to say, is perfect. I cannot say one negative thing about it, and if there is one, I'm blinded to it. The acting is of course outstanding with Nicolas Cage literally destroying himself in the movie and all we can do is watch while he does it. Elizabeth Shue also knocks it out of the park. The two actually have chemistry and work together so well and this makes the story so much more believable. The director, Mike Figgis, pulls no punches and adapts the book the way it was written, if he held back, even a little bit, the movie would not work. One time I cried the most was when Ben is just sitting on the Las Vegas strip and Sera has already left and he says ' I love your dress' he was so infatuated with her and loved her so much and he was so out of it he didn't even realise she was gone. I wanted to reach through the screen and bring Ben home. I wanted to hug him and tell him everything will be okay. The film is filled so many memorable quotes:

 

 

Sera: Is drinking a way of killing yourself?

Ben Sanderson: Or, is killing myself a way of drinking?

 

It's so smart, so subtle and so beautiful and it's something I want everyone to see.  Everything I'd say about this movie is nonstop praise so I'll stop here because I'll begin to babble. I'm making a video review soon, so I'll show you that.

 

 

I think about this movie all the time, the soundtrack is always playing once or twice on my daily commutes to college and I'm always thinking about how magNICal it is. I always recommend it whenever I can, It's truly once in a lifetime, beautiful experience. And I hope I was able to convey, if just a little bit what this movie did to me... Ever since then, Nicolas Cage has been my inspiration and my role model, I cannot thank him enough and if I ever got to meet him one day. I'd try to tell him all of this and get a picture with him!!!

 

Goodnight Ben xxx 

 

Thank you for reading my story.