leaving las vegas

moonshiner · March 29, 2003, 09:21:14 AM

is so fucking good....i just wanted to spark some conversation about this movie because i recently watched it for the second time, first being about 7 years ago when i was like 14...it's such a great fucking movie, easily in my top 5....discuss

Gold Trumpet · March 29, 2003, 10:03:14 AM

Definitely. One of the best and most underrated movies of the last decade. Most people say its a great movie, but it is still underrated. It belongs right up there with Pulp Fiction as being the best of the best for the decade. I spoke of how important it was for me in reviewing City of God and how that movie seemed to be a stepping stone for City of God, and still holds a lot of importance in being a landmark indepedent film of emotional power.

~rougerum

Cecil · March 29, 2003, 10:42:03 AM

did anyone read the screenplay? originally the pre-credit sequence with ben was to be intercut with some of saras scenes. i think the way it is now is much better.

moonshiner · March 29, 2003, 11:41:47 AM

Cecil, what's the easiest way for me to get a hold of the screenplay.....and yeah it's very underrated, amazing that a film with such dark subject matter is so easy and enjoyable to watch....a lot of credit has to be given to the soundtrack/score, and the somewhat dark sense of humor...Sera's version of loneliness ranks right up there with Travis Bickle's as far as scope and realness. I characterize Leaving Las Vegas and Taxi Driver as two of the greatest mood pieces, with the tone and breadth of both their sound and visuals...truly awesome

MacGuffin · March 29, 2003, 11:43:07 AM

Quote from: moonshinerwhat's the easiest way for me to get a hold of the screenplay.

http://www2.hemsida.net/screensource/leavinglasvegas.html

Duck Sauce · March 29, 2003, 01:25:15 PM

This movie mos def puts you in a mood that is of a deep purple hue. You just sit there and you know what is going to happen but keep asking yourself "what the fuck are you doing? cut that out, your gonna kill yourself". Wasnt the author of it working on something else before he died/? What happened to that?

phil marlowe · March 30, 2003, 05:03:42 AM

this one the movies that get to me the most and one of my favourites ever. the caracters are so fragile and real and played to perfection. and i love the mood made by the lazy jazz and blues ballads especially stings cover of my one and only love.

and whats up whit mike figgis? howcome he only has one good movie in him?

Ghostboy · March 30, 2003, 12:58:17 PM

Loss Of Sexual Innocence, Miss Julie and Timecode all werre good, I thought. Pretentious, sure, but that often goes hand in hand wiyj being experimental.

Leaving Las Vegas is the pinnacle, though. Its so sad to know that the author ended up killing himself. It adds another layer to the film.

moonshiner · March 30, 2003, 01:41:41 PM

i'm currently trying to write something loosely inspired by the author's story, mainly the fact that he killed himself shortly after the rights to his book were bought for the film...very tragic...i heard or read somewhere that O'brien's father sort of considered his book, Leaving Las Vegas, to be his son's suicide note.

Figgis' debut film, Stormy Monday, is supposed to be very good, with Sting actually playing a key role in the part. I've only seen Leaving Las Vegas, but a couple of his other films seem very interesting.

aclockworkjj · April 07, 2003, 03:19:53 PM

I am interested to see Mike's newer films....he is doing a bunch along the same lines as Timecode....which I did not particularly think was that great, but the concept alone was something I can appreicate. It's a great idea, real time, 4 points of view....all thrown together into one.

Anyone see any of these??

children with angels · April 08, 2003, 03:28:56 PM

I thought Timecode was a great film: transcended what could have been just a gimmick by actually having the style be relevent to the content (the idea of originality in movies, etc - that Russian director cracks me up hard: "Digital is the fuuuuture! I see a screen! A screen spilt into four!").

I think his follow up was a four-screen thing again called Hotel, and starred David Schwimmer.

Now, I may be wrong, but wasn't every quarter of Timecode shot in one continous take...? Doesn't that make it the "first feature length film shot in a single take" as Russian Ark is now claiming to be? Maybe the fact that it's in four simultaneous continuos takes counts against it.

cowboykurtis · April 08, 2003, 05:14:52 PM

I thought leaving las vegas was wonderful. Timecode was a gimmicky peice of trash that lost its novelty after the first mintue. Hotel is even worse -- what a muddled mess -- i saw it at NODANCE this year. I met the guy -- hes pretty nice, but he needs to get off the experimental ship and tell a good story.

cine · April 08, 2003, 05:27:33 PM

I'm surprised you found it a piece of trash. Why did it lose its novelty after the first minute for you?

cowboykurtis · April 08, 2003, 05:31:10 PM

Quote from: CinephileI'm surprised you found it a piece of trash. Why did it lose its novelty after the first minute for you?

do you think the individual stories would have held up on their own -- without the split screen novelty act?

NEON MERCURY · November 20, 2003, 07:09:05 PM

..this film.is worth bringing it back from the archives....

this film is phucking cool...acting aside..I love the music and the mood/vibe of the film..
it deserves a criterion....release...