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Leaving Las Vegas

1995 film directed by Mike Figgis

Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 film about a suicidal alcoholic who, having lost his family and being recently fired, has decided to move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. While there, he forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with a hardened prostitute.

Directed and written by Mike Figgies, based on the novel by John O'Brien.

Ben Sanderson

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  • I don't know if I started drinking 'cause my wife left me or my wife left me 'cause I started drinking, but fuck it anyway.
  • [to Sera] We both know that I'm a drunk. And I know you are a hooker. I hope you understand that I am a person who is totally at ease with that. Which is not to say that I'm indifferent or I don't care, I do. It simply means that I trust and accept your judgment.
  • Are you desirable? Are you irresistible? Maybe if you drank bourbon with me, it would help. Maybe if you kissed me and I could taste the sting in your mouth it would help. If you drank bourbon with me naked. If you smelled of bourbon as you fucked me, it would help. It would increase my esteem for you. If you poured bourbon onto your naked body and said to me "drink this". If you spread your legs and you had bourbon dripping from your breasts and your pussy and said "drink here" then I could fall in love with you. Because then I would have a purpose. To clean you up and that, that would prove that I'm worth something. I'd lick you clean so that you could go away and fuck someone else.
  • [to Sera] I'll tell you, right now... I'm in love with you. But, be that as it may, I am not here to force my twisted soul into your life.

Sera

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  • Included with the rent 'round here is a complimentary blow-job.
  • You know, I bring out the best in the men who fuck me. I mean, it's not easy, but I'm very good. I mean, it's amazing. It's like I've- I've worked for a really long time and: Boom. I just turn on a dime. I can just become who they want me to be, I walk into that room, I know right away: This is their fantasy. And I become it. I'm that service, you know. I just- I perform it and I perform it well. I mean, I'm an equation most of the time, it's like 30 minutes of my body is... cost 300 dollars. Well, that's just to get into the room. And then, it's about 500 dollars after that, you know, we negotiate. But, ehm, it's a performance. It's definitely a performance.
  • That's nice talk, Ben - keep drinking. Between the 101-proof breath and the occasional bits of drool, some interesting words come out.
  • You go back to your hotel and I'll go back to my glamorous life of being alone. The only thing I have to come home to is a bottle of mouthwash to get the taste of cum out of my mouth. I'm tired of being alone. That's what I'm tired of.
  • I think the tough times are finally behind me. There'll always be bad things, but... my life is good. It is as I want it to be. It's good. It's good being here with you.
  • I think the thing is, we both realized that we didn't have that much time. And I accepted him for who he was, and I didn't expect him to change, and I think he felt that for me, too. I liked his drama, and he needed me. And I loved him. I really loved him.

Dialogue

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Sera: So, for 500 bucks, you can do pretty much whatever you want. You can fuck my ass.
Ben: Oh, my God.
Sera: You can cum on my face. Whatever you want to do. Just keep it out of my hair.
Ben: Okay.
Sera: I just washed it.
Sera: What's the story? Are you too drunk to cum?
Ben: I don't care about any of that. There's time left. You can have more money. You can drink all you want. Just stay. That's what I want. I want you to - talk or listen. Just stay.
Sera: So, Ben with an "N" - what brings you to Las Vegas? Business convention?
Ben: No. I came here to drink myself to death. Cashed in all my money, paid my AmEx card, gonna sell the car tomorrow.
Sera: So, how long is it gonna take for you to... drink yourself to death?
Ben: I think about four weeks.
...
Sera: Is drinking a way of killing yourself?
Ben: Or, is killing myself a way to drink?
Sera: So... why are you killing yourself?
Ben: Interesting choice of words. I don't remember. I just know that I want to.
Sera: So why are you a drunk?
Ben: Why am I a drunk? Is that really what you wanna ask me?
Sera: Yes.
Ben: Well, then, this is our first date, or our last. Until now I wasn't sure it was either.
Sera: Don't you like me, Ben?
Ben: Sera... what you don't understand is - no, see, no. You can never, never ask me to stop drinking. Do you understand?
Sera: I do. I really do.
Ben: What are you? Some sort of angel visiting me from one of my drunk fantasies? How can you be so good?
Sera: I don't know what you're saying. I'm just using you. I need you.
Ben: Don't you think you'd get a little bored, living with a drunk?
Sera: Well... that's what I want.
Ben: You haven't seen the worst of it. I knock things over... throw up all the time. These past few days I've been very controlled. You're like some sort of antidote that mixes with the liquor and keeps me in balance. But, that won't last forever.
Sera: [Ben has been on another binge] I want you to see a doctor.
Ben: Sera... I'm not gonna see a doctor. Perhaps now would be a good time for me to move back to a motel.
Sera: And do what? Rot away in a room? We're not gonna talk about that. Fuck you, we're not gonna talk about that! [starts to cry] You're staying here! You could do this for me. I've given you gallons of free will around here. You could do this one thing for me! [pause] I have to go to work now.

Cast

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