Very depressing, but my god was it powerful. The acting was so amazing, and it has one of the best romances I've seen in a movie. It was so believable and real and I wanted so bad for them to get away from their dark path and have a normal relationship, but Ben died in the end in such a horrible way. This movie should be on everyone's bucket list because it is such an incredible movie and one that will stick with you for a long time.
shareYes, I agree with your post 100%.
If only Ben and Sera had met earlier, things probably would've worked out for them.
RIP Ian Richardson (1934-2007) http://akas.imdb.com/name/nm0007183
Agreed. What a simple yet very powerful story. And the 2 leads are just bigger than life in their roles. Who could believe that the same N. Cage who nowadays makes turds after turds also has such a performance under his belt? Dumbfounding, really. As for Shue, she was nothing short of bewitching in her role.
I especially love how both characters are written, how lonely and helpless they are, to such an extent that any genuine human connection made in this empty, senseless artificial world will inescapably lead them to fall for each other. Just beautiful. Love how understanding and forgiving they are with each other, how they didn't try to change each other one bit, because love, loneliness and despair and a healthy amount of psychological issues on both sides. But how often does that happen in real life? We all pretend to love people for who they really are, yet spend so much energy and time trying to make them fit into this mold of ours.
Moreover, the movie is also a poignant depiction of alcoholism. God i'm happy i'm not an alcoholic! Because damn. It really IS a sickness because even if i wanted, i couldn't drink as much as this guy. And it's not because he is used to drink more, but because the first time he took a drink, parts in his brain activated telling him this is the best thing ever, something that never happened to me. But we all have our addictions and/or potential addictions, just hope you never get to discover which ones.
Now the only question i want to ask after having seen all that is, where the heck do i find such a woman as Sera??
All in all, 9/10. Incredible i had never seen it before.
People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefsī²
Agreed! It's been one of my fav. films since I saw it in 95/96. To me it has stood the test of time as a poignant look at two people, shunned by normal society, and their desire to feel love, companionship and who relate to each other only the way an equally damaged soul can understand.
This was when Cage was at the top of his game. And I think this will be his best role when he is finished. He never got better than LLV. I can't think of any part of it that I don't like or would change. I love the Sting piano music, as it seems to reflect the overall low-key feeling of the film. Like a lounge singer.
They could have went for a happier ending I guess but that would have been so typical...I'm not sure if I'd like that although it is quite depressing. I didn't see such an equally depressing film until "The Wrestler." Another story of characters with many flaws, struggling through life, with little hope for a brighter future. Both linger in your memory with the truth that not all people have happy endings and the wonderful lives they once thought they would.
Sera, through Ben, has the ability to move forward with her life...so as sad as it it she is kinda the redeeming character at the end.
One of the best movies of the 90's and beyond.
P.S. On a side note I wonder if this film made Cage an alcoholic? Because I have a personal story about him, being drunk, and getting arrested outside my parents' home a few years back. Course they didn't press charges. I always wondered if the experience of this movie made him drink more...I heard he's been dealing with alcohol issues for years. He was *beep* and screaming lol..