Leaving Las Vegas is the kind of movie I hesitate to recommend even though I think it’s excellent.

Ben Sanderson, played by Nicolas Cage, is a Hollywood screenwriter whose life has collapsed under his alcoholism. He goes to Las Vegas with one goal: drink until he dies. There he meets Sera, played by Elisabeth Shue, a prostitute with plenty of damage of her own.

Cage is extraordinary. This is the performance that won him the Oscar, and he earns it. But Shue is just as important. Without her, this could easily become two hours of watching a man destroy himself. She gives the movie its heart.

I wouldn’t recommend putting it on after a long day when all you want is to unwind.

It’s painful to watch, and it doesn’t let you off easy.

But you’ll love it.