Pros: A gritty, realistic film, Nicolas Cage is not just acting like an alcoholic, you truly believe that he is an alcoholic and Elisabeth Shue is solid as Sera, the prostitute who somehow falls in love with him and while the rest of world judges Ben (Cage) for being an alcoholic, she just accepts him for what he is. Of course, there is no happy ending and, for a change, I'm oddly okay with that.
Cons: Despite the screenplay being nominated for an Oscar, I found it jumbled with Ben appearing to hit rock bottom and run out of money before losing his job so those scenes seemed out of order to me with no explanation given. Intercutting Sera's scenes with a therapist after Ben's death was also odd.
Recommend: Honestly, probably not
Grade: B
Side Notes:
-There is also a gruesome rape scene but done realistically, with bleeding afterward.
-Apparently, Laurie Metcalf is the landlady at the complex where Sera lives.
-We never receive true clarity on what happened to Ben's wife and son.
-Starting a fire in your house is never a good idea.
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