2. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Pretty obvious choice really. Ben (played by Nicolas Cage who won an Oscar for his role) is a suicidal alcoholic who flees from his professional career whenever he is too drunk to work anymore and gets the sack. He comes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death and ends up entwined with a hardened street prostitute called Sera (Elizabeth Shue). They strike up a relationship in which talking or nagging about Sera's prostitution or Ben's drinking are taboo subjects. The film reaches a satisfying climax but is still a major downer. Ben and Sera's pact not to talk about their problems only lands them in deeper waters of self destruction (such as Sera's gang rape at the hands of a pack of college students). But at the same time, it affords them freedom in just being themselves and doing whatever they fancy. Ben truly offers up a life without hope. There is acceptance of and resignation to self destruction in both Ben and Sera. Nobody fights their circumstances. There is no cloud with a silver lining. The amazing chemistry between Shue and Cage makes the film achieve its integrity through the lives of those who are damned.