Editing Leaving Las Vegas (section)

===Critical reception===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film received an approval rating of 91% based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Oscar-awarded Nicolas Cage finds humanity in his character as it bleeds away in this no frills, exhilaratingly dark portrait of destruction."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leaving_las_vegas/ |title=''Leaving Las Vegas'' (1995) |access-date=January 17, 2023 |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]}}</ref> It also holds a score of 82 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 23 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>The score from {{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leaving-las-vegas |title=''Leaving Las Vegas'' Reviews |access-date=January 17, 2023 |work=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] from ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' and Rick Groen from ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' gave the film high marks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Groen |first=Rick |date=1995-10-27 |title=Film Review: Leaving Las Vegas |work=The Globe and Mail |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/movie/TVCONNECT/00010101/100307/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021007164451/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/movie/TVCONNECT/00010101/100307/ |archive-date=2002-10-07}}</ref> Ebert wrote, "If there are two unplayable roles in the stock repertory, they are the drunk and the [[Hooker with a heart of gold|whore with a heart of gold]]. Cage and Shue make these cliches into unforgettable people."<ref>{{cite news |first=Roger |last=Ebert |date=November 10, 1995 |title=Leaving Las Vegas |work=[[RogerEbert.com]] |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/leaving-las-vegas-1995 |access-date=March 22, 2022}}</ref> Ebert named the film "best of 1995", and would eventually rank it as the eighth best film of the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-02-26 |title=Ebert & Scorsese: Best Films of the 1990s |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/ebert-and-scorsese-best-films-of-the-1990s |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=RogerEbert.com}}</ref>

Leonard Klady from ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote ''Leaving Las Vegas'' was "certainly among a scant handful of films that have taken an unflinching view of dependency."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/leaving-las-vegas-1200442853/ |title=Leaving Las Vegas |access-date=March 22, 2022 |first=Leonard |last=Klady |date=September 18, 1995 |work=Variety.com }}</ref>

Charles Switzer writing for ''[[Bright Lights Film Journal]]'' in 2025 said, "Even after three decades, ''Leaving Las Vegas'' remains a raw and powerful experience for its ability to portray heavy scenes that do not offer the viewer any reprieve or hope whatsoever. It stands as a testament to the power of indie filmmaking to provoke, challenge, and deeply move audiences through bold and unconventional artistry."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Switzer |first=Charles |date=March 11, 2025 |title=Leaving Las Vegas Turns 30: A Savior-Less Portrait of Liquor-Soaked Love and Despair Not for the Faint of Heart |url=https://brightlightsfilm.com/leaving-las-vegas-turns-30-a-savior-less-portrait-of-liquor-soaked-love-and-despair-not-for-the-faint-of-heart/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 29, 2025 |website=Bright Lights Film Journal}}</ref>