Leon - The Professional (1994)

Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) made his American directorial debut with this stylized thriller about a French hit man (Jean Reno) who takes in an American girl (Natalie Portman) being pursued by a corrupt killer cop (Gary Oldman). Oldman is a little more unhinged than he should be, but there is something genuinely irresistible about the story line and the relationship between Reno and Portman. Rather than cave in to the cookie-cutter look and feel of American action pictures, Besson brings a bit of his glossy style from French hits La Femme Nikita and Subway to the production, and the results are refreshing even if the bullets and explosions are awfully familiar. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

"Hey!.....You know the ring trick?"

The rest of the story about Leon and Mathilda....

A FINE movie, excellent direction, incredible action, and some fine acting by all involved.

(Unlike many cinematic "improvements, the extra 24 minutes added to (finally) this edition actually improve an already outstanding film...

I'd like to add, that the reviewers who cry "obscene" over this platonic relationship are clearly mentally ill....

Mathilda, as a precocious pre-pubescent girl, fixated on Leon, yes....However, when Leon (gently) turned down her naive advances, she turned right over and went to sleep, happily...See Leon as an Uncle, or whtever you want...

Hey, Lunatics!

Don't let the fact they were in the same bed scar you too deeply. June 18, 2008

Best of its genre

This intelligent and action-packed thriller made me stand up and take notice of several actors who I hadn't known before, as well as the work of director Luc Besson. Few action thrillers are as original as this one; after all, there are only so many shoot-'em ups that you can stage before the whole idea becomes shopworn. But this one manages more than a few original twists and turns--as in the Lolita-like love story between the young girl and the older man, which was downplayed in the American version by cutting some of the footage that was left in the European release of the film. Sometimes it doesn't pay to live in the land where stodgy and/or prudish characters like Mrs. Grundy and Samuel Bowdler were icons--you get these Bowdlerized versions of European films. :-)

Jean Reno is terrific as the hitman with a heart, and Natalie Portman is impressive as the precocious 12-year old who has lost her family to the corrupt cop, played by Gary Oldman. Oldman is superb as always, but perhaps plays his part even more over top than usual, as the double-dealing, cocaine-snorting cop who's searching for Reno and Portman after a drug deal goes bad. Also, I hadn't seen Danny Aiello in many years, and it was good to see he's still working.

The whole cast is terrific, and there's enough action in the flick to satisfy even the most jaded taste. I thought Reno was the most memorable, which is saying something as it's no mean feat to upstage Portman or Oldman in this film, but he's just great as the simple, but big-hearted hitman with acrobatic, ninja-like skills. Each scene is memorable and just well written and tightly directed. There's no wasted verbiage or action.

With the restoration of over 20 minutes of previously cut footage the movie has even more appeal than the original. I think this movie is the best of its genre and easily stands heads and shoulders above the competition with a strong plot and story, engaging characters, strong performances, and enough action to fill up three lesser movies. Overall a fine film and one that is probably destined to become a classic. June 5, 2008

international

I liked this movie when I first saw the US version . I considered it a very good movie, but I felt that it was not as good as it could have been . When I found this uncut version ,I expected some differences; but I found a spectacular movie. Do not buy the US version. This international would rate 5 stars+ . I was blown away , it was more than I expected. The US version would rate a 2 against this uncut masterpiece. I have never been so moved ...this is the only review I have taken the time to write. I could not do justice if I tried to describe the content and depth of this version. You have to see this for yourself. Dante Conchise June 3, 2008

Besson's best film

After her drug-dealer father and family are murdered, 12 year-old Matilda (Natalie Portman) is effectively adopted by Leon (Jean Reno), the nice man in the apartment next door who just happens to be a hit-man. Leon then proceeds to teach Matilda his trade so that she can exact revenge on her family's killers.

"Leon" is one of the most unusual films that I have ever seen and also one of the best. Without a doubt, it is the best of Luc Besson's films. In a video store, this film would probably be placed in the action section, but although it contains a number of (very violent) action scenes, I don't really see this film as being an action film in the same sense that something like "Die Hard" is. It is more a study of the relationship between Leon and Matilda, and a very good one at that. Leon and Matilda are two extremely damaged people who manage to find love (albeit platonic love) with each other. The fact that they find this love through activities that most people would consider to be less than desirable just adds to this film's charm. It is also a study of innocence, contrasting Leon's child-like nature (the look on Reno's face as he watches a Gene Kelly movie is priceless) with that of an actual child.

Everything about this film is excellent. From Besson's script and directing to Reno, Portman and Gary Oldman as the film's three leads. Although made in English with mostly American actors (except for Reno, who, bizarrely, plays an Italian) and targeted at the American/International market, this is, in fact, a French film and is stylistically more European than American, and in my opinion, is all the better for it. I just saw this film for the second time last night and I already want to re-watch it. I cannot recommend this film enough.
May 14, 2008

Worth it, but only for Oldman

I saw this for the first time On Demand last summer, and it was pretty good, but I was hooked on Oldman's character Stansfield. Lately we have been casting around for movies to watch, and my husband had never seen this, so I ordered it and we watched it last night. This version has scenes I don't remember from the summer, so I assume it's somewhat of a director's cut.

The thing is, while Reno is good (and his character is good), it's not enough to carry the movie. Now, everyone talks about how fabulous Portman was in this movie. And when I saw it on TV, I did think she was good, although I felt the character of Mathilda was too one-dimensional. I wasn't emotionally invested in her character, so I didn't really care much about her part of the story. She was just a whiny manipulative kid.

And in this particular version there's even more to dislike. The extra footage is all Leon and Mathilda. There's just too much screen time involving only them. These two characters aren't enough to carry that much screen time. I found myself embarrassed for having recommended it.

Luckily, that last shootout scene is so amusingly done (and the conflict ends so satisfyingly) that it was worth it in the end, but without Oldman's quirky performance I would never have recommended it for rewatching. April 25, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...