Léon (The Professional)

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Léon (The Professional)

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Léon (The Professional)

Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Peter Appel

Professional assassin Léon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade.

Id: 10903015

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Léon (The Professional) Recent Reviews
  • garyX
    December 5, 2009
    garyX
    Professional killer Jean Reno reluctantly takes in a 12 year old girl after her family is murdered by corrupt police detectives. Luc Besson's mix of offbeat characters, humour and high octane action tends to be a little hit and miss, but in Leon he found the perfect balance betwe...( read more)en sensitive character study, emotion and tense action sequences. Pot plant loving, milk drinking loner Reno is the antithesis of the usual testosterone-soaked, gung-ho action hero and with no glib one liners or macho posturing, he takes no pleasure in the mayhem he induces; he's just very, very good at it. His relationship with a young Natalie Portman is sincere, funny and touching, and although emotionally ambiguous (at least from her adolescent point of view), it never crosses the line into sexual creepiness. Complimented by an excellent supporting cast, especially pill popping psychopath Gary Oldman who is the perfect foil for Reno's solitary hitman, and wonderfully scored Leon is easily Besson's best work and one of the best action thrillers around.
  • AgentLexi2132
    November 14, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''Revenge is not good. Once you're done. Believe me.''

    Professional assassin Leon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade.

    Jean Reno: Léon

    From the opening musical score, which is phenomenal ...( read more)throughout the entire piece, Luc Besson gives us one of the most stylish Character introductions seen to date. The Cinematography is outstanding as the camera focuses on Leon (Jean Reno) and his Italian Mob friend (Danny Aiello), with subtle shots that pan onto his dark sunglasses or the glass of milk he's drinking (which actually becomes a running theme for the film).

    Almost as soon as we are introduced to the seemingly cold, calculating Leon, the heat is on and we discover that he is unstoppable, untouchable and lethal as a professional hitman. The way in which he displays his expertise, is visually spectacular as he picks off targets like flies one by one, appealing to all fans of action, gore and suspense. It is also gripping to see Leon hunt down the last remaining 'client', making the vulnerable man sweat with fear and me be riveted to my seat in anticipation.
    As the gloriously original plot continues, Leon rescues a 12 year old girl named Mathilda (Natalie Portman) from imminent death, which begins an awe inspiring relationship between the two. It's very rare to see such impressive characterization, and Besson manages to reveal the warmer, caring side to Leon, without clouding the believability of a ruthless and fearless killer. Without sounding too sentimental, it has to be said that their relationship and love for each other is beautifully realized, and is always accompanied by the captivating score.

    ''I haven't got time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit.''

    Apart from the skilled and apparent capability of Reno, Portman's portrayal of Mathilda really is astonishingly authentic, albeit the stars of Leon: The Professional are obvious but without Gary Oldman's performance, the film would have lacked the depth and tension that is so essential to the story. Oldman plays a crooked, psychopathic Drug Enforcement Agent named Stansfield, with a penchant and liking for classical composers such as Beethoven and Mozart.
    Stansfield is significantly agitated by Leon's diligent trail of death and destruction. The scenes in which his anxiety pushes to the extreme, commands your attention, this is a crazed villain who wants blood at any cost, and he wants this problem in the guise of Leon to disappear.

    It is a meritorious accomplishment for a film of this genre to have such a rich plot and character development. The transition of Leon, devoid of any feelings, to him embracing Mathilda's affections is a paramount example. There is a strong universal appeal to all movie-lovers for this extraordinary film and it is totally justified.
    I personally found it a delight to watch and I'm sure a classic for repeated viewings.

    Leon: Revenge is not a good thing, it's better to forget.
    Mathilda: Forget? After I've seen the outline of my brother's body on the floor, you expect me to forget? I wanna kill those sons of bitches, and blow their fucking heads off!

    In "The making of The Professional", Besson says "If I imagine somebody in the street try to knock on my daughter, I kill the guy, in five seconds. I kill him, and I think "It's in me, I'm a beast!". On this part we can't forget that a part of us, the genetic things inside are much, much older than The Ten Commandments". He certainly uses visceral scenes to create very strong emotion in the movie - the blood running from Mathilda's nose or Stansfield's unforgettable "EVERYONE!" are just a couple of examples. The music and the sound are excellent and are used in a masterly fashion - you can hear Fatman's heart beating desperately or a low claustrophobic sound when Stansfield turns to look at Mathilda's father.

    This stark portrayal of humanity and inhumanity is produced with the style and finesse that one expects from Luc Besson. In addition, the combined talents of Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman provide not only an unmatched on-screen chemistry, but also three perfectly created characters, the like of which are rarely seen in today's cinema. This film has my personal recommendation of being one of the best practitioners of action and platonic examples of love, of the day. I have not seen anything that matches it in terms of intensity or emotion for a story of it's type, it really succeeds in being unique and indulging. I found myself caring for the characters involved, an unique experience in itself. This is not the type of film for an uncaring, boisterous audience, but nevertheless, it is an unforgettable piece of cinematic history.

    [after the building explodes]
    ''Hey, what the fuck is going on up there? I said take the guy out, not the whole fucking building!''
  • SirPant
    September 14, 2009
    SirPant
    A touching story with stylish visuals, good script and brilliant performances. Portman has never been better and this is Reno's finest leading role. Definitely one of Besson's best!
  • phubbs1
    July 18, 2009
    phubbs1
    The best hitman movie ever. So cool so slick and quite emotional. Jean Reno's best subtle performance and Portman's best role also, yet disturbingly hot. The action is first class and pinpoint, Oldman is crazy and his sidekicks are just waiting to be whacked hehe. The start seque...( read more)nce and finale are awesome, Luc Besson's best.
  • allan913
    July 10, 2009
    allan913
    An action movie masterpiece. Unstopable and so totally unforgettable. An outstanding and explosive movie. Amasing performances. Jean Reno is teriffic, giving a breathtaking and outstanding performance. He is not just the best action hero France has but one of its best actors peri...( read more)od. Natalie Portamn is remarkable, a star making performance. Gary Oldman is explosive, a charasmatic, witty and fearless performance. A wickedly cool, slick, thrilling and tenderly emotional film. It has heart and alot of soul. It's spectaular and action-packed. Smart and well crafted action sequences. It's stylish, brilliant and extroadinary. Director, Luc Besson has created another riveting classic. A powerful action-thriller.
  • paulparsons2
    December 21, 2009
    paulparsons2
    Lun Besson is a little hit and miss for me. On this occasion however, his storytelling skills and direction were pretty spot on.

    15 years on, I still feel this film every time I watch it. Whilst the story is simple, it is beautifully told and the principle cast are superb. Old...( read more)man adds another memorable maniac to his body of work, he is on great form here. Reno brings Leon to life with a childlike innocence on the one hand, whilst being totally convincing as a professional killer who knows his business backwards. The star of this film however is Portman. Her Mathida is a thing of beauty and she is truly special in this film. Wise beyond her years, she is strong and totally heartbreaking. Beautiful work...

    Besson has yet to equal his work here and whilst the cast have all moved on to other things, this is a truly memorable and moving film.
  • rbevanx
    December 18, 2009
    rbevanx
    Watched the directors cut and was blown away, better than the original version (Which I also love).

    A classic made better in my view.
  • mudcore
    December 18, 2009
    mudcore
    this film is insane! yea, how come I wasn't able to watch this before? Gary oldman is freaking genius.
  • ladyziev
    December 18, 2009
    ladyziev
    Very simple and touching

    I do like how they create Leon's character,

    And their acting is just very great!
    one of the best action movie I ever seen
    i will never get bored to watch this over and over again

    Good job, Luc Besson!
    5 Star!
  • MovieGuruDude72
    December 17, 2009
    MovieGuruDude72
    One of the top 50 movies ever made. Natalie Portman's acting performance at such a young age steals the show from everyone, which really says something considering how mind-blowingly brilliant Gary Oldman is in this movie. One of the most creatively shot films ever made. Director...( read more) Luc Besson is a master at creating shots that are both visually pleasing, but do so without interrupting the flow of the movie. A superb script with a great storyline. A bit violent. We are dealing with mafia hitmen and crooked DEA agents afterall. But you won't mind the violence so much because it's integral to the underlying moral of the story, which is redemption.
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