Jean Reno and Natalie Portman are excellent as two people stuck together after her family is killed by crooked cops. Jean Reno character is a hitman and she wants him to train her so she can get revenge.
The friendship between Reno and Portman makes this movie. Gary Oldman is a great actor and is entertaining here but an over the top villian wasn't needed. Some unrealistic shoot-outs hold the movie down as well.
The relationship between Reno and Portman is what makes the movie great though. He becomes her father figure but she also has a big crush on him. Their scenes together are both sweet and smart.
Leon is an immigrant hit-man who works for an Italian guy named Tony. He lives a lonely life only his plant accompanying him in his solace. His seemingly desolate life takes a screeching right turn when a neighboring family gets killed by crooked DEA agents. Only poor Mathilda survived the onslaught so Leon reluctantly takes her under his wing teaching her his skills as an assassin so Mathilda can exact revenge to the agents.
Jean Reno plays hit-man Leon in this captivating tale of self discovery and finding that one person who gives you a taste of life. Director Luc Besson created a masterpiece. His style is unique, the flow of the story never gets in your nerves instead it gets in your heart. In the earlier parts of the film, the character Leon is established as a stone cold contract killer but as the film progresses, we realize that he is as gentle as a puppy dog. Mathilda gave him a reason to live and rediscover life again. She had given him and I quote "A taste of life".
Superb acting from a then young Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman as the crooked DEA agent Stan was creepy as hell (as in every of his role). An interesting character sure and he's the yang of Leon's yin (or vice versa whatever). He likes his walkman (no iPod back then), he likes Beethoven...and Mozart. And he gets in a trance-like funk whenever he takes his green loopy pills. Leon on the other hand is excellently portrayed by Jean Reno. He too, is an interesting character and he will go down as one of the most memorable hit-man in cinema history. He likes his milk, he wears knitted bonnets because he can't afford to catch a cold and he has mastered the art of killing efficiently. A beast that was tamed by an 18 year old girl...13. Just like what Ann Darrow is to King Kong.
Rest assured the ending will make you sad. "Leon" is a memorable film to be remembered from here to eternity. 5/5
This film was absolutely wonderful. The storytelling was truly marvelous. It is a very emotional, intense, and fast film. The performance by the twelve-year old Natalie Portman was brilliant. Furthermore, Jean Reno and Gary Oldman were just magnificent. Personally, I think it was one of the sadest films I have ever seen. You have to watch it if you liked 'Taxi Driver'.
Originally released in the States as simply 'The Professional', this movie was awesome. An incredible performance by Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, and Danny Aiello. The introduction of a young actress by the name of Natalie Portman that is just incredible to watch in scenes with these incredible actors. The original European release of 'Leon' added much more to the story & some hints of sexual tension between the young Mathilda & older Leon. A must see!
a really entertaining flick. in reality, this wasnt a "good" movie, but it was just a lot of fun. oldman as the villian was way over the top and the entire premise of the film was beyond silly in every way, but it was enjoyable.
Gary Oldman is so scary but totally amazing in this! Actually big thumbs up all round to the whole cast!
Having now seen this on the big screen... my life is now complete! :D
In this emotional tale, director Luc Besson proves that the simplest of concepts often translate into the most satisfying of stories. Jean Reno and a young Natalie Portman form an unlikely pair at the beginning of the movie, but their relationship develops into one of huge power. Reno and Gary Oldman lead a cast of uniformly excellent performances, but it is Portman that steals the show with her staggeringly mature turn as a girl who has lost her family.
Jean Reno is outstanding in this movie and the relationship between him and Natalie Portman is both touching and creepy. The action is really insane though and the story is overall really great.
Absolutely outstanding film. One of best films of 1994. It was a very, very tense film and pretty graphic aswell. Jean Reno was really good as Leon and so was Gary Oldman. But Natalie Portman was amazing. She is so gorgeous in this film even though she was 13 in this film. This is a good example of a film about love and friendship.
Jean Reno is great playing these silent, tough guys. Here he shows the tender human side of the character, being half father, half big brother. Fine job.
I have seen this many times and love it... there's something unique in the unexpected relationship between Reno (Leon) and Portmann's character... some say she was hitting on him in this film, but I see it as a young girl woefully lost in the world, coming from a crazy family with drug connections, how could she possibly be stable? the opening scene with the gruesome shootings was chilling to me, especially that an innocent was mercilessly killed. As always Oldman delivers a strong performance, he's soooo good at being the bad guy, almost too good. Aiello is always a welcome presence in a film for me, he truly was a "take advantage" type to Leon, two faced and deceitful, but good. Had a decent plot line, at times predictable, but well done. worth the watch.
"The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn."
On the surface, Léon is an easily dismissible film because it just seems like a simple French drama. But Léon is something far from that. Léon is an absorbing character study that has all the elements of gripping drama mixed with the elements of an exciting American action film. The combination equals one of the most intelligent American action films in cinematic history.
Léon is the first American film by director Luc Besson and it's a masterpiece. The film is exciting, suspenseful, taut, smart and awesome.
Jean Reno plays the title role of Léon; a professional assassin with a robust reputation. In his apartment building an abused, alienated 12-year-old girl named Mathilda (Portman) is left alone when the rest of her family are slaughtered courtesy of crooked, two-faced, psychotic DEA cop Norman Stansfield (Oldman). Léon reluctantly takes Mathilda under his wing; providing care and a place to stay because she has no-where else to go.
But Mathilda is intrigued by Léon's profession of being a hit man. In order to avenge the death of her little brother (the only one in the family she cared about), Léon teaches Mathilda the art of his trade and reveals the secrets of how to become a professional cleaner. But this blooming friendship opens up new doors for Léon; he feels the ability to care and love.
Léon brilliantly combines scenes of violent, awesome action with some compelling drama that showcases wonderful performances. Jean Reno begins as a cold assassin who feels nothing. Every turn for his character is felt strongly by the audience. He's reluctant to shelter young Mathilda but when he finally does it alters his life forever. Being a professional hit man he should not have the ability to love and strongly feel emotion. Jean Reno never breaks his profound concentration for the film's duration. The opening 20 minutes showed Reno as ruthless and cool; everything one should find in such a character.
Natalie Portman is in her film debut with this role. She's extremely young, but her acting can't be faulted. Her performance is heart-felt and sincere. Whenever she cries it doesn't feel at all contrived. For someone in their early teen years, this is a quality almost unheard of. Kudos to Portman for pulling off such a convincing first role!
Gary Oldman is sadistic and cynical but at the same time energetic and occasionally amusing. His character was despicable; however Oldman plays the role to perfection.
Luc Besson really knows how to direct a film like this. The cinematography in particular was outstanding! The action scenes don't suffer from the usual fast cut syndrome. They are filled with creative camera angles, ultra violence and the camera was utilised in a highly inventive way.
Léon also boasts a great story that suffers from a very small number of typical clichés. Sure, the love story was a little embarrassing at times but that's only a marginal fault. Aside from that the script is smart, the action is taut and the film is dazzling entertainment.
Léon is highly recommended for a night of action, laughs and drama all rolled into one masterpiece.
I saw this movie when I was just a little kid and I never forgot about it. The movie is just incredible. The restrained yet palpable affair between Jean Reno and the young Natalie Portman is so real and vulnerable, it literally endears you to them to no end. On the other hand, Gary Oldman as the villian was just down right scary.
A lot was made of "Leon" when it was released a couple of years ago. An experienced and cold-hearted killer, Leon (Reno), takes an abused 12-year old under his wing when her family are murdered by corrupt cop, Stansfield (Oldman). The girl, Mathilda (Portman), is not greatly affected by the loss but is emotionally scarred by the ruthless murder of her innocent 4-year old brother. Leon reluctantly looks after Mathilda and through the film he finds himself becoming more and more attached to her. The 12-year old is determined to become a killer (or cleaner as it is referred to in the film) in order to wreak revenge on Oldman and his DEA crew.
"Leon" is a film that falls between two stools. It opens with Leon accepting a contract from Tony (Aiello) and carrying it out ruthlessly thus giving you a fair idea of his chatacter. The film then goes to rather obvious lengths to show the other side of this vicious man; a quiet, caring, misunderstood everyman. When he saves Mathilda's life from the killers who have wiped out her family, he seems reluctantly happy to express his other side to someone else.
It's hard to really understand the characters; their boundaries are rather unclear. Mathilda is a driven child who rather oddly wants to kill people for a living; Tony is Leon's closest friend (and employer) but it is doubtfuil that he can really be trusted; Oldman is a dirty DEA cop, whose actions defy logic. Infact the whole basis of the killing of Mathilda's family lacks logic; there is no way a cop could get away with blowing an entire family away. And the manpower he hires to take one man out has to be seen to be believed.
So is the film a thriller, a love story, a character analysis? I don't really know. That's not to say it's a bad movie because it isn't but there is just not enough happening for it to be a thriller, a rather uneven feel for a love story and too much confusion for a character analysis.
Fantastic flick! seeing natalie portman get her baptism of fire filmwise (in a compelling action flick no less!) is truly a portent of this lady's star power. Jean Reno is absolutely one cool customer. add that to gary oldman's pill-popping corrupt cop antagonist character and you've got one helluva shootfest on your hands. great story combined with great performances make this film a certified cult classic.
Natalie is horrible, and any one who disagrees sniffs there on farts for fun. She has limited abilities and sounds like a dang 60's robot. For goodness sake, she ruined Star Wars.
Awesome. Natalie Portman still rocks when she is tiny. Alternately cute and rough. Gary Oldman is his usual captivating self while Jean Reno holds it all together very well.
Extremely good performances makes Leon a very good movie: Portman, Jean Reno and Gary Oldman played there characters almost perfectly. Apart from being a seriously good action movie, Leon was unique in many ways.
Kick Ass!...one of my all time favorite movies. Tons of blood and gore, clever wit and dry humour, and a unique love story, this movie has everything you can ask for, and more.
The acting in this film is superb. Reno has such an expressive face which conveys emotions with great sensitivity and few words. He is cold as ice as the almost super-human 'professional', but his performance is most moving when he reveals his sensitive side. Watching as his wounded soul slowly begins to heal is enough to touch the heart of any woman, but it is handled so subtly that it never becomes too 'sappy'.
In her film debut, Natalie Portman turns in a performance that is beautiful beyond belief. She manages the transition from a frightened child to a woman capable of killing so convincingly that it makes the relationship between she and Leon not only believable, but understandable.
Gary Oldman is just the best psycho there is! As a dirty cop in this film he personifies evil, and it is a joy to watch him do his thing.
This movie is and will always be my favorite action movie. Superb! Brava!
MCT:May 13, 2008
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