Review of Léon: The Professional (1994) by Derek M — 11 May 2015

In this film Jean Reno plays a hit man who takes a young girl (played by Natalie Portman) under his wing, and she then asks him to teach her the killing profession. The story is extremely straightforward and I probably could break down the entire film in only a few sentences. However the emotional impact of everything that is going on, and the interaction of the characters transcends the simplicity of the plot. There's something about Jean Reno's portrayal of Leon that is so enchanting. He plays the character with a childlike simplicity, because he is naive and seemingly knows very little apart from his job. Meanwhile Natalie Portman, as Mathilda, is almost cast into the adult role in their relationship because she has to teach him to read and how to interact with normal people. This isn't the only way that Luc Besson flips things from what you might expect, because we are also talking about a film where the protagonist is a professional killer. Meanwhile, (minor spoiler alert) the villain of the film is the leader of a team of DEA agents. This is another great acting performance offered by Gary Oldman. He is the master of creating unique characters with each performance. In this film, I love how he can have a smile on his face and yet you feel he might snap at any moment.

My only complaint about The Professional is that I wanted more time with the training of Mathilda. I really loved the interaction between the 2 lead characters and so I kind of wish we could see more of those moments where he is describing horrific things and she is accepting it without question. When the climax starts it seems to come out of left field and I don't like how unprepared Mathilda is in that moment. It's a minor complaint in what is otherwise a very good film. Besson captures some amazing shots, I particularly love some of the dramatic camera moves he uses, but he also knows when to leave the camera static and tell a story through the reactions of other characters. I am always fully invested in the plot of this movie and find myself clenching my teeth in excitement and anticipation in some of the more intense scenes. The Professional is one of those films that almost elicits a physical reaction from me in the final moments because I am so anxiously awaiting that moment of comeuppance for the villain. It's not exactly the most elaborate or involved script, and it probably won't knock most people off their feet, but I find it to be totally engaging, and I can highly recommend it to anyone. This might just be Besson's best film.