Review of Léon: The Professional (1994) by Berc — 07 Jun 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "The Professional":

Much of the greatness found in this film rests squarely on the shoulders of its actors. Residing on the top rung of that ladder of greatness is none other than Gary Oldman. This guy has turned in so many brilliant performances over the years that it's hard to believe he's only been nominated for an Academy Award ONCE! Between the performance he gives in this film and the performance he gave in "Immortal Beloved" (also released in 1994), he should have easily been nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars that year. Newcomer Natalie Portman also turned in a stellar performance as well. You can (almost) always tell whether or not a child actor has what it takes to make it in the business and there wasn't even the slightest shadow of a doubt that Natalie was going to have a solid career. She displays an ability that would be rare coming from a thirty-year veteran, which makes it all the more startling due to the fact that this was Natalie's feature debut. Technically the star of the film, Jean Reno, takes third tier in the acting department. His quiet killing grace and awkward social interactions are spot-on and fill his character with an undeniable charm not usually found in silver screen assassins. There are a few moments of levity peppered throughout Luc Besson's screenplay which help to keep some of the weight of this dark subject material from crushing its viewers. The cinematography from Thierry Arbogast is also a very nice touch. He keeps the visuals feeling wide and free, even in the most confining of spaces (such as hallways, stairwells, small apartment rooms, etc.) which is where much of the film takes place.

What I Personally Disliked About "The Professional":

There are a few slightly irritating drawbacks in the movie (mostly centered around the odd editing choices and certain selections from Eric Serra's score mid way through the presentation), however they are not annoying enough to damage the overall effect of the film.

My Overall Impression of "The Professional":

Besson has been hit or miss, in my eyes, since the start of his directorial career. "The Professional" certainly qualifies as one of the former. All of the right bullets hit all of the right targets, making this one of the brighter dramatic showcases of its year (and possibly of its decade).