Review of Léon: The Professional (1994) by Alex R — 23 Jan 2014

Leon (The Professional) is quite possibly the finest work by director Luc Besson, whom is for me anyways, a director who is hit and miss. The Professional is a stunning piece of cinema that is near perfect, and displays an exhilarating, well paced plot that boasts impressive performances all around.

Jean Reno and Gary Oldman are the standouts of the film, and Oldman's screen presence is magnetic. Jean Reno stars in the title role, and he definitely delivers one of his greatest performances. Natalie Portman plays Matilda, a 12 year old girl, whose parents got murdered and she wants revenge.

Jean Reno as Leon takes her under his wing. Portman's character was very well thought out, and I felt it had a certain cold blooded innocence to it that added to the intensity of the film. I think the chemistry between actress Natalie Portman and Reno were great.

At times, I must admit that Portman's character was a bit annoying, nonetheless, it didn't distract from the rest of the film, which was brilliant. Luc Besson has crafted his greatest work with Leon.

This is a thrilling action packed film that will appeal to anyone seeking a solid piece of good thrills. Though not perfect, Leon is far better than most of Luc Besson's more recent productions. Leon is a very well made action film and I thought it was very well acted, with plenty of memorable performances by its cast.

I thought that the idea of having a 12 year old wanting to become a "cleaner" was an interesting idea for the plot, and it worked marvelously well. In the end, if you want none stop thrills, with effective performances and a well thought plot, then The Professional is a film that you shouldn't miss.