Review of Léon: The Professional (1994) by Pete L — 07 Mar 2012
"Revenge is not a good thing, it's better to forget.".
"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 b******, and blow their f******heads off!".
A great movie that deserves its place among the classics.
Premise: After coming home to find her entire family gunned down, a 12 year old girl named Matilda is taken in by her neighbor, Léon an assassin. Vowing revenge on those who killed her family, Matilda becomes Léon's apprentice, learning how to become an assassin.
Directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc), Léon is a fantastic Drama/Thriller with some very memorable scenes. This is Jean Reno's best role, but he isn't the break out star in this. Portman is fantastic in this. She should have been nominated for an Oscar or at least been given some award for her performance in this. Yet I don't know why she was fantastic in this, awful in the Star Wars prequels, and fantastic again in V for Vendetta and Black Swan. Gary Oldman as always is a great villain. He's actually a bit frightening yet sort of funny in this. There is some awkward sexual tension as Matilda is clearly in love with Léon. He never gives in and nothing ever happens, but it's still a little uncomfortable to watch. This is explored more deeply in the extended version. I disagree with Besson for putting so much emphasis on this aspect, when so many other aspects could have been explored. My other problem lies in the pacing. There really is no transition between the acts. The second act needed to be much longer. The ending is touching and it has been copied countless times in later action movies. The ending itself could have been taken from some other film, but at least it fits in nicely. As a final product, the film is great but it isn't without flaw. If you can get passed the uncomfortable mood of it, it really is an entertaining and touching film. Total Score: 8.1/10.
This review of Léon: The Professional (1994) was written by Pete L on 07 Mar 2012.
Léon: The Professional has generally received very positive reviews.
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