Leon The Professional is one of the most captivating action films ever made. I don't think I've ever seen such good acting in any other action flick. Jean Reno plays the hit-man Leon, the best in town. One day he takes in a girl whose family has just been killed by a crazed DEA agent. Mathilda is played by Natalie Portman in her debut performance, and she plays the part flawlessly. She combines the innocence and high-spirits of youth with the somber world-weariness of someone who has seen far more than they should. The DEA agent is played by Gary Oldman, who brings his incredible skill with villains to the film.
After Leon takes her in, Mathilda presses him to teach her to kill so she can exact revenge. As he trains her, the two develop a chemistry that is more convincing than 99 percent of the on-screen relationships I've seen. Mathilda develops a crush on Leon, which flusters the hit-man. Although some critics find this disturbing, the relationship is very much father/child as opposed to Lolita. Still, Portman's performance is so incredible that if you're not careful you'll find yourself actually wanting the relationship to grow. She plays the part with such maturity that you forget her age.
The action sequences are very well done and don't get bloated to the point that it's over the top. In fact, the only over the top thing in the movie is Gary Oldman, but he does it in his own special way that makes the part interesting as opposed to unintentionally funny.
The extended version of the film is the superior cut, though it suggests that Leon actually could love Mathilda in a sexual way if he had not been heartbroken in his youth. I prefer the notion that Leon's love for her is purely fatherly despite the convincing nature of Mathilda's crush. Still, the film never comes close to the pedophilia that some accuse the film of depicting.
After Leon takes her in, Mathilda presses him to teach her to kill so she can exact revenge. As he trains her, the two develop a chemistry that is more convincing than 99 percent of the on-screen relationships I've seen. Mathilda develops a crush on Leon, which flusters the hit-man. Although some critics find this disturbing, the relationship is very much father/child as opposed to Lolita. Still, Portman's performance is so incredible that if you're not careful you'll find yourself actually wanting the relationship to grow. She plays the part with such maturity that you forget her age.
The action sequences are very well done and don't get bloated to the point that it's over the top. In fact, the only over the top thing in the movie is Gary Oldman, but he does it in his own special way that makes the part interesting as opposed to unintentionally funny.
The extended version of the film is the superior cut, though it suggests that Leon actually could love Mathilda in a sexual way if he had not been heartbroken in his youth. I prefer the notion that Leon's love for her is purely fatherly despite the convincing nature of Mathilda's crush. Still, the film never comes close to the pedophilia that some accuse the film of depicting.