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Not rated. () |
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(110225) |
18742 |
68130 |
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(31355) |
5331 |
19381 |
Male |
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13411 |
48749 |
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Plot: Professional assassin Léon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade.
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:August 26, 2008
A fantastic action packed thriller set in the heart of "Charm City" ,yes the town so nice they named it twice; New York, New York.
Luc Besson delivers big time with this riveting tale of corruption, murder, loss and love. Dominated by outstanding performances by Jean Reno as the assassin Leon and Gary Oldman as the corrupt, murderous DEA agent Stansfield, and in her film debut Natalie Portman as the captivating Mathilda.
Oldman portays on the screen one of cinemas most unforgettable villains while at the same time Besson paints a memorable love story amidst the carnage. -
MCT:August 19, 2008Amazing movie...
Leon (Jean Reno) is a tortured soul. He lives in squalor and misery, never truly happy or at peace with himself. After all, he is a hitman. He lives quietly from kill to kill, harming no-one whom he has not been paid to assassinate. He is a simplistic, childlike man who lives by his own set of morals but is troubled by them. The one thing he seems to fear above all else is change.
Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is Leon's neighbour. A young girl, she lives with her father, step-mother, half-sister and half-brother. As unhappy as Leon, she lives in awe of the dark stranger, unaware of his true profession. Beaten by her parents and sister, she has abandoned school and instead spends the day watching cartoons and trying to escape from the real world.
When Mathilda's family is brutally murdered by a drug crazed Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman), her only chance for survival is to hide with her neighbour. When she learns of Leon's true identity, she becomes infatuated with both him, and the grim world he inhabits.
This stark portrayal of humanity and inhumanity is produced with the style and finesse that one expects from Luc Besson. In addition, the combined talents of Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman provide not only an unmatched on-screen chemistry, but also three perfectly created characterizations, the like of which are rarely seen in today's cinema. This film has my personal recommendation of being the best piece of cinema that I know of. I have not seen anything that matches it in terms of intensity or emotion - and believe me, I've looked. I found myself caring for the characters involved, an unique experience in itself. This is not the type of film for a night in with your mates, but nevertheless, it is an unforgettable piece of cinematic history.
I enjoyed that. -
MCT:August 18, 2008
I loved the movie and the immoral lovely Leon-Mathilda affection. Every single actor was to me perfect in his role, Gary Oldman terribly frightening by his too real attitude, Leon so sincerely touching and Mathilda of course. I loved how, in a world of no limits where the cops crossed the fragile frontier of law, the hit man becomes, regardless of acknowledged morals, the good man. Though some people once told me they considered this film as a light " scandal" (the word is strong) because based "on an immoral belief", I do not see where is the immorality in a nice killer when he is the most human element of a disturbed world. Even though I doubt it can be one of the best movies I saw, I add it to my favorites...
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MCT:August 18, 2008a terrible movie with so much potential wated. Bad idea, interesting drama, but it seemed more like a cheesey comedy than anything else
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MCT:August 17, 2008Heartfelt extreme abilities with a soft side that makes the movie have great depth.:'( I was sad when the guy died.
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MCT:August 17, 2008I didn't like any of the characters, they have no life and personality to them. Leon, for example, is a boring character who's best friend is a plant and likes to drink milk. I liked this movie a couple years ago but now I realize this movie is greatly flawed.
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MCT:August 13, 2008
It?s ironic that the best films in cinema history are invariably the original director?s cut of the film. Films such as Aliens, The Abyss, The Wild Bunch, Blade Runner, and Terminator 2 are all prime examples of a filmmaker?s integrity, later chopped up or mucked with by the studio. The advent of the DVD format has provided a more accessible way to get these original cuts to the public and provide to film freaks like myself the ability to become further enraptured by the extension of such classic films.
The DVD release of the original international version of Luc Besson?s 1995 masterpiece The Professional, which is known as Léon around the world, is a prime example of how a good film can become an instant classic as a director's cut. For years, I have heard of an ?international? version available only in laserdisc format, which has eluded me for years. I even bought a laserdisc player from my uncle Don for 100 bucks just to watch certain directors' cuts ? including Léon. But after countless searches in laserdisc stores, I could never find it. Until now.
The film follows the story of Léon, played by Jean Reno, a professional hit man for an Italian Mob crew run by Danny Aiello. He lives next door to a ferociously independent 12-year-old girl named Mathilda ? played by then newcomer Natalie Portman, whose father is involved in drugs and crooked cops. One day, a crew of the cops ? lead by Gary Oldman in an over-the-top performance ? kills her entire family while Mathilda is out buying groceries. Taking pity on her, Léon hides her in his apartment when she returns to save her life. Mathilda learns of Léon?s hit man profession and decides to follow in Léon?s footsteps as a "cleaner." She then falls in love with him and manages to reawaken emotions within Léon he has kept locked away as part of his profession. At this point, the differences in the American version and the International version really kick in.
The International version contains an additional 24 minutes of footage that pertains directly to the relationship of Léon and Mathilda, footage that American censors deemed ?too explicit.? I assume that American censors feel that defining character development is too much for American audiences to handle. The best part of this extra footage is that gives better understanding of both Mathilda?s and Léon?s motivations pertaining to later actions involving Oldman and his crew of bad cops. There's even a previously unseen cameo by the great French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade -- star of Queen Margot, Besson?s La Femme Nikita, and Killing Zoe. With these additional scenes replaced, Léon and Matilda?s relationship brings you emotionally closer to the film and draws stronger bonds between the characters that were murky in the American version.
The most ironic thing about the International version of the film is that with the inclusion of the missing scenes, the film becomes primarily a heavy, emotional drama punctuated with big action scenes at the beginning and the end of the film. The film betters reflects the serious drama of French cinema but is laced with pieces reflecting the brutality of American cinema.
My advice to everyone out there is to throw away your copy of The Professional, throw down twenty bucks, and pick up this newly restored cinematic masterpiece. -
MCT:August 7, 2008
Gary Oldman was freaking brilliant in this movie!! I love that part whenever he looks up at the ceiling and cocks his head will forever be in my mind. He did a wonderful job.You have to see it...I literally could not pull my self away from this movie it was that good!! Natalie Portman for a girl of twelve with that language funny!! And Jean Reno watching the movie like a mezmerized kid was funny!!
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MCT:August 7, 2008
Just watched again,as bitter a story it is.
It is heartwarming great cast with Jean Reno,Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman. -
MCT:August 6, 2008
definitly great film.nice relationship between a twelve girl ,Matilda and Leon.great actors...brilliant song..
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MCT:August 5, 2008
An uneducated immigrant/proficient assassin reluctantly takes in a young girl, thus saving her from being gunned down with her family by corrupt detectives/drug dealers. The Professional intertwines their developing relationship with clever action scenes. Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and a young Natalie Portman all play convincing roles.
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MCT:July 29, 2008
Gosh. Some scenes in this made me feel very uncomfortable. But this film is definitely worth the watch.
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MCT:July 27, 2008
Great Film!!
This star rating is for the theatical version, the international version was a little too awkward for my taste. The theatical version is a more focused - to the point - yet still preserving the soul of the movie - viewing experience.
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MCT:July 27, 2008
Leon was a very intense film that had me gripped from start to finish, the kill scenes where great and quite brutal but it was the heartfelt relationship between Leon & Matilda that made this movie better than the others of the same genre, the acting was superb by all the main actors and they made the movie feel very real, the musical content was great too and was used to good effect, the best thing about this movie was it was very complete in that it has the brutal action scenes for the actions fans while also being very heartfelt and offering something for love fans, my advice is that if you have not already seen it then do so ASAP, great stuff 5 stars :)
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MCT:July 27, 2008
Absolutely brilliant film. Portman blew me away and Reno silent heroism was fantastic. This script could have been a half-assed action thriller but it avoided that predicament and came out as an excellent piece of cinema. It should have been nominated for an Oscar, and it deserves its Césars.
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MCT:July 26, 2008
Still Natalie Portman's finest, and what a great casting combination with Jean Reno and Gary Oldman.
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MCT:July 26, 2008
complete brilliance,I must say that i was more intrigued by Oldman's performance than that of Jean Reno,one of the all time best
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This movie uses a technique, which although is constantly used in
Hollywood, it is set fresh on this movie.
Two main characters; whom couldn't be more different from one another.
Leon, a professional hit-man who finds peace on his apartment with his
pet plant. On the other hand, we've got Mathilda, a young girl who
lives trapped inside her own house, with her non-caring parents and
sister, finding her only consolation in her younger brother.
Trouble starts when Mathilda goes out to buy groceries. While she goes
out, a group of drug-dealers make a visit to Mathilda's dad, also a
dealer, to find out he has being stealing some of the merchandise. This
results in the dealers killing everyone in the house. Mathilda returns,
tries to ignore the mess and knocks on Leon's door. He lets her, adopts
her, and they both become all they have in life, but Mathilda is
seeking revenge for her brother's assassination.
So is this a love story? I will say it's inappropriate to call it like
that. Is it a family film? Ignoring all the violence, it might be a
family film. Is it an action movie then? I think it goes way deeper
than that, though the opening and final sequences are worthy of any Die
Hard film.
You would need to watch it yourself in order to draw your own
conclusion on the movie genre. But don't let this intercept with your
movie experience, since this movie is surely worthy of your time. -
MCT:July 25, 2008
I am not a great fan of Portman, sorry to disappoint, yet she is undeniably great opposite Reno and Oldman,
Gary Oldman, what a man. -
MCT:July 24, 2008
This movie has everything: Action, explosions, drama, an awkward love story, great writing, and Gary Oldman screaming at the top of his lungs:)
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MCT:July 23, 2008
One-Sentence Review:
"The level that this film reaches, is certainly grand! Great action, editing work and wonderful cinematography dazzle the senses as the magnificent score by Serra strikes each chord and chapter in the movie with harmony and Absolutely fine, fine acting work by Jean Reno, a young Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello and of course the absolutely chameleon-like Gary Oldman."
(Easily stand as a Best French Film Of All-Time) -
MCT:July 20, 2008
LEON, the film that introduced Natalie Portman to the whole world. Seeing her amazing performance in this film, you know she was destined for great success. Well-written action drama, with a powerful turn by Gary Oldman and a simple, but intense performance by Jean Reno. Léon and Mathilda (Reno and Portman) are an unconventional, but great couple (not in the romantic sense of the word; that obviously creepy part was very well managed and it never crossed any boundaries).
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MCT:July 16, 2008
A great movie....No assasin movie has been able to fill its shoes uptill now...atleast i havent seen any...Gr8 Acting and super direction
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MCT:July 15, 2008
LUC BESSON IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PERSONALITIES IN THE MOVIE WORLD...HE CAN MAKE MUSIC..PRODUCE A MOVIE..BE AN OBSERVER..WRITE A SCRIPT..DIRECT...EVERYTHING...
SO HERE "LEON" ITS ONE OF HIS FIRST MOVIES..AFTER "NIKITA" & THE "BIG BLUE" HE DIRECTS A GREAT MOVIE...
ITS NATALIE PORTMAN'S FIRST & BEST MOVIE SHE HAS DONE..
JEAN RENO ENBODIES A HITMAN WHO HAS A HEART OF A LOST CHILD IN HIM..
THE STORY IS VERY TOUCHING..
MATILDA'S PARENTS ARE MURDERED 7 SHE HAS NOWHERE TO GO..HER NEIGHBOOR(JEAN RENO) TAKES CARE OF HER...THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS PURE & "PROFESSIONAL"..
THE BAD GUY IN LUC BESSON's FILMS IS USUALLY THE MAGNIFICENT GARY OLDMAN..
THIS MAN KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THE STRANGE VILLIANS..
DRACULA
FIFTH ELEMENT
LEON
LOST IN SPACE..
IF U DON'T FEEL HURT AT THE END OF THE MOVIE U PROBABLY DIDNT LIKE IT..
THE MOVIE ENDS WITH THE WONDERFUL SONG OF STING..."SHAPE OF MY HEART'
My Friends Said...
Léon (The Professional) Recent Reviews
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Comments
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colchanelleposted 173 days ago -
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its great, acotors did the the best job and i think this film cant be repeat
posted 252 days ago -
This movie is genious. It is disturbing, but comforting. It is funny, yet cruel. I loved every aspect of this film, not to mention every member of the cast had totally believable and powerful acting. Gary Oldman was spellbinding, I loved it. You must rent this. Actually, go buy it, you'll love it to pieces.
posted 276 days ago -
Leon io one of my favourites film of any times, but I can't find what type of potted-plant we see in film??? comeone can help me? thanks.
posted 352 days ago -
I love this film it has got to be my most favourite film ever so beautifully made
posted 438 days ago -
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Im watching this movie right now.. bst movie ever.. top 10 my favorites!! gotta love jean reno and natalie portman!! :)
posted 457 days ago -
Best movie of all time. But you must see the uncut version its even better!!!!!
posted 560 days ago -
