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Summary: IT WILL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE WORD. WOW.
Review: THIS MOVIE IS JUST TO GOOD FOR WORDS. IT NEEDS TO BE SEEN
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Summary: Two very different lifes come together by similar tradgies.
Review: A few years ago I saw this movie, and fell in love with it. The best part of the film is the music the scenes that go along with it. The story line is simply amazing and touching. The lifes of these two very different people come together by similar events, the business each deals in. This movie is a piece of art, and should be framed for all to see.
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Summary: can't get enough of this film
Review: After watching "The Professional" for the first time, I was DRAWN to rewatch it again and again. It was compelling. It was perfectly cast. It is one of those films that I can watch over and over. I wish I could change the ending but that's part of why it is so good! END
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: This was the first film that I saw by Luc Besson. Despite the US title, it is and will always be Leon.The opening scenes literally set the scene, with pace, timing, colour, viewpoint - everything a director should know Besson knows and gives to us here. I'm watching the DVD as I write. Jean Reno is superb as Leon, the utilmate human killing machine. Death on two legs, he'll kill anything but women and children. And they're just what is missing in his life - women and children. When Mathilda, played so abley by Nathalie Portman, is orphaned by Stansfield (Gary Oldman) and his men, Leon is drawn into an unlikely relationship. Whilst demanding revenge for her younger brother Mathilda becomes the woman and child that Leon's life has lacked. Besson plays close to the edge with Leon and Mathilda, but he doesn't cross the line. This is not in the mold of Lolita, there's no paedophile subtext. It's a man discovering the family he never knew that he needed. Visually s! uperb, and with a soundtrack by Eric Serra, this is one of my favourite films. I have it in pan and scan VHS, wide screen VHS, and DVD. How much more endorsement can I give it. Just watch it! END
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Must-See Film!
Review: French director Luc Besson ("The Messenger"; "The Fifth Element") made his U.S. film debut with this intelligent thriller of an Italian hitman who is untouchable. "The Professional" stars Jean Reno ("The Big Blue") who plays Leon, a professional hitman with ninja-like skills, who eliminates rivals for a mob boss (Danny Aiello). After a corrupt cop (Gary Oldman) eliminates the family residing next door due to a drug transaction gone wrong, Leon finds himself the guardian of young Mathilda (Natalie Portman in her screen debut). Taking Mathilda under his helm, Leon teaches her the art of the "cleaner". However, danger lurks around every corner, and Leon must protect Mathilda from the same cops who killed her family. Considered by many to be his masterpiece, "The Professional" was originally released internationally under the title "Leon". However due to the feeling that American audiences might find some material unacceptable, over 24 minutes of the film was edited out. Finally, Columbia/Tri-Star has made an excellent decision in releasing the uncut, international version of this excellent film in the U.S. as it originally was called in August 2000. While the film's central theme revolves around Leon and his job, the subplot where Mathilda develops an attraction for Leon is reminiscent of the novel/film "Lolita". The chemistry between both characters in a father/daughter relationship can be intense, especially as we notice that Mathilda is in her puberty-stage. Jean Reno is excellent as always, and Gary Oldman gives a chilling performance as Stansfield, the wicked DEA officer who murdered Mathilda's family in cold blood. However, the real scene-stealer in this film has to be Natalie Portman. This beautiful young girl radiates beauty and professionalism throughout the film. Her porcelain-looking skin, and her big brown eyes are well utilized in this film, making her character more childish, yet mature to a certain extent. Portman proved to audiences in this film that she was no flash in the pan, and in her subsequent films, she continues to be a scene-stealer. She is truly Hollywood's most gifted young actress. In the international version, most of the 24 minutes that were left out in the film's 1994 release in the U.S. mainly involves both Leon and Mathilda going on "cleaning sweeps" where she gets first hand training in the art of assassination. The other half of these minutes focuses on Mathilda's attraction to Leon. Her persistent attempts to be intimate with Leon all fail, but we finally understand why Leon remains a loner when it comes to affairs if the heart. Some might be uncomfortable about the idea of Mathilda and Leon sharing a bed together, but Besson paints this scene as one involving platonic love and not sex. In wrapping up, I recommend this film for anyone who enjoys a nonstop, high-impact thriller in the same tradition as the "Matrix," "Blade," or "Dead Calm". Luc Besson truly is one of the world's greatest action directors, and "Leon" captures his magic. An excellent, pulstaing film from beginning to end!
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Summary: Natalie Portman in her best role!
Review: I don't usually like to watch movies about hit men or cops and robbers. I remember I got interested in this movie because of two things: Luc Besson's movie the Fifth Element, which was so wildly different and fascinating that I wanted to see what else this French director had done; and secondly, seeing Natalie Portman for the first time in the Star Wars: Phantom Menace movie. Behind all of the dense make up and bad script and horribly non-existent directing from George Lucas in Phantom Menace, I sensed in Natalie Portman one heck of a terrific young actress struggling to come up with a meaningful performance. In "Leon - The Professional", working with a superb director, her acting talent is on full display. When one thinks of modern day child actors, Anna Paquin comes to mind, in "The Piano", because she aced out some terrific adult actresses in 1993 to win the Oscar. Well, Natalie Portman, at age 12, had Anna Paquin beat by a mile in this movie, since her character takes up about half of the movie. If not for the truly unusual and off-beat story line of this movie, Portman would have gotten a lot more attention for her role in this movie, I think. If you just focus on Portman's facial expressions and the way she carries herself in this movie, she goes through an amazing acting range in this movie, from hurt, terrified, bored, stuck up, cool and calculating, manipulative, sweet, child-like, and pubescent sexual allure. As mentioned by other reviewers, the uncut version restores scenes that basically give a harder edge to Natalie Portman's character. The additional scenes of her assassin training with Leon and her efforts to attract and get closer to Leon definitely put her character in a harsher light. I remember from my first viewing of the cut U.S. version that Mathilda came across as a much more sweet and innocent child. The uncut version shows her more to be a hardened child of the mean streets of New York. Given the usual Hollywood propensities, it's not that surprising that these scenes got cut for the U.S. release. The uncut version does show the fullest acting range of Natalie Portman, even if they make her character less sympathetic. Basically, the movie skates close to, but avoids the pedophilia controversies of the "Lolita" movies by having the character of Leon adhere to a strict code of ethics that firmly blocks all of Mathilda's advances. Even at the end, when he kisses her good-by and says that he loves her, it is clearly in the vein of being her protector and a big brother/father surrogate figure. All in all, this was a great movie. Jean Reno was just so hauntingly sad as the loner-assassin Leon. Gary Oldman was definitely over the top in his portrayal of the crazed DEA agent - you almost expected his Dracula fangs to come out and his eyes to glow red when he popped those pills into his mouth. So all of you Natalie Portman fans, this movie is a definite must-see. All of you Phantom Menace/Attack of the Clones haters who think that Natalie Portman can't act, you've got to see this movie to understand that no, Natalie Portman is a terrific actress. It's just really, really tough to play opposite total stiffs like Hayden Christiansen and Jake Lloyd, working with an idiot director like George Lucas.
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Summary: Bring back the shorter film, please!
Review: Unlike most reviewers, I greatly prefer the shorter 110 minute version of this masterpiece. I only recently disappointed myself with the longer DVD version and will not be watching _that_ again!
Get the shorter film and enjoy a much higher level of tension, while skipping scenes that are very much worth omitting. At a minimum they should offer both versions of the movie on DVD, with a simple choice presented to the viewer -- like the Terminator 2 Extreme Edition DVD does.
People who loved the original need to be warned about the longer version, and now I've done that.
Enjoy.
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Summary: A bittersweet and violent tale of revenge!
Review:
A 12 year old girl named "Mathilda" ( Natalie Portman) is a troubled young girl in New York City as her family got slaughtered by an insane cop ( Gary Oldman), she stays in with her neighbor named "Leon" who's a professional assassin as he teaches her the methods of assassination to enact her revenge for the death of her family.
A provocative and startling action-crime drama from The Fifth Element's Luc Besson, it's his first time of directing an American production. This movie also sparked the debut of Natalie Portman, it's a little risky role for Portman but was definitely a fine performance for her, Jean Reno is perfectly casted as the title character. The film is a little brutal but moving and thought provoking at the same time, this film has became a new classic in the action crime genre.
The 2-Disc Deluxe Edition contains the Uncut international version with the correct title "Leon" instead of the original U.S. title " The Professional" with some never-before-seen footage shown in America, great Superbit picture & sound that is CD-esque quality and it's extras A 10 Year Retrospective documentary, Jean Reno: Road to Leno Feauturette, previews to other movies from Columbia DVD and a documentary on Natalie Portman as well.
It's not a movie for everyone, but this movie is a true action crime classic for every DVD collector to have.
Also recommended: "Scarface", " The Punisher" ( Both versions), " L.A. Confidential", "Gangs of New York", "Assault on Precinct 13", " Speed", " Executive Decision", "Lethal Weapon", "Die Hard Trilogy", " The Crow", "I Spit on Your Grave", " Death Wish", " Reservoir Dogs", "From Dusk Till Dawn", " Terminator 1 & 2", "Pulp Fiction", " The Godfather".
Rating:
Summary: A WORD FOR THE UNCUT VERSION OF THIS VIBRANT ACTION THRILLER
Review: Training a 12-year old to be a 'cleaner' (a hitwoman) is not exactly high on the credibility or morality scale but it makes for a pretty engaging premise that, while occasionally stilted and odd, sports an energetic burst of freshness.
The gunfights are stylish. The action is balletic -- slow-motion explosions, starkly lit bodies flying through the air. The hints of flirtations between the young girl and her trainer (Reno in a customary sombre gait) are teasing.
Yet, the film manages to create a solemn tone by the end of it all. I've seen it a few times and always end up glued to it. Thanks perhaps to the way it's made.
If you own "The Professional" that was released for the English-speaking market a few years ago, throw it out and get this full uncut version of the film as it delves into the relationship of the two main characters. This seemingly simple inclusion lends the film some serious drama that makes it a lot more enjoyable, if not credible.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Special Edition
Review: Fresh from the international success of La Femme Nikita, Luc Besson attempted to conquer America with Leon. Trimmed of a few minutes for a potentially uncomfortable scene involving a little girl proclaiming her love for a hitman and renamed The Professional, it became a bonafide hit that would pave the way for his magnum opus, The Fifth Element. Eventually, the European cut of the movie was released in North America with all of the excised footage intact. Now, Sony/Columbia has released it on a DVD for the third time with a few new extras.
Sony/Columbia has released several copies of The Professional on DVD. This latest incarnation includes the Superbit version of the movie with optimum sound and picture quality and a whole new selection of extras celebrating its 10th anniversary. Also of note, this is Besson's European cut a.k.a. "version integrale."
On the first disc is a fact track, which allows one to watch the movie with running subtitles that display all sorts of factoids and interesting bits of trivia about the movie and the people that worked on it.
The second disc starts off with a "10 Year Retrospective" featurette. There are new interviews with Portman and Reno who talk about how they got involved with the movie and their experiences working on it. The most glaring omission with this doc is the lack of involvement from the director or Gary Oldman.
"Jean Reno: The Road to Leon" briefly examines the life and career of this talented actor. Reno speaks very eloquently about his character.
"Natalie Portman: Starting Young" is a good interview with the young actress. There is footage of her audition that clearly shows how talented she was so early in life. Portman is as charming as ever and fans of hers will enjoy this extra.
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