The Professional | Jean Reno, Gary Oldman

The Professional | Jean Reno, Gary Oldman | international

DVDs:

The Professional

	The Professional Jean Reno, Gary Oldman Sony Pictures, 1998 average customer review:based on 439 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Besson's best film

After her drug-dealer father and family are murdered, 12 year-old Matilda (Natalie Portman) is effectively adopted by Leon (Jean Reno), the nice man in the apartment next door who just happens to be a hit-man. Leon then proceeds to teach Matilda his trade so that she can exact revenge on her family's killers.

"Leon" is one of the most unusual films that I have ever seen and also one of the best. Without a doubt, it is the best of Luc Besson's films. In a video store, this film would probably be placed in the action section, but although it contains a number of (very violent) action scenes, I don't really see this film as being an action film in the same sense that something like "Die Hard" is. It is more a study of the relationship between Leon and Matilda, and a very good one at that. Leon and Matilda are two extremely damaged people who manage to find love (albeit platonic love) with each other. The fact that they find this love through activities that most people would consider to be less than desirable just adds to this film's charm. It is also a study of innocence, contrasting Leon's child-like nature (the look on Reno's face as he watches a Gene Kelly movie is priceless) with that of an actual child.

Everything about this film is excellent. From Besson's script and directing to Reno, Portman and Gary Oldman as the film's three leads. Although made in English with mostly American actors (except for Reno, who, bizarrely, plays an Italian) and targeted at the American/International market, this is, in fact, a French film and is stylistically more European than American, and in my opinion, is all the better for it. I just saw this film for the second time last night and I already want to re-watch it. I cannot recommend this film enough.

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international

I liked this movie when I first saw the US version . I considered it a very good movie, but I felt that it was not as good as it could have been . When I found this uncut version ,I expected some differences; but I found a spectacular movie. Do not buy the US version. This international would rate 5 stars+ . I was blown away , it was more than I expected. The US version would rate a 2 against this uncut masterpiece. I have never been so moved ...this is the only review I have taken the time to write. I could not do justice if I tried to describe the content and depth of this version. You have to see this for yourself. Dante Conchise

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LEON!!

I had wanted this movie for a long time! Especially when I heard of the deleted scenes. The price was awesome for it and I think it's considered a classic, now. Superb actors in 1 movie, including one of my favs, Gary Oldman. yum!! Grab it!!

Love it

This movie is great. It is so well done and so well acted. A break out role for everyone in it.

Worth it, but only for Oldman

I saw this for the first time On Demand last summer, and it was pretty good, but I was hooked on Oldman's character Stansfield. Lately we have been casting around for movies to watch, and my husband had never seen this, so I ordered it and we watched it last night. This version has scenes I don't remember from the summer, so I assume it's somewhat of a director's cut.

The thing is, while Reno is good (and his character is good), it's not enough to carry the movie. Now, everyone talks about how fabulous Portman was in this movie. And when I saw it on TV, I did think she was good, although I felt the character of Mathilda was too one-dimensional. I wasn't emotionally invested in her character, so I didn't really care much about her part of the story. She was just a whiny manipulative kid.

And in this particular version there's even more to dislike. The extra footage is all Leon and Mathilda. There's just too much screen time involving only them. These two characters aren't enough to carry that much screen time. I found myself embarrassed for having recommended it.

Luckily, that last shootout scene is so amusingly done (and the conflict ends so satisfyingly) that it was worth it in the end, but without Oldman's quirky performance I would never have recommended it for rewatching.

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