I can't believe I didn't watch this movie earlier—a young girl loses her family and gets taken care by an Italian professional assassin.
Be warned that this movie has extremely graphic content and might include scenarios that will cause you to feel uneasy and possibly disturbed. I highly appreciate the film's presentation of the relationship between Léon and Mathilda. Although I found it somewhat off-putting that they were so close, I rather prefer perceiving their relationship as much more platonic. Mathilda loses a family that she already felt unconnected with. Her family was dysfunctional and she was treated horribly by her violent and abusive father. Léon made Mathilda feel like someone finally cared for her. She felt loved, and Léon—who's spent half of his life alone—enjoys that companionship. Luc Besson (Director) surely is a creep for scripting such a strangely uncomfortable relationship between a little girl and a grown man. Many people believe that this film presented pedophilia. However, I much rather perceive that the film simply demonstrated to the audience a little girl—very much miserable—crushing on a man who saved her. And a lonely man finding companionship and opening himself up to generosity.
I was missing out on such an amazing film!! You don't want to be missing out either!! MUST WATCH.
P.S. I much recommend you rather watch the Léon: The Professional 2-hour-long, international version (French).
This movie was something I absolutely loved as a child, and rewatching as an adult I really enjoyed MOST aspects of the movie. First, I never realized Natalie Portman was Matilda, that was a bombshell for me, but in a fun way.
Then the constant sexual tension her character throws at Jean Reno's character was just too damn much... I mean in real life Natalie Portman is just under a month older than I am, and I truly appreciate the way Jean's character handled it was pretty good, as he refused to abuse a little girl, but just too much.
As I write this, I literally just finished the scene where she asked him to take her virginity... I don't even have the words to describe the creepiness this entire scene delivers.., I am so grateful it goes into the final action scene pretty quickly
This movie still stands up for me, I understand the thought behind a 12 year old girl throwing herself at this man; she lost her family, he saved her and she just latched on to him (still could have done with less, or none, of it), but this brings back all the nostalgia of seeing it theaters with my Dad, and I stand by the 9 I ranked this before rewatching it again, for the first time in 10 years or so.
Less an action-thriller film and more a film about a girl tagging along a professional killer.
There's barely any action until the last 15 minutes of the film - and it's not a well-executed Hollywood action (the SWAT team in particularly are tactically dumb). But the film's charm is not in action but in the relationship between Leon (Jean Reno) and Mathilda (Natalie Portman). Both performances are really good with the emotionally challenged Leon and young girl mistaking her feelings with a guardian for love. I watched the extended/director's cut where the film fleshes out fully the sexual tension between Leon and Mathilda (and Leon's continuous attempt to brush Mathilda's advances).
There's nothing really new in the writing or the plot, but I like that Leon doesn't take the traditional route of Hollywood action with the protege taking their master's mantle. It's literally just two persons trying to bond in a difficult situation they're facing. It's a very grounded film, albeit at times a bit stiff here and there, made by the great performances between the two casts and supporting role by Gary Oldman which buffoonery really contrasts the two and sometimes put the thrill back into the film. The only criticism is that, despite the excellent French-esque score, the music directing can be a bit strange at times, especially in the beginning, but it still hits the right note when Leon and Mathilda's scenes are on the focus.
Literally, the moment I finished this film I ordered the Blu Ray !!!!!!!!
This movie is so amazing and it builds intensity the entire way through with every performance being so damn amazing like I usually hate child actors but Natalie Portman (Mathilda) was just so phenomenal in this film as I believe that she is a damaged child and her relationship with Jean Reno (Leon) is almost heartwarming at times as his character has never really had a real-life as all he knows is killing and honestly that relationship makes this entire film, though I will admit it can be a little bit creepy I feel this is on purpose as it shows both character immaturity and I get that Leon sees her more like a daughter and Mathilda's view is a little more blurred as she has never had someone more mature than her actually show her that they care and though I get why people find it creepy I still find it once again illustrates the characters perfectly.
Also, I would be a pretty crappy person for not bringing up Gary Oldman who steals every scene he is in and I believe that he is this deranged character that is almost soulless.
The action is great in this film as well, with the intensity building perfectly with each scene but these elements are secondary in this film as every character has been developed perfectly and Luc Besson is an insanely great director/writer with this film as this film is just almost a masterclass in film making. It also shows how films like John Wick could have been inspired by this as it brings the hitman with a heart element to the table.
I would love to see the people behind this film make an Agent 47 movie that is actually good as I feel this team could pull it off perfectly.
WATCH!!!!!!THIS!!!!!!!!MOVIE!!!!!!!!!
This is my second time watching this film, and I have to say I appreciate it more than the first time, although that is partially because the first time I watched the cut-down US version (Damn it, Netflix). The added (or rather, restored) scenes really pull the movie together and in my opinion are integral to the movie.
It was an odd experience watching it this time, because I watched it with a group of friends and acquaintances. As the movie went on, they became more and more uncomfortable because of the relationship between Leon and Mathilda. By the end of the film, all of the girls gave it a thumbs down because "the acting was good, but the story was terrible!!!" and the guys gave it about a 5/10. Only two other guys gave it a full thumbs-up.
Of course, these are a lot of the same people that hated Fight Club.
So even though they tried to make me feel bad about picking this movie, I found a new appreciation for it. I find the character of Leon absolutely fascinating and complex, same with Mathilda. Their relationship is also very well done and I really love how it was handled, especially in the international version (most of this was cut out in the US version, so avoid that if you want to watch this movie).
The action is also a lot of fun and helps break up the more tender scenes. Overall, this is one of the better movies I have seen, and would recommend it to pretty much anyone who is interested in film. Some people might be turned off by the violence, but it is rated R for a reason.
"What do you mean, everyone?"
"EVERYONE!"
Léon is a film I've watched many times and it never fails to affect.
I could watch it a hundred times more just see to Léon's face as he watches Singing in the Rain; such unabashed joy. He turns around in a near empty theatre looking for someone else lost in a moment of bliss, but finds no one. Rarely has both joy and loneliness been captured so perfectly.
Jean Reno's naive and emotionally challenged Léon is 12 year old Mathilda’s knight in blood soaked armour. He immediately fills an emotional void and she clings to it, starting to play house; cleaning, shopping, washing. Léon and Mathilda need each other in a very basic human way; to love and be loved. The inevitable slide towards her sexual stirrings is uncomfortable and deftly handled by Natalie Portman. Her desire for revenge seems to slip away, lost to just being and working with him, until when pushed he denies any feelings of love for her. She takes incomprehensible action to exact her vengeance on Gary Oldman’s insane DEA agent, but with an unconscious belief that Léon will save her if it all goes wrong.
The “International Version” of Léon, the only I’ve watched, adds 25 minutes to the theatrical release, mostly depicting their growing relationship and brings the gravitas that makes their final scene together simply heart breaking.
Review by PorterUkVIP 5BlockedParent2019-10-16T20:50:33Z
This is a review in two parts - I watched the International Edit back when it was released and several times since... But there's also the Director's Cut with an extra 20 mins of footage.
Ratings wise - International Edit is 9/10, the Director's Cut is 7.5/10.
Let's go with the vanilla edit first....
Brilliant film. Jean Reno is nuanced and extremely capable in this role. Natalie Portman is fantastic as such a young actress delivering her performance. Gary Oldman is an absolute genius and this is one of the building blocks for that reputation.
It is a very cool story, with more flesh on the bones than Besson's earlier gritty film like Nikita, and it has cleverness all the way through. For me it's Besson's best film.
It's a little rushed in parts and that's likely due to how the editing had to occur. For this, it's not quite perfect - but it's pretty close! So 9/10
The Director's Cut. A much more fleshed out 2nd and 3rd act. To its own discredit... Here's where we start to get into some serious lolita territory and it's very uncomfortable to watch. At times, I did wonder what Natalie Portman's parents were thinking when she had to say/do some of the things in this version. It's very in your face and it actually takes a lot away from the enjoyment of what is a very cool, thoughtful, stylish, and entertaining film. So 7.5/10