Leon: The Professional, 1994.
Directed by Luc Besson.
Starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, and Danny Aiello.
SYNOPSIS:
Leon (Jean Reno) is a solitary assassin living under the employ of Italian gangster Tony (Danny Aiello). After hideously corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) slaughters a mostly innocent family on his floor, he’s forced to take in twelve-year-old girl Mathilda (Natalie Portman). The unlikely duo begin to bond and grow, as Mathilda asks Leon to train her in the art of assassination, so that she can claim revenge for the death of year 4-year-old brother.
Leon is a fantastic piece of cinema that simply doesn’t get enough acclaim or recognition. This could be due to the sheer quality of films that were released in 1994, that simply overshadowed the more unknown Leon: The Professional. To name a few, 1994 spawned such milestones as; Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump and The Lion King. Although these films are all classics in their own right, Leon is certainly a film that deserves to stand amongst them, and the 20th Anniversary Edition is a deserving celebration for a film of this calibre. The blu-ray contains both the theatrical cut, and the generally preferable director’s cut which captures more crucial development between Mathilda and Leon.
Boiled down to its core components, Leon: The Professional is an action film. Unlike many generic action films in the 90’s, it defies the typical structure, choosing to focus on the heart-warming relationship between a child in need and a rather unorthodox parental figure. The story is basic, but effective. The film ultimately comes together as a result of Luc Besson’s finely honed directorial eye, alongside some incredible performances from the tragically underrated (at the time) Jean Reno and Gary Oldman. Jean Reno plays the skilled, yet emotionally distant assassin to a tee, while Oldman’s Beethoven loving, coke-snorting psychopath is equally iconic. Natalie Portman’s acting début is arguably one of the best of her career, even now.
Leon: The Professional is one of the most intuitive, original and refreshing action films ever made. It injected an otherwise dull, overplayed genre with some genuine sentiment and feeling, the film remaining one of Besson’s most praised works to this date. It remains a true and cult classic, and is certainly worth the purchase for any collector of quality work.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sam Thorne
Originally published February 4, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
