Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition)
by Luc Besson
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Actor: Danny Aiello, Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Peter AppelDirector: Luc Besson
Brand: OLDMAN/RENO/PORTMAN
Cinematographer: Thierry Arbogast
Producer: Luc Besson
Writer: Luc Besson
Producer: Bernard Grenet
Producer: Claude Besson
Producer: John Garland
Producer: Patrice Ledoux
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 133 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-11
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition)
DVD Review: A dark, dissonant, subtle, styalized urban fairy tale
Summary: 5 Stars
Where to begin? First off, let me just say that this is by far my favorite movie ever. Regardless of what you think of my review you need to go out and pick this up.
There was a time when I judged a movie's merit by how high the level of information overload was. The more special effects, THX 3D blanket of sound, and larger-than-life characters there were, the better. Then I saw Leon and my perspective shifted considerably. I first saw this movie in my college dorm room on HBO. I only saw the first 30 minutes before I had to leave for a class, but I was intrigued. It would be another two years before I would decide to rent it and see what it was all about. When I walked into the video store I spotted a VHS titled "The Professional" and rented it. I later realized that this was the edited "American" version. A full 30 minutes had been cut! I was a bit pis/ /sed(apparently this word is censored...lol) off that some censors didn't think I would be able to handle whatever it was that was cut, so I went back the next week and got the Leon DVD, the uncut version. After viewing The Professional I decided it was about 9 out of 10 stars. After seeing Leon, I would have to give the Professional 7 stars and Leon 10. It's that big of a difference. Let me start by breaking the movie down into each part. You can read other reviews if you want a plot review, but I'll try to get a bit deeper with my review.
Acting
This is where the movie really shines. There isn't a single noticeable CGI effect, the "explosive action" is quite limited, and the sets and locations are pretty sparse. And what that does is let the acting take over. Every single part here is played beautifully. Gary Oldman might be a bit over the top in his role, but despite that it is fun to watch. Jean Reno plays Leon, the quiet introverted hitman, and is able to communicate so much with so little. He gives the impression of a cold and neutral killer and then switches to being a naive yet caring person.
But the real star here is Natalie Portman. This was her debut, and what a debut it is. Her interpretation of the semi-goth, edgy, seductive Mathilda is easily the best performance she's ever given. When watching the movie you never think, "Wow this actress sure is good." Instead you're caught up in the story and you see Mathilda as a real person, not just a great performance by an actor. Portman is able to alter the entire mood of a scene with something as slight as subtly arching her eyebrows. The way she delivers her lines is amazing as well. Her very first word is spoken to Leon as a simple "Hi". But she even says it differently than one would expect. In a later scene she tells a group of neighborhood boys her own age to leave her alone with the line "So go play someplace else, ok?". It perfectly conveys what's going on inside her. Everything about her performance is subtle yet powerful.
Cinematography
The look of this film is beautiful. There's a muted, low saturation, high contrast feel that really draws you into the world on screen. Interesting camera angles are everywhere but never overpower the elements they're filming. For a movie that takes place in such an average setting, the camera work really makes it feel like a surreal place all its own. This is the movie that was the transition for Besson from "French" films like la Femme Nikita to mainstream American fare like The 5th Element (shudder...). What we get is a solid American base with the aesthetic tone of French film. It's a great combo.
Music Score
As if the movie itself wasn't good enough, we also get an amazing score. Eric Serra perfectly takes what's happening on screen and translates it into audio form. With alot of movies like this you might expect just some "creepy synth tones" and drum loops, but you get alot more here. There are simple piano melodies, rich acoustic guitar, subsonic bass swells, and brittle organic drumming. Part of the score was used later as a full song on the soundtrack titled "Angel". With NINish drums and a hollow flute like melody this song encapsulates the feel of this movie better than anything else. It's hard to describe exactly how it does, but listen and you might get it. The final scene of the movie is an overhead shot of Mathilda that rises up to the New York skyline. This is accompanied by the song "Shape of My Heart" by Sting. They couldn't have picked a better song to close things. Somebody should seriously get an award for suggesting to use that song. It's synesthetic bliss between film and music.
The "Lolita" Issue
It's hard to find a review that doesn't touch on this topic. In the edited "The Professional" about 30 minutes of Leon/Mathilda interaction is taken out in an attempt to appease uneasy American audiences with more of an "action" movie. Those 30 extra minutes make Leon quite a different movie.
It doesn't take long for Mathilda to fall for Leon. All her life she's been neglected and she finally meets someone who seems to care for her. Her actual feelings might be the want of a father-figure, but her outward expression of those feelings is much more seductive. Leon is in a similar situation. He's a loner and when this young girl starts advancing on him he gets nervous. Despite his effort to turn her advances away he still can't deny 'some' feeling for her. All this makes for some interesting dynamics between the two.
Some people might read this and get turned off by the thought of a relationship between the middle-aged Leon and the thirteen year old Mathilda, but you really need to see the movie before you make that judgement. After a while you'll start to see the temptation that Leon is going through. I can't imagine there being a single guy who could watch this movie and not feel 'some' level of attraction to Mathilda. But that's the point. Her character is supposed to be sexually seductive. But she's not sexy in a gratuitous cheesy porn-mag way. There's more of a deep innocent undercurrent to her. You can't help but want to help her, to comfort her. I once read a review that said there's clearly an unspoken understanding that Luc Besson, Jean Reno, and every guy in the audience would take advantage of Mathilda's advances if they knew they could get away with it. I'm not sure if it's that extreme, but there is that element to it. Portman was later even offered the title role in a remake of the film "Lolita", which she turned down. There's no doubt that she was considered based on her work in Leon. In short, if things like this bother you, don't watch the movie...
Well, that's about all there is to say. This movie works on so many levels. It's downright annoying that it's marketed as an action movie in America when clearly that's only about 5% of the movie. This is a dark, dissonant, subtle movie and it deserves more than the "action" title it is labeled. Rumor has it that Luc Besson has written a script for Leon 2. Natalie Portman has even commented that she's read the script and is quite interested. And to top it off, she recently cut her hair "Mathilda style". Nothings confirmed, but I sure hope a sequel is made. I can't imaging it topping the first movie and given some of Besson's latest work (The 5th Element...) I'm a but worried it might flat out suck. But Leon is enough for me. Rent this movie. I dare you.
Description of Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition)
Leon, a hitman, reluctantly takes care of his murdered neighbors' child, who is only interested in revenge for her parents' death.No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: OLDMAN/RENO/PORTMAN
Title: PROFESSIONAL
Street Release Date: 05/22/2007
Genre: ACTION / ADVENTURE
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