At the time of writing, Leon is voted the 66th best film of all time, according to members of the Internet Movie Database. Luc Besson’s 1994 action drama was always a rather unusual piece of cinema, with very little in the way of hype surrounding its original release. I’m quite ... Read review
From acclaimed director Luc Besson comes the hard-hitting action-packed thriller Leon. ... more
Gary Oldman plays a corrupt government official whose maniacal greed leads to murder on the streets of New York. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues when he crosses paths with a lone hitman named Leon. Caught in the middle is an orphaned 12-year-old girl who can't forgive or forget the man who killed her family. With sharp execution and cunning force Leon delivers exceptional drama and suspense right from the word go!
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Advantages: Touching, dramatic and superbly directed Disadvantages: None
At the time of writing, Leon is voted the 66th best film of all time, according to members of the Internet Movie Database. Luc Besson’s 1994 action drama was always a rather unusual piece of cinema, with very little in the way of hype surrounding its original release. I’m quite sure that this is one of the contributory factors behind the legions of adoring fans that the film seems to attract. The quiet, unassuming nature of the film is ... ...and watching Leon for the first time is rather like discovering a delicious truffle chocolate amidst a box of otherwise hard toffees.
The film tells the story of a man known only to us as Leon. Leon lives a simple existence in a modest apartment, where he does very little apart from eat, sleep and tend his houseplant. On his way to and from work each day, he often passes a little girl in the hallway named Mathilda, with whom he exchanges ... more
At the time of writing, Leon is voted the 66th best film of all time, according to members of the Internet Movie Database. Luc Besson’s 1994 action drama was always a rather unusual piece of cinema, with very little in the way of hype surrounding its original release. I’m quite sure that this is one of the contributory factors behind the legions of adoring fans that the film seems to attract. The quiet, unassuming nature of the film is totally in keeping with both the story and its characters, and watching Leon for the first time is rather like discovering a delicious truffle chocolate amidst a box of otherwise hard toffees.
The film tells the story of a man known only to us as Leon. Leon lives a simple existence in a modest apartment, where he does very little apart from eat, sleep and tend his houseplant. On his way to and from work each day, he often passes a little girl in the hallway named Mathilda, with whom he exchanges conversation and the occasional gift. Mathilda lives next door to Leon with her brother, sister, father and stepmother, but her existence is a miserable one, due to her lazy, abusive father and bullying sister. In the relative calm of his apartment, Leon can sometimes hear the noise of shouting and violence next door, and he is often saddened to see Mathilda in the corridor with a new bruise or cut to her face.
But behind Leon’s simple existence lies a shocking secret. The apparently gentle, quiet man is in fact a professional assassin – or “cleaner”. Leon is regarded as the best in his field, and unbeknown to Mathilda (or anyone else for that matter) when he arrives home with a pint of milk and some supper, he has actually just been paid to kill somebody. Her father’s business connections are equally corrupt, but much more public. It transpires that Mathilda’s father has been handling drugs for a local criminal, but in an act of stupidity, he has stolen some of the drugs for himself. He is given 24 hours to recover the drugs, but when he fails to meet the deadline, armed men break into his apartment and set about killing his family. When Mathilda returns from the shops, she sees the men outside her apartment and instinctively knows that something is wrong. She carries on down the corridor to Leon’s front door, where she rings the bell, and prays that he will let her in. Little does Leon realise that when he opens that door, his life will never quite be the same again.
Leon really is quite unlike any film that I have ever seen before. It combines a touching story of humanity and friendship, with the violence of drug-related crime and throws in some suspenseful action sequences on top. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it is a masterpiece, but it isn’t far off, and having recently watched the movie again after several years, I can safely say that it has still retained the sparkle that was so evident when I first saw it in 1994.
The most powerful thing about this movie is the characterisation between Leon, the assassin and Mathilda, his new protégé. The two characters quickly build a very close relationship that doesn’t seem to quite fit into any category. In some ways, they are like father and daughter, but in others they are more like best friends and the whole thing is handled in an intelligent, amusing and genuinely moving way. Similar films would have developed something that was sugary, overbearing and straight out of a Disney movie, but Leon never makes this mistake. Despite the fact that Mathilda is only a child, this is a film made for a mature audience, and as such, the makers manage to develop something sincere and very believable. There are moments of great humour, such as the scene involving Mathilda and Leon dressing up. There are moments of great drama, such as the scene that shows Mathilda discussing her hatred of her father. But most memorable are the scenes of incredible emotion that somehow manage to grip the audience by the heart. When Mathilda first returns home, and ends up knocking at Leon’s door, it seems to take an eternity for him to answer. Viewed through Leon’s peep hole, Mathilda’s face becomes increasingly desperate, and as she begs and weeps pitifully into the camera you almost find yourself shouting out loud for Leon to open the door to her. This is the kind of cinema that few people can create – and yet in Leon, it seems almost effortless.
Leon is a superbly interesting and unusual character. Although portrayed as something of a gentle giant, he combines his professional dedication with a strange form of domestication and his affection towards Mathilda is evident from the outset. You don’t mind when you see him shooting, stabbing and despatching his victims, because you know that these people are all bad guys anyway. Despite his violent skill, he is the hero from start to finish, because you know that he will never allow Mathilda to come to any harm. Jean Reno is absolutely excellent in the part, because the combination of his strange features, clipped French accent and rather odd dress sense makes him completely unconventional. It was so refreshing to see an actor cast in such a role who (at the time anyway) was relatively unknown in the UK and USA and I think it’s fair to say that he has not repeated this performance ever since. Equally impressive is Natalie Portman (now known in the Star Wars films) who betrays maturity far beyond her years as the little girl Mathilda. At times, you almost forget that she is only a child as she handles everything with such strength of character. The interaction between her and Leon is far more professional than that of many adults that you will see in modern films.
The sensitivity and humour within Leon is often at odds with the more violent content of the film, and the film doesn’t have an 18-certificate for no reason. The execution of Mathilda’s family early on in the film is both graphic and shocking, particularly when the film breaks the modern taboo of not killing young children. The main bad guy (played superbly by Gary Oldman) is a bit of a psychopath and he frequently freaks out on some serious drugs. The language is also quite “ripe” with frequent swearing, even by Mathilda. Nonetheless, the film is never really frightening or disturbing because everything has a point. The death of Mathilda’s family is the catalyst that sets off the relationship she shares with Leon, and as such it is entirely appropriate that things happen the way that they do. Leon’s greatest weakness throughout the film is his naivety, but this almost excuses any act of violence and the lines between good and evil are drawn clearly from the outset, even if they aren’t as conventional as you might expect.
I like this film very much. It is exciting, intriguing, amusing and endearing from start to finish but the most noticeable thing is that it is just so different from most other modern films. I sometimes think of Leon as black and white film that was made in colour, because it has that same depth of characterisation and richness that older films seemed to wallow in. It’s only when you come to say that they don’t make them like this any more that you suddenly realise that they do and they did – even if it isn’t all that often.
Highly recommended
Quick facts
Directed by: Luc Besson Written by: Luc Besson Running time: 110 minutes UK certificate: 18 Notable appearances: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman Alerts: graphic violence, drug taking and prolific swearing You’ll like this if you liked: Anything - you’ll just like it – believe me.
Classifying Leon is a difficult task. Some films are obvious (most obviously the works of Sylvia Stallone), some fall into many categories quite easily, but Leon...Leon is a strange one. For far too long I confused Leon with the similarly titled Leon The Pig Farmer, and for that reason give it a wide berth. This may be what led to my difficulty in being able to pigeon hole it. Maybe it's because I have the IQ of a hamster. I don't know. Whatever ... ...neighbour. A somewhat reclusive figure, Leon initially wants nothing to do with the girl but Mathilda worms in her way into his confidence only to find that this simple man is in fact a hit man. Wanting revenge on her brother's killers (the rest of the family she cares not one iota for) Mathilda sets about hunting down the people responsible little aware of the wheels she is about to set into motion. Seems her brother's killers were corrupt cops. ...
TheNeil 07.03.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Leon (DVD)
Advantages: Very absorbing Disadvantages: Morally questionable
Leon is not just an assassin; he's a loner and a perfectionist - and it is no coincidence that, when there's a "job" to be done in the Italian Quarter, he's the man they ask for. He lives a life of few possessions, flitting from one seedy apartment block to another with just the tools of his trade and his cherished pot-plant for company. Never settling, never mingling, keeping below the radar of both the establishment and the law, his only pleasure ... ...the bond she forms with Leon along the way. Reluctant at first, Leon accepts the girl into his lonely existence, not only learning to like her, but to love her. Of course, the film raises all sorts of ethical questions; not only on the subject of kids becoming killers, but also about the relationship between Leon and Matilda which is at best morally uncomfortable, and at worst, disturbing. There are some interesting sub-plots and Leon's relationship ...
rabidbadger 20.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Leon (DVD)
Advantages: script, music, direction, brilliant acting from Portman Disadvantages: slightly over the top violence, OTT from Oldman too
The original Leon was truly excellent - typical of most Luc Besson films, full of style, drama, dry wit & European subtleties.
The main story is quite ordinary really. Three principle characters:
Leon (Jean Reno):-
is the cleaner, or hitman. Very good, very professional, very deadly. And yet he has become more and more detached from the real world - all he knows is a world of killing, exercise and shady deals.
Matilda (Natalie Portman):-
lives ... ...steady pace with Matilda & Leon teaching each other their respective skills. He shows her how to kill with a rifle; she shows him how to read & write.
The ending is quite explosive, literally, but also very sad & moving. Just when you think the two have truly found each other it goes horribly wrong.
The original film is, as I say, very good, but is also naggingly incomplete. There are too many loose ends in the mid section and we're never really ...
dreamstar70 05.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Leon (DVD)
Advantages: Brilliant blend of Violence and emotion. Disadvantages: End battle could be longer.
...Not since Leon has a film of similar plot surpassed it, and it remains the Hit man film by which all others are judged. Made in 1994, it was overshadowed by Pulp Fiction but has still become a cult film in its own right. Director Luc Besson obviously owes a lot to his influences, namely John Woo and Quentin Tarantino.
Leon became an instant classic upon release, audiences loved its fresh way of dealing with the tired Crime genre, and although a ... ...a corrupt cop (Gary Oldman). Leon takes her in and teaches her his trade, in return she cleans his apartment and a strong bond develops between the two. A mildly good set-up is beefed up immeasurably by the cast who turn it from a good film into a great one.
Natalie Portman became famous, Jean Reno became really famous and Gary Oldman became famed for his character acting. Out of all the performances Gary Oldman steals the show with his psycho cop, ...
Fatdog 12.04.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Leon (DVD)
Advantages: A unexpectected heartfelt thriller Disadvantages: In my opinion none
...Besson - Director, Producer.
Leon is probably the greatest film I have ever seen! Set in modern day New York. It's got everything you could possibly want from a film, it’s got action and it’s got humour, it's got it all. Leon(Jean Reno)a professional hit man that carries out contract killings for his boss Tony(Danny Aiello), Not just an ordinary hitman, simply the best! He works alone. He moves in silence. Kills with no emotion. And ... ...pouring out over the floor. Leon watches her walk down the hallway under the watchful eye of a twitchy villain. Mathilda knocks on his door and pleads silently for safety. As a dedicated hit man he does not want to blow his cover and relentlessly grants Mathilda safety. Mathilda’s innocent sexuality bewitches the assassin and she soon convince him that saving her life makes him responsible for it. When she discovers that Leon is a 'cleaner' ...
cjc117 26.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Leon (DVD)
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Advantages: The story Disadvantages: The acting, the comedy
somewhat better after watching this rather disappointing version of the film due to the fact that there was a short film (17 minutes in duration) included in the DVD which I found rather amusing starring Leon Errol in a dual role. The extras aside from the short film were nothing very exciting ? just biographies about the cast members. The overall quality of the film was acceptable for me to view but other viewers might find it somewhat dated and grainy.
I would give the film an overall 2 out of 5 and add that I generally do enjoy black and white films from the 40s but found very little in this film to enjoy. As I mentioned above, I found it a struggle to watch this to the end. BUT I may watch this again sometime in the future to see if it grows on me! I understand the film won an award for Best Film at the 1946 Locarno International Film ...
Advantages: A great score and an overall gritty film. Disadvantages: none
This film is in my opinion, the bst of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. Since 1966, this film has stood the test of time, and has been homaged many times including in Kill Bill Vol2. Being a fan of the Spagetti Western genre, i liked this film and i feel it would be a good introduction into Spagetti Westerns and Sergio Leion's work.
If this film was made in the United States, it would have won lots of Oscars, if not for the acting, then at least for the brilliant directing. The haunting score will stay in your mind forever. Also the DVD comes with enhanced sound that lives up to the spirit of Sergio Leone and is wonderfully packaged. Its worth every penny. ...
Advantages: Excellent story and acting Disadvantages: Lots of violence
watched the commentary as I do not have interest in it but I would have perhaps have liked maybe a short documentary on the real Diamond smuggling business or the real problems which are affecting Sierra Leone.
I paid just under £5 for my DVD from Amazon which I feel is a complete bargain. The running time of the film is 137 minutes and I did not find the film dragged in an places or that I was loosing interest. The certificate for this film is a 15 but at times I felt that this should have been higher as some of the scenes are very graphic and there is a lot of killing and strong language.
I do definitely recommend this film as from start to finish I was hooked and the story is very interesting with a totally unpredictable ending. ...
"...Existential..." -- Rating: A - Recommended (Entertainment Weekly, p.63, 01/09/2000)
"...Flying high on explosive action and sly wit, THE PROFESSIONAL gets the job done..." (Rolling Stone, p.106, 03/11/1994)
DVD Description
French director Luc Besson tackles his first American movie in this unusual tale of Leon (Jean Reno), a stoic assassin who develops a reluctant relationship with an orphaned 12-year-old girl (Natalie Portman, in an excellent debut performance). When a corrupt DEA official (Gary Oldman) murders the girl's parents in a botched drug deal, the diminutive New Yorker has no one to turn to but Leon, the hit man down the hall. A combination of thrilling action and heartfelt emotion, LEON is a remarkably unique and engaging film.
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