Amazon.com: Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) made his American directorial debut with this stylized thriller about a French hit man (Jean Reno) who takes in an American girl (Natalie Portman) being pursued by a corrupt killer cop (Gary Oldman). Oldman is a little more unhinged than he should be, but there is something genuinely irresistible about the story line and the relationship between Reno and Portman. Rather than cave in to the cookie-cutter look and feel of American action pictures, Besson brings a bit of his glossy style from French hits La Femme Nikita and Subway to the production, and the results are refreshing even if the bullets and explosions are awfully familiar. --Tom Keogh
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Rating: - The Loneliness Of The Short Distance Cleaner
First, a word of warning: Don't mistake the bland US version ("The Professional") with the genius of the original version ("Leon").
The backstory:
Leon (Jean Reno) is a man with a past; having fled to America to avoid prosecution for killing the man who murdered his love (the upper-class father of the girl, who'd rather see his daughter dead than involved with the lower-class likes of Leon), he's taken under the wing by Tony (Danny Aiello), who cultivates the murderous tendencies of the young lad, and turns him into the best of the best: a lone, dedicated "cleaner"; a professional hit man that knows no equal.
Mathilda (Natalie Portman's movie debut) is the daughter of a small-time drug-pusher, who shares her life with her little brother (whom she dearly loves), her dad (who beats her), her stepmother (who doesn't care) and her half-sister (with a mutual dislike that borders to hate). ... Read More
Rating: - dvd review
Gary Oldham plays a bad guy so well and you will see that clearly in this movie. Natalie Portman was a young budding actor in her role, but gives a great performance with Jean Reno at her side. A keeper.
Rating: - Even the US version is "professional"--
Jean Reno as "The Professional" brings to film a killer version of a man who is hesitant about life and rigid about relationships. That the movie comes under the guise of a hitman, or cleaner as Leon calls himself, is merely the dressing for the real story--the relationship between Leon and Matilda.
Matilda is the 12-year-old daughter of a scumbag, small-time drug dealer, who has little control of himself, eases his frustrations through his hot wife and against his young daughter, Matilda. She is supposed to be in boarding school and out of the way when a DEA officer comes for his cocaine or retribution. Gary Oldman is the agent with his staff of crooked cops and dope dealers. Matilda escapes murder when her neighbor, Leon, takes her in.
Natalie Portman as Matilda is pubescent and childishly provocative in an unintentional way. Their relationship deepens as he trains Matilda in the craft of ... Read More
Rating: - 3 1/2 stars - Good but Overated
I saw all the "best movie" reviews and bought it. I was let down as although it is good, it is far from best in my book. The acting performances are what make the movie. Reno and Portman really bring life to a very improbable relationship, and it is heartwarming in spots.
Beyond that the movie lost credibility almost from the start with the over-the-top action. This was supposed to be in NY. The opening assassination scene is ridiculous. Machine gun fire goes on for ten minutes, yet there are no cops, no neighbors. Reno seemingly can be in two places at once, crawling through ceilings and scaling multiple floors, and a crack shot of course, while others are blind. And escape is never a problem. This goes on in every action scene and isn't credible. The action in the DEA office is a joke. And Gary Oldman's character belongs in a Batman movie.
That wouldn't be bad if the rest of the movie wasn't ... Read More
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- The Loneliness Of The Short Distance Cleaner
- 3 1/2 stars - Good but Overated 
