Directed by:
Luc BessonScreenplay:
Luc BessonCinematography:
Thierry ArbogastComposer:
Eric SerraCast:
Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Peter Appel, Willi One Blood, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene, Elizabeth Regen, Frank Senger, Maïwenn (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
An orphaned girl takes shelter with a neighbor she knows slightly. Leon is a professional hit man who's never had a reason to care about anybody, but Natalie has no one else. They form a makeshift father-daughter bond that changes both of their lives. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
After several screenings, it is no longer so captivating and action-packed, but rather a cute and touching film that never gets boring. Even with American action, Luc Besson maintains his European style and it is abundantly clear. The action is beautifully shot, incredibly clear, and the camera is unusually detailed. The backbone of the film is, of course, the relationship between the hitman Leon and twelve-year-old Mathilda. The surrounding world with all its elements and features only serves as boundaries through which the writer and director (in one person) navigate. Perhaps for that very reason, Leon is very far from a realistic action film, but it’s one that captures the heart.
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I'm not a big fan of action movies, but Leon offers something much different and deeper besides shooting, blood and killing. Alongside the hunt for the bad guys, we get a glimpse of the strange but incredibly strong relationship between a young intellectual girl and a cold-blooded killer. And both of their lives will change completely from the ground up when they meet and start living together. This film excels especially in terms of acting. Jean Reno is simply a likable man with charisma to spare, who can play a ruthless "cleaner" as well as a caring "parent". Natalie Portman was already very talented at the time and her acting can be compared to child stars such as Haley Joel Osment or Abigail Breslin. Gary Oldman has always been good villain roles and this is no exception. In short, a wonderful cinematic gem from France that offers some pretty thrilling action scenes alongside the actors and a strong story.
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Leon is one of those movies that is, as they say, “almost perfect". Besson beautifully dissects the relationship between “cleaner" Leon and a young girl, Mathilda, who got caught up in his simple live. He is supported by excellent acting performances from Jean Reno, the awfully cute Natalie Portman and a disgustingly nasty villain, Gary Oldman. An entertaining and sad story about revenge, about life, and about death.
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Luc Besson used to write great scripts and turn them into fantastic movies. This was not just an ordinary action thriller but also an exciting drama about a somewhat autistic professional assassin and his prepubescent almost-apprentice. I enjoyed it again, just like I did almost thirty years ago. It was, hands down, Natalie Portman's best role and one of Jean Reno's best roles. Jean Reno was great in the roles of disturbed assassins, just like Gary Oldman was with his psychopaths. Maybe they suited them too much because they both got typecast in them. True, the story wasn't exactly a brain exercise, but without torture, I admit that I didn't care at all because I really enjoyed the central, strongly mismatched duo. There was definitely a certain nostalgia involved. / Lesson learned: Take extra care of your best friend.
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If I ever wrote a story about a hit man, I'd probably want it to look like this. Action-packed, gritty, yet human and powerfully emotional. Moreover, there are excellent characters here, brought to life beautifully by quirks, like milk or some pills. Luc Besson showed why he is such a great filmmaker with this one. It's a shame it doesn't quite fulfill that today.
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