Léon: The Professional

During the flood of films of both better and worse quality, one rarely has the opportunity to return to what they have already seen, and I personally only do it with films that I remember as remarkable and strong. I saw this film during its premiere in the mid-90s, and even though I wasn't a teenager anymore, it impressed me as a cleverly and impressively directed popcorn movie with an excellent cast and an emotionally perfectly functioning screenplay. The film hasn't changed, but the genre has gone through rapid development, and above all, I have changed, so this kind of action genre doesn't affect me the way it did years ago. Nowadays, I prefer a dynamic and realistic style, like the one director Greengrass promotes, so my favorite films include the Bourne trilogy, Green Zone, and Blood Diamond. Luc Besson's films are overly marked by the effort to cater to a mass audience, so they are naive, unrealistic, almost comic book-like, sometimes sentimental, and overall calculated. What remains is an excellent cast, with Jean Reno creating a star status for himself after a significant minor role in La Femme Nikita and being catapulted among the best French actors at a relatively mature age, and also gaining a few roles in Hollywood. Gary Oldman, on the other hand, created the wonderful character of a perversely debauched corrupt cop, who holds an honorable place in his gallery of villains. Young Natalie Portman also showed in this film why she would become a world-famous film celebrity in a few years. Overall impression: 55%. (15/06/2006)

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. (01/12/2006)

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. (27/06/2004)

Besson's The Professional is one of those nonchalant films that very cleverly and imaginatively combines the "old school" with new techniques and together manage to create a fabulous work that, in addition to brilliant filmmaking, abounds with "that something extra" – an inner feeling, flair, or simply strong emotional "capital" that I can't explain or define exactly, but I can recognize very clearly when watching it:) I love the fact that even when Besson uses genre elements (clichés?) from other masters (Tarantino, Scorsese, De Palma, Coppola), he manages to combine them just as masterfully, and where the genre cliché begins and ends, he calmly creates a field of his own overlap and stuns with his creativity. An uncommonly well made and sensitive film. One of the best I’ve ever seen. (20/06/2011)

If I ever wrote a story about a contract killer, I would probably want it to look just like this. Action-packed, gritty, yet still human and highly emotional. Additionally, there are excellent characters that are beautifully brought to life by peculiarities, such as milk or some pills. Luc Besson showed with this why he is such a great filmmaker. It's a shame that he doesn't succeed in fulfilling it anymore today. (26/04/2015)