Léon: The Professional
Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.
What critics thought
DivisiveLéon lands somewhere between cult classic and controversy: audiences have embraced it far more warmly than critics did on release, and that gap is telling. The stylish action and Gary Oldman's unhinged villainy drew consistent praise, but the film's framing of its 12-year-old protagonist as a romantic figure divided critics sharply, with some calling it poetic and others calling it exploitative or worse.
“Oozing style, wit and confidence from every sprocket, and offering a dizzyingly, fresh perspective on the Big Apple that only Besson could bring, this is, in a word, wonderful”
Mark Salisbury·Empire
“Reno plays it minimally; Oldman splatters his performance all over the screen. Oldman is the least inhibited actor of his generation, and as this deranged detective, he keeps absolutely nothing in reserve. When the camera gets close to him, you feel as if you want to back away.”
Hal Hinson·The Washington Post
“Always at the back of my mind was the troubled thought that there was something wrong about placing a 12-year-old character in the middle of this action. ... In what is essentially an exercise—a slick urban thriller—it seems to exploit the youth of the girl without really dealing with it.”
Roger Ebert·rogerebert.com
“Director Luc Besson dabbles with a kiddie porn sensibility in presenting the girl as a tart, and the gunplay is ferocious without purpose as the hitman battles a crazed DEA operative overplayed by Gary Oldman.”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
“The Professional is much too sentimental to sound shockingly amoral in the least. Even in a finale of extravagant violence, it manages to be maudlin”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
Accolades
Genres
Action, Crime, Drama
Cast & Crew
Luc BessonDirector
Jean RenoLéon Montana
Natalie PortmanMathilda Lando
Gary OldmanNorman Stansfield
Danny AielloOld Tony
Peter AppelAgent Malky
Michael BadaluccoMathilda's Father
Ellen GreeneMathilda's Mother
Frank SengerFatman
Elizabeth RegenMathilda's Sister
Carl J. MatusovichMathilda's Brother
Eric ChallierBodyguard Chief
Willi One Blood1st Stansfield Man
Éric SerraComposer
Thierry ArbogastCinematographyLéon: The Professional
Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.
What critics thought
DivisiveLéon lands somewhere between cult classic and controversy: audiences have embraced it far more warmly than critics did on release, and that gap is telling. The stylish action and Gary Oldman's unhinged villainy drew consistent praise, but the film's framing of its 12-year-old protagonist as a romantic figure divided critics sharply, with some calling it poetic and others calling it exploitative or worse.
“Oozing style, wit and confidence from every sprocket, and offering a dizzyingly, fresh perspective on the Big Apple that only Besson could bring, this is, in a word, wonderful”
Mark Salisbury·Empire
“Reno plays it minimally; Oldman splatters his performance all over the screen. Oldman is the least inhibited actor of his generation, and as this deranged detective, he keeps absolutely nothing in reserve. When the camera gets close to him, you feel as if you want to back away.”
Hal Hinson·The Washington Post
“Always at the back of my mind was the troubled thought that there was something wrong about placing a 12-year-old character in the middle of this action. ... In what is essentially an exercise—a slick urban thriller—it seems to exploit the youth of the girl without really dealing with it.”
Roger Ebert·rogerebert.com
“Director Luc Besson dabbles with a kiddie porn sensibility in presenting the girl as a tart, and the gunplay is ferocious without purpose as the hitman battles a crazed DEA operative overplayed by Gary Oldman.”
Gene Siskel·Chicago Tribune
“The Professional is much too sentimental to sound shockingly amoral in the least. Even in a finale of extravagant violence, it manages to be maudlin”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
Accolades
Genres
Action, Crime, Drama
Cast & Crew
Luc BessonDirectorJean RenoLéon MontanaNatalie PortmanMathilda LandoGary OldmanNorman StansfieldDanny AielloOld TonyPeter AppelAgent MalkyMichael BadaluccoMathilda's FatherEllen GreeneMathilda's MotherFrank SengerFatmanElizabeth RegenMathilda's SisterCarl J. MatusovichMathilda's BrotherEric ChallierBodyguard ChiefWilli One Blood1st Stansfield ManÉric SerraComposerThierry ArbogastCinematography