Episode 48: Leon: The Professional

Justin:

Within the genre of stylish action thrillers, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL is certainly one of the better ones. And while I ultimately lean more favorably towards something like RUN LOLA RUN over this, I think the exciting way in which Besson uses his camera and the performances that he pulls out of Jean Reno, a young Natalie Portman, and of course, the great Gary Oldman, causes LEON to stand out above most of the rest.

The sad truth is that I wanted to see more of Leon’s skills and less of the potentially troubling budding romance between the aging hitman and the precocious preteen. The opening scene certainly showcases his abilities and gives a very strong taste of what he is capable of when called into duty. And while we do get some payoff a bit later in the movie (those poor pawns of the police force) I was left feeling like I didn’t get enough of what the assassin had to offer. But then again, I did get to feel very awkward as the 12-year-old Natalie Portman does a sexy Madonna and Marilyn Monroe impression. So there’s that.

Now, I feel like I’m sounding down on the movie so let me be clear: I very much enjoyed it. The Oldman performance in particular is worth every second of the runtime. I think I just really liked it and I wanted to full on love it, and when that doesn’t happen, I get a little bummed. But nitpicks aside, it’s a fun flick with memorable performances and enough camera tricks to keep you on your toes. You really can’t ask for much more!

It’s just that sometimes… you want more than just a glass of milk for dinner.