Tuukka
10-13-2000, 09:43 PM
I watched parts of this film again yesterday and I have to admit I'm in love with this flick.
Leon starts off when a young girl's family is killed by corrupt drug cops. She find's custody from a professional hitman who takes care of her and together they finally avenge her family's death.
Leon is with no doubt writer-director Luc Besson's greatest film. It's a nearly perfect mix of truly memorable characters, intriguing story and some great visuals and action. Acting is top-notch. Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman (in her debut role) are both superb, but the film really belongs to the great french actor Jean Reno, who plays the title character. Leon is a truly unforgettable character and I almost dropped a tear in the tragic, but still beautiful climax of the film. The film suffers occasionally of being too melodramatic, but it all pays off in the truly brilliant final 30 minutes of the film. Rarely I have seen so great filmmaking, which moves on almost entirely without words, but still building up great emotions.
The visual world created by Besson and his cinematographer Thierry Arbocast for the film is very unique. New York has never looked and felt like it does in this film. Eric Serra's score gives great help to building the mystical but still realistic feel of the film.
I prefer the director's cut of the film which runs 20 minutes longer than the original theatrical version. It shows a bit more of the sexual attraction that the 12 year old Mathilda shows for the 40 year old Leon and also shows more of the hitman education that Leon gives to her. I know it sounds like a phedophilic relationship, but I think it's a difficult subject handled extremely well.
Many people see the relationship of Mathilda and Leon as a father-daughter relationship, but I always saw it more as a mother-son relationship. It's one of the most complicated relationhips ever commited to screen and I give credit for Besson for treating it in such a intelligent and emotionally true manner.
Anyway, this film is a funny, exciting and orginal film with some great (and very violent action) combined to beautiful cinematography and haunting score. Be sure to see it. You might not like it, but at least it's differs a lot from the usual stuff you watch.
Leon starts off when a young girl's family is killed by corrupt drug cops. She find's custody from a professional hitman who takes care of her and together they finally avenge her family's death.
Leon is with no doubt writer-director Luc Besson's greatest film. It's a nearly perfect mix of truly memorable characters, intriguing story and some great visuals and action. Acting is top-notch. Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman (in her debut role) are both superb, but the film really belongs to the great french actor Jean Reno, who plays the title character. Leon is a truly unforgettable character and I almost dropped a tear in the tragic, but still beautiful climax of the film. The film suffers occasionally of being too melodramatic, but it all pays off in the truly brilliant final 30 minutes of the film. Rarely I have seen so great filmmaking, which moves on almost entirely without words, but still building up great emotions.
The visual world created by Besson and his cinematographer Thierry Arbocast for the film is very unique. New York has never looked and felt like it does in this film. Eric Serra's score gives great help to building the mystical but still realistic feel of the film.
I prefer the director's cut of the film which runs 20 minutes longer than the original theatrical version. It shows a bit more of the sexual attraction that the 12 year old Mathilda shows for the 40 year old Leon and also shows more of the hitman education that Leon gives to her. I know it sounds like a phedophilic relationship, but I think it's a difficult subject handled extremely well.
Many people see the relationship of Mathilda and Leon as a father-daughter relationship, but I always saw it more as a mother-son relationship. It's one of the most complicated relationhips ever commited to screen and I give credit for Besson for treating it in such a intelligent and emotionally true manner.
Anyway, this film is a funny, exciting and orginal film with some great (and very violent action) combined to beautiful cinematography and haunting score. Be sure to see it. You might not like it, but at least it's differs a lot from the usual stuff you watch.