Tagline: A perfect assassin. An innocent girl. They have nothing left to lose except each other. He moves without sound. Kills without emotion. Disappears without trace. Only a 12 year old girl... knows his weakness. (more)
Plot Outline: Professional assassin Leon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade. (more)(view trailer)
User Comments:
Very dark comedy. A professional hitman and his protege', a 12-year-old orphan.
(more)
Date: 28 June 2002 Summary: Very dark comedy. A professional hitman and his protege', a 12-year-old orphan.
A very intriguing, action-packed 2 hours and 11 minutes. I was bothered a
bit by the same thing that bothered Ebert's accurate review, namely the idea
of a young girl aspiring to be a "cleaner" like the man she adopts after her
parents and siblings are killed by a rogue cop when a drug deal goes bad.
Also the implied relationship the young girl sought, telling the hotel clerk
"he's not really my father, he's my lover." Or the circuitous discussion of
whether first-time sex is enjoyable, or the scene where she tells him to
sleep next to her in the bed. This character is not a little teddy-bear
hugging child, but a mature 12-year-old who wants to have a relationship
with the older man, no matter how absurd it seems. Probably the French
influence.
However, all that aside, "Leon" is an entertaining and action-packed film.
This was Natalie Portman's (Mathilda) first film role, two years before her
smart performance in "Beautiful Girls", and she is quite remarkable. Gary
Oldman is his usual crazy self. Jean Reno is cool as the hit man, a role
that fits his image perfectly.
SPOILERS - For me to remember, after rescuing Mathilda from her botched
attempt at cleaning Oldman's bad cop character, Leon rescues her but that
gets everyone on their trail. In the climactic shootout at his apartment
building, Leon puts Mathilda down a shaft, along with his plant (he called
"his best friend"), while he gets downstairs by putting on the police suit
and mask of one of his victims. But Oldman sees him, follows him out, and
shoots him. Bending over the fallen Leon, Oldman is given "something from
Mathilda", which was the grenade pin, Leon opens his coat, shows the
explosives, big explosion means the revenge is complete. Mathilda goes back
to the school, plants the plant outdoors, where "it will get a chance to
spread its roots."
Saw it on DVD. Very nice picture and sound in Dolby 5.1. Extras are not
worth mentioning.
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