The relationship in the movie is even creepier when you realize it's autobiographical; the writer/director Luc Besson knocked up 16 year old actress Maïwenn the previous year. He met her when she was 12, which is Portman's age in the film. She was no older than 15 when they started, ahem, "dating".
I'm on the same page as Fridoc. While the acting was generally very good, I could not get over the ridiculousness of some of the plot elements, as well as the pedophilic undertones (as Ronin48 pointed out). I mean, it astounds me how much people let things that slide in a film, simply because they want to turn a blind eye towards it; most people want to rationalize it by saying that I'm "reading too much into," but fuck, it's right there in front of you, and those same people have very long-winded explanations because it's pretty difficult to try to pretend like it doesn't exist (even though fans of this film will argue with you until they're blue in the face). The same thing goes for "Gigi"...
I also didn't find Natalie Portman's character sympathetic at all; her circumstances were tragic, but overall she wasn't.
A great movie, even though the relationship between Léon and Matilda is questionable, it keeps the story more believable. Who knows what this film would be without it? With Léon believing she is eighteen and Matilda having a troublesome time dealing with everything, there has to be some weird stuff going down. Im glad the director didnt go to far with it, as it was already on the edge. With that said...
It all builds on the movie, their relationship, Stansfields ruthlessness, and ofcourse all the killing. Movies builds on emotions, and boy did i feel something..
Standsfield killing her brother, when Léon makes all these beautiful cleanings, final scene in the apartement and ofcourse the infamous "ring trick" in the end
. all these scenes made me feel something both good and bad.
Would be awesome to see a follow up, even though i know its not going to happen. And it would probably suck..
Supremely uncomfortable to watch a 12 year old flirt and try to seduce a fully grown adult man. The movie is well shot and acted but the relationship is deeply troubling
It's good, but uncomfortable at times. I guess it is pretty normal for kids to latch onto someone like she did, but it was unnecessary to the story. A more father-daughter relationship would have worked just as well without the ick factor.
Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional - I went in thinking it would be a kind of Day of the Jackal, but was surprised to find it was a Lolita story with hitmen. 11-year-old Natalie Portman is a real discovery, but it's Jean Reno's performance as an awkward teenager in a man's body that makes the relationship at all workable. Besson's usual fetishes are all present: Decaying buildings, fish eye lenses, spring-autumn romance, oddly-juxtaposed comedy.
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greenhorg
The relationship in the movie is even creepier when you realize it's autobiographical; the writer/director Luc Besson knocked up 16 year old actress Maïwenn the previous year. He met her when she was 12, which is Portman's age in the film. She was no older than 15 when they started, ahem, "dating".guitarmas5
Very good thriller. But one of the best movies of all time? Not even close.togden
This might be the most overrated movie of all time.LMTR14
my favourite film of all timeBoogieSmith
"Death is... whimsical... today."Jumping Elephant
I'm on the same page as Fridoc. While the acting was generally very good, I could not get over the ridiculousness of some of the plot elements, as well as the pedophilic undertones (as Ronin48 pointed out). I mean, it astounds me how much people let things that slide in a film, simply because they want to turn a blind eye towards it; most people want to rationalize it by saying that I'm "reading too much into," but fuck, it's right there in front of you, and those same people have very long-winded explanations because it's pretty difficult to try to pretend like it doesn't exist (even though fans of this film will argue with you until they're blue in the face). The same thing goes for "Gigi"...I also didn't find Natalie Portman's character sympathetic at all; her circumstances were tragic, but overall she wasn't.
Fridoc
I had great expectations to this movie, but i was not impressed.Can't believe this movie is so high on the top 250 list. In my opinion it should not be there at all.
Salma1992x
In love with their charactersLukeCentral
A great movie, even though the relationship between Léon and Matilda is questionable, it keeps the story more believable. Who knows what this film would be without it? With Léon believing she is eighteen and Matilda having a troublesome time dealing with everything, there has to be some weird stuff going down. Im glad the director didnt go to far with it, as it was already on the edge. With that said...It all builds on the movie, their relationship, Stansfields ruthlessness, and ofcourse all the killing. Movies builds on emotions, and boy did i feel something..
Would be awesome to see a follow up, even though i know its not going to happen. And it would probably suck..
jacktrewin
ridiculously high on the top250. it's a decent crime film with a good performance from portman, other than that nothing specialmarumar
Supremely uncomfortable to watch a 12 year old flirt and try to seduce a fully grown adult man. The movie is well shot and acted but the relationship is deeply troublingtotavo
It's good, but uncomfortable at times. I guess it is pretty normal for kids to latch onto someone like she did, but it was unnecessary to the story. A more father-daughter relationship would have worked just as well without the ick factor.Linkmaster89
Great. The last scenes with the music of Sting in the background ... unforgetable.Siskoid
Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional - I went in thinking it would be a kind of Day of the Jackal, but was surprised to find it was a Lolita story with hitmen. 11-year-old Natalie Portman is a real discovery, but it's Jean Reno's performance as an awkward teenager in a man's body that makes the relationship at all workable. Besson's usual fetishes are all present: Decaying buildings, fish eye lenses, spring-autumn romance, oddly-juxtaposed comedy.juanittomx
just wow.. I'm not into this kind of movies but I have to admit this kept me at the border. This movie have all that a movie needs!Showing items 1 – 15 of 51