Rating: R
Genre:
Thriller
Release Date: 02/24/1998
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French/Espanol
Sound: DD5.1/DD2
Run Time: 109 Minutes
Flags: Graphic Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children
Distributor/Studio: Columbia TriStar
As visually stylish as it is graphically violent, this
thriller directed by
Luc Besson concerns
Mathilda (
Natalie Portman), a 12-year-old girl living in New York City who has been exposed to the sordid side of life from an early age: her family lives in a slum and her abusive father works for drug dealers, cutting and storing dope.
Mathilda doesn't much care for her parents, but she has a close bond with her four-year-old brother. One day, she returns from running an errand to discover that most of her family, including her brother, have been killed in a raid by corrupt DEA agents, led by the psychotic
Stansfield (
Gary Oldman).
Mathilda takes refuge in the apartment of her secretive neighbor,
Leon (
Jean Reno), who takes her in with a certain reluctance. She discovers that
Leon is a professional assassin, working for
Tony (
Danny Aiello), a mob kingpin based in Little Italy. Wanting to avenge the death of her brother,
Mathilda makes a deal with
Leon to become his protégée in exchange for work as a domestic servant, hoping to learn the hitman's trade and take out the men who took her brother's life. However, an affection develops between
Leon and
Mathilda that changes his outlook on his life and career.
Besson's first American film boasted a strong performance from
Jean Reno, a striking debut by
Natalie Portman, and a love-it-or-hate-it, over-the-top turn by
Gary Oldman.
Léon was originally released in the U.S. in 1994 as
The Professional, with 26 minutes cut in response to audience preview tests. Those 26 minutes were restored in the director's preferred cut, released in 1996 in France as
Léon: Version Intégrale and in the U.S. on DVD as
Léon: The Professional in 2000.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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