Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

cathylr The chemistry between Jean Reno and Natalie Portman is absolutely perfect. The Young Natalie Portman is an absolute revelation in this dark film that has a beautiful and realistic end. One of my Luc Besson favorites

NikkoFranco In retrospect, I am happy to say that I am one of those who welcomes technology but I am not a slave to it. I can only wish for the younger generation to have been able to enjoy like we did until FB came coupled with the selfie sticks. The movie watching generation of now are quite limited in what they see, surprisingly not because there were not too many films but on the contrary you have zillions of things to watch out of boredom and everyone can be a superstar in YouTube. Lamentably, they are not accustomed to films like this. The duo of a battered child and a hired gun is action filled, yet we laugh with them and cry with them. Natalie Portman as the young , slightly irritating Mathilda is gifted with talent. Jean Reno as the distant yet fatherly figure of a pro killer is captivating in his role. They and the plant will entertain you ( like it did for us ) .

The Movie Diorama Safe to say this film has spawned many iterations of omnipotent invincible hitmen, it isn't hard to see why. Opening to a lukewarm reception, Léon has rapidly garnered cult status and is a firm favourite amongst film aficionados. A young girl's family is brutally gunned down by a crooked detective, she teams up with a hitman named Léon in order to avenge their deaths. Suffice to say this is an action drama that needs to be viewed by everyone...and I mean "EVERYONEEEE!". It would be easy to class this as an exaggerative over-the-top action thrill ride, but it's so much more than that. Thanks to Besson's Parisian directing style, he focussed his attention to the quirky original relationship between Léon and Mathilda. A girl who has experienced the dark side of life, growing up with a father who deals drugs and regularly hooking up with women. To then be embraced by a determined yet warming hitman, her idyllic fantasy of a caring father figure becomes reality. The bond that rapidly forms between these two characters is fascinating to watch. Her idolisation for him and his protectiveness for her. It's a union that shouldn't work, but does. They both teach each other aspects of life they aren't necessarily familiar with, which furthers the intricate character development. Acting was terrific from everyone. Reno's commanding titular performance encapsulated the screen. Portman's debut is quite possibly the best child performance I've seen. And then there's Oldman as the crazed antagonist, who steals every scene. Whilst this is absolutely entertaining, there are obvious issues. The plot is too thin to carry the full runtime, it takes far too much time developing the character relationship where the actual plot feels neglected, leaving the antagonist on the sideline until the third act. Also the music choice occasionally didn't fit the bustling urban environment and took me out of the film. Aside from those points, it's considerably better than most crime dramas and has aged impeccably well. Everyone needs a Léon in their life.

AbenezerS Characters are developed well, making the unavoidable conflicts evermore devastating. The actors performances are spectacular. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys action and a good story.