LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Coventry I usually don't reveal my final judgment of the movie straight away in the review's subject line, but in the case of "Le Professionnel" I just felt like I had to tell it like it is… This is, simply put and without exaggerating, the perfect popcorn-entertainment action/thriller, and it catapulted itself straight towards a high position in my list of personal favorite movies of all times! "Le Professionnel" has a terrific screenplay with wonderfully deranged characters and plentiful of ultimately exciting action sequences. It also features the best J-P Belmondo performance of his career, by far, and stellar support from the entire cast surrounding him. And then of course there's the truly phenomenal musical score of Ennio Morricone… The astounding theme song "Chi Mai" perhaps wasn't originally composed for this particular film (it appeared first in the obscure art-film "Maddalena" in 1971) but it's forever unified with "Le Professionnel", and thanks to its immense commercial success the song also became one of the biggest hits in Morricone's inexhaustible repertoire! The basic plot of "Le Professionnel" is simple but very effective and compelling. Josselin "Joss" Beaumont is a highly trained French special agent who gets send to an unspecific African country on a secret mission to assassinate the corrupt self-elected President N'Jala. By the time his plane lands, however, the president has suddenly become a friend of the French nation and Beaumont's unscrupulous government sacrifices him. Beaumont is imprisoned under inhuman circumstances, but after two long years he makes a daring escape and returns to France around the same time President N'Jala makes an official state visit. Once home, he joyously informs his former superiors that he will fulfill his assignment and thus, knowing Beaumont's skills and imaginative operating methods, the secret service mobilizes their toughest agents to protect the president and to hunt down Beaumont. "Le Professionnel" is chock- full of imaginative sequences that are simultaneously action-packed, comical and intensely built up towards! For example, in order to reach apartment of his wife that is heavily guarded by several policemen, Beaumont creates a diversion by hooking up with a group of homeless men and run amok in front of the apartment. Another example is how he always toys around with the media and stages cat- and-mouse games with the best agents on the force. The ultimate highlight is of course the virulent car chase through the narrow Parisian streets and even underneath the Eifel Tower! This scene becomes even more perplexing when you realize that Belmondo always performs his own stunts. The film also has the most diverse and eccentric supportive characters walking around. How about the vicious & cruel lesbian agent who nearly violates Joss' wife whilst interrogating her? Or the wicked inspector Farges who obsessively tracks down Joss because he repeatedly humiliated him. The most fascinating character, next to Joss Beaumont of course, is undoubtedly the Commissioner Rosen, as depicted here by the severely underrated Robert Hossein. Rosen is a merciless, stoic and persistent copper. He's the complete opposite of Beaumont, which makes their confrontations uncomfortable and suspenseful for the viewer to look at. Especially their final confrontation is sheer genius and qualifies as the absolute best western scene in a non- western movie! A must-see

Sam smith (sam_smithreview) I can give this film 10 stars just on the sound track alone! or me this is the best work of Bel Mondo. The story its just perfect, Joss (main character) uses the orders that the service gave to him to kill president N'Jala even after he became friend to to his government. They betrayed him and left him to die in prison. The character of commissionaire Rosen it's a perfect one. I have seen this movie maybe 20 times and every time I find something new. The speech in the end between the minister and captain Valeras it's my preferred moment: Is this call under surveillance? Of course Mr. Minister. The duel between Rosen and Joss in the best picture of Paris I have ever seen is also great. But the truth is every moment and every word is perfect. You don't have to miss this movie.

badajoz-1 Jean Paul Belmondo at his cynical, swaggering best as a secret service man who is deserted by his country when he attempts to assassinate an African dictator. Escaping after two years in prison doing hard labour, he returns to France to plot his revenge on his bosses and the ruthless African politician. Some suspension of disbelief required as he dodges the Secret Service out to get him - including a masochistic Special Action Squad officer called Rosen - and in his various dealings with three women - his wife, mistress, and a high class call girl, who, in typically French-only fashion, swoon as soon as he comes near them! He beds two out of three while turning down the third! The action is pretty good, including a high speed car chase around well known Paris, which stands comparison with 'Bullitt.' How Belmondo manages to escape the traps set for him are clever set pieces, and a shoot out duel with Rosen to the insistent Morricone score is pure 'Dollar' movie. A likable fast moving romp with a few political sly comments thrown in, and you should enjoy this.

Bene Cumb Noble Paris, beautiful women, small local cars... At times Africa: poor, wars, corrupted elite... Themes of love, betrayal, broken dreams are universal and fit into a spy and hit-man film as well. Belmondo is a real star, overshadowing others in every scene he is in; I would like to compare his character with James Bond - only in French.Music by Morricone is a real treasure, although it is somewhat similar to the background music from the Soviet cult series Seventeen moments of spring (1973).The ending is strange, however, I would have expected and preferred a more motivated one.