Léon is a film I've watched many times and it never fails to affect.

I could watch it a hundred times more just see to Léon's face as he watches Singing in the Rain; such unabashed joy. He turns around in a near empty theatre looking for someone else lost in a moment of bliss, but finds no one. Rarely has both joy and loneliness been captured so perfectly.

Jean Reno's naive and emotionally challenged Léon is 12 year old Mathilda’s knight in blood soaked armour. He immediately fills an emotional void and she clings to it, starting to play house; cleaning, shopping, washing. Léon and Mathilda need each other in a very basic human way; to love and be loved. The inevitable slide towards her sexual stirrings is uncomfortable and deftly handled by Natalie Portman. Her desire for revenge seems to slip away, lost to just being and working with him, until when pushed he denies any feelings of love for her. She takes incomprehensible action to exact her vengeance on Gary Oldman’s insane DEA agent, but with an unconscious belief that Léon will save her if it all goes wrong.

The “International Version” of Léon, the only I’ve watched, adds 25 minutes to the theatrical release, mostly depicting their growing relationship and brings the gravitas that makes their final scene together simply heart breaking.

This is my second time watching this film, and I have to say I appreciate it more than the first time, although that is partially because the first time I watched the cut-down US version (Damn it, Netflix). The added (or rather, restored) scenes really pull the movie together and in my opinion are integral to the movie.

It was an odd experience watching it this time, because I watched it with a group of friends and acquaintances. As the movie went on, they became more and more uncomfortable because of the relationship between Leon and Mathilda. By the end of the film, all of the girls gave it a thumbs down because "the acting was good, but the story was terrible!!!" and the guys gave it about a 5/10. Only two other guys gave it a full thumbs-up.

Of course, these are a lot of the same people that hated _Fight Club_.

So even though they tried to make me feel bad about picking this movie, I found a new appreciation for it. I find the character of Leon absolutely fascinating and complex, same with Mathilda. Their relationship is also very well done and I really love how it was handled, especially in the international version (most of this was cut out in the US version, so avoid that if you want to watch this movie).

The action is also a lot of fun and helps break up the more tender scenes. Overall, this is one of the better movies I have seen, and would recommend it to pretty much anyone who is interested in film. Some people might be turned off by the violence, but it is rated R for a reason.

"What do you mean, everyone?"

"**EVERYONE!**"

I can't believe I didn't watch this movie earlier—a young girl loses her family and gets taken care by an Italian professional assassin.

Be warned that this movie has extremely graphic content and might include scenarios that will cause you to feel uneasy and possibly disturbed. I highly appreciate the film's presentation of the relationship between Léon and Mathilda. Although I found it somewhat off-putting that they were so close, I rather prefer perceiving their relationship as much more platonic. Mathilda loses a family that she already felt unconnected with. Her family was dysfunctional and she was treated horribly by her violent and abusive father. Léon made Mathilda feel like someone finally cared for her. She felt loved, and Léon—who's spent half of his life alone—enjoys that companionship. Luc Besson (Director) surely is a creep for scripting such a strangely uncomfortable relationship between a little girl and a grown man. Many people believe that this film presented pedophilia. However, I much rather perceive that the film simply demonstrated to the audience a little girl—very much miserable—crushing on a man who saved her. And a lonely man finding companionship and opening himself up to generosity.

I was missing out on such an amazing film!! You don't want to be missing out either!! MUST WATCH.

P.S. I much recommend you rather watch the Léon: The Professional 2-hour-long, international version (French).

HOW TO MAKE A FEMALE ASSASSIN. TRAUMA, TRAINING THEN GET HER EXTRA ANGRY. NATILIE PORTMANS FIRST ASSASSIN ROLE AND HOPEFULLY NOT HER LAST. WE NEED A PART 2 TO THIS MOVIE.

This films stars a 12-year old Natalie Portman as Mathilda, a girl living with her abusive stepfather, a step-sister, mother, and four-year old brother. She doesn’t care for any of these people except her brother. One day, she returns home from getting the groceries to find corrupt DEA agents have killed her entire family. Key amongst those agents is Stansfield, played by Gary Oldman. Seeking refuge in the flat of a neighbour she had befriended earlier, Léon (Jean Reno), she learns that he is a hitman. She makes a deal with him: she will look after the flat by doing the domestic chores if he will teach her how to get revenge on the men who killed her brother.

Strange though the synopsis may be, the relationship between Léon and Mathilda is kept innocent, and the scenes between the two are believable. Mathilda’s sexual awareness is at a nascent stage and her exposure to the sordid side of life with her recently deceased family (her step-father worked for drug-dealers) means she is perhaps not as innocent as most 12-year old girls; however, Léon is unwilling to take advantage of the situation. This means the story can focus on the platonic relationship between the two, the bond that develops between them, and how each affects the other’s life.

Although it may seem a little far-fetched that a young girl would accompany a hitman during his work, Léon ensures that her assistance is required only on fairly routine hits that follow a well-defined pattern. For the more complex hits he leaves her behind.

There is a thread of humour running through the film, but you must bear in mind the film is framed in the world of corruption and greed and all is not sweet and light, and graphic violence is depicted.

Jean Reno is wonderful as the extremely good but placid hitman, whose whole outlook on life is changed by the young Mathilda, played wonderfully by Natalie Portman in her first film. I’ve not read it, but I understand that Eppie has a similar effect on Silas Marner, as described in the book of the same name. I found Gary Oldman’s performance histrionic, the only let-down in the film, albeit not something that spoilt the film as a whole.

Recommended.