Verdict:
Adult men f*cking 12-year-olds. Let’s talk about it.
An American audience apparently flipped when it was shown the extended cut of this film, containing sexually loaded scenes of the relationship between Mathilda, played by Nathalie Portman, and her mentor Leon, played by Jean Reno. The heads of soccer moms must have exploded in the movie theater, as those ladies were clutching their bibles. The French approach of Director Luc Besson got a little too real, with its complex treatment of this relationship.
But for a mature viewer, this relationship will come across as sweet, touching and innocent. Mathilda finds herself in Leon’s care, who doesn’t know how to handle it and is forced to grow up, becoming Mathilda’s mentor and caretaker. Even in the extended cut, the relationship between Mathilda and Leon works surprisingly well, without crossing into the offensive territory. Nonetheless, this movie would never be made today, given the cultural censorship.
Those familiar with Luc Besson’s other works know that this guy is obsessed with showing distressed but strong female characters with guns that get thrown into a harsh male-dominated world. This creates an interesting contrast between tender elegance and masculine brutality. Leon is, perhaps, the best version of this concept. In Besson’s “La Femme Nikita” it was an adult woman and in his other film, “Lucy”, the female character is too overpowered, so the vulnerability is lost. In Leon, on the other hand, it really is a lonely little girl up against the mobsters.
Speaking of which, Gary Oldman’s performance as the main villain might be his best performance. He puts all of himself behind it, ranging from quietly menacing to almost blowing up his vocal chords. Between the 3 main characters, this film delivers captivating performances that keep you anchored in your seat from beginning to end.
Perhaps the single largest problem in the film is the shallow childish mood produced by the writing. This movie has a lot of awkward, simplistic and cheesy dialogue, which points out the obvious. The dialogue sometimes sounds like something that would be written by a teenage boy. Take even the title of the film: in the US, the movie is called “Leon: the Professional” A title like that evokes an immature comic book about assassins and ninja’s. Matilda talks like no kid of her age should, though it’s within the realm of possibility, as the movie specifically shows and tells how she is forced to grow up fast.
The movie looks phenomenal though. It has a peculiar grungy look, which I love. The movie Is supposed to be set in New York, but has a European vibe. Shot in a warm sepia tone, people’s sweating faces and cramped apartments with run-down dirty walls combine with Jean Reno’s French accent to give this film a foreign feel. This makes complete sense when you find out that the interior filming was done in France. It’s like New York and Paris were smushed together in this alternate universe.
The soundtrack mixes very well with the visuals. There is a memorable crying violin theme and menacing heavy drums mixed in with atmospheric drones and bells. Those violins give weight to the dirty reality in which the characters find themselves and you can feel the heat of the city through the music.
The Extended Cut of the film adds almost half an hour of film with a lot of additional story that actually changes the meaning and dynamic of the movie. The added content is considerably more emotional, sexual but also silly and funny. The short version is cleaner but far less emotionally loaded, cutting out one especially important heart-to-heart scene.
Leon is a little silly, childish and exploitative, but it is one of the best thrillers with excellent performances and is Luc Besson’s best work.