THE PROFESSIONAL
A film review by Lons Ponschock
Copyright 1995 Lons Ponschock
A film by Luc Besson Starring Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman
Matilda : Is life always this bad
or just when you're a kid?
Leon : Always.
THE PROFESSIONAL is a carefully crafted story of revenge ... sort of what THE CROW tried to be but couldn't compared with this.
Matilda (Natalie Portman) is a twelve-year-old who has lost her family in a firefight over drugs. She seeks refuge with Leon (Jean Reno), a professional killer.
So here we have the makings of what could be a piece of sentimental claptrap arrived just in time for the holidays. But these are the makings only. The story here is wonderful, the language and script well-done and the revelation of detail occurs in a way that I wanted the film not to end ... not for a long time.
*That's* when a picture is really good. They don't come around that often and that's the reason that you will see writings here on the occasion of that triumph and not on the occasion of wasted time on trayf.
Mention should be made of the fine performances by Gary Oldman and Danny Aiello as well. They always deliver superb performances and their work here is no exception. Jean Reno as Leon could be GIGOT in another era: living out of a suitcase, friendless--with nothing but his work. Natalie Portman in what might be a first role makes the part of Matilda her own in a truly captivating way.
Captivating is a good word for THE PROFESSIONAL. It will steal your heart in a way that other child-adult 'buddy pictures' like AMERICAN HEART could not reach. And what you are able to touch in this film is the emotion of the moment: a rare gift.
* * *
It's probably just coincidence, but you know what Leon spelled backwards is, right? I knew you did.
Happy Holidays.
-- lon
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