Léon: The Professional

I’ll be honest, it took me a long time to figure out what to write about this film because there I might actually be too much to talk about. On one hand, this is an excellent film. The performances are phenomenal, Jean Reno brings a quiet sort of humanity to Léon that makes him far more than just another hitman. Natalie Portman is also amazing in this film and her portrayal of Mathilda is vulnerable and intense in a way that carries huge parts of the film emotionally. Visually the film is great, the pacing works and it balances quiet character moments with violence really well, and at its best, it feels poetic. But this is also where things get complicated as this is a weird fucking film, in a way that makes you feel genuinely uncomfortable. The relationship at the center of the story is intentionally ambiguous, and it crosses into territory that feels difficult to ignore. Knowing it was written and directed by Luc Besson adds another layer especially when you know his backstory and inspiration for the film. In this case, I don’t think you can completely separate the art from the artist. Some of the film’s choices, especially in how Mathilda is framed, feel too specific to just be coincidence, and that inevitably affects how you experience it. It shouldn’t erase the film’s strengths, but it sure as shit makes them controversial.