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Actors: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Leon: The Professional |
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Set in late 20th century New York, this is a movie about a lonely hitman (Jean Reno) who against better judgement agrees to look after an orphaned young girl (Natalie Portman) and help her in the pursuit of her family's killer. The man responsible is a corrupt police officer (Gary Oldman) who is heavily involved in drug trafficing, stopping at nothing to get what he desires.
--Neil Johnson, Resident Scholar
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Twelve year-old Mathilda has a dysfunctional family, although she cares for her half-brother a lot. When her drug-dealing father was caught cheating on his supply of drugs, the local cop who was also dealing drugs took revenge and killed the family. Mathilda, who was out shopping, heard the shots and took shelter by hiding inside their next-door neighbor's apartment. The neighbor, Leon, was a professional hitman, and Mathilda pesters Leon to teach her the art of killing to avenge her brother. Leon, who was reluctant to have anything to do with the child, inevitably becomes sort of a father figure to the impressionable girl and the climax between them and the corrupt cop show how both Leon and Mathilda grew to care for each other and treat one another as family.
The movie is undeniably violent, but it has a good, fast paced, touching story.
--Levi, Resident Scholar
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The Professional is a tragic story of love, loss, and revenge. Portman plays a little girl named Mathilda who lives with an abusive family, and her only joy is her four year old brother. When her entire family gets killed by a psychopathic DEA agent (Oldman), she turns to the only person she can, her neighbor Leon. Leon is a hitman who kills without a sound, doesn't leave a trace. Leon doesn't have anything to live for and his only friend is his plant. So when Mathilda comes to him for shelter, and protection, he can't refuse. It is only when Mathilda wants to learn how to be a hitman that Leon refuses. But they soon grow to love each other. There is some attraction between the two but it is mostly a father-daughter relationship. Together, they avenge Mathilda's family and Leon finally has someone to live for.
--Noelle Charette, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Leon: The Professional |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- committing crimes
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Story of
- police corruption
Vigilante/Revenge?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- killer
Age:
- 40's-50's
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Body type
- (man) muscular
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Physique
- very athletic
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Eccentric:
Yes
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Body type
- (man) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
- dirty, grimy (like New York)
- dangerous
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to deaths
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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