It's good, but uncomfortable at times. I guess it is pretty normal for kids to latch onto someone like she did, but it was unnecessary to the story. A more father-daughter relationship would have worked just as well without the ick factor.
Many 14-year old girls have sex at that age. Her hitting on him is realistic because she havent had fatherfigure or love from family. There was no pedo involved in whole movie, he treated her like daughter.
Supremely uncomfortable to watch a 12 year old flirt and try to seduce a fully grown adult man. The movie is well shot and acted but the relationship is deeply troubling
Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional - I went in thinking it would be a kind of Day of the Jackal, but was surprised to find it was a Lolita story with hitmen. 11-year-old Natalie Portman is a real discovery, but it's Jean Reno's performance as an awkward teenager in a man's body that makes the relationship at all workable. Besson's usual fetishes are all present: Decaying buildings, fish eye lenses, spring-autumn romance, oddly-juxtaposed comedy.
It's not like you have to have a subtler understandig of the movie to catch up that there's some sort of sexual nuances between the little girl and the old man. Pretty much the contrary: you don't have to be smarter than a SJW to reach at that conclusion.
It is pretty much evident to the average viewer that there is a romantic relation bond between a twelve-year-old and a grown-up man and that there is not an apology to paedophilia. I hate to make up "character analyses," always found it kind of silly, but there is something really simple to point out: the one in the movie the viewer may considere more responsible of the situation, Leon, is in denial to Mathilda's sexual insinuations, and advances, the whole movie, and when he "loves her back," it really takes some mental gymnastics to view it more than in a father-daughter relationship. An everyday, non-speculative viewer can spot all these nuances and resolve that this aspect of the movie is hardly disturbing, because they recognize it's part of reality (more or less common depending on what you do see outside) that there are minors who fall in love with grown-ups, and it's not a big deal because adults usually know how to address them. And our Leon is one of them.
I wouldn't like to keep writing on that subject, and obviously it's kinda shady that the director was 32 (I guess) when dating a fifteen-year-old. The film is still difficult to grasp as some kind of paedophilia apology, if so, Salò (despite all the pomo literature to back showing shit-eating to college snobs, which I personally find amusing) would be some sort of apology of rape, and even silly movies like Pulp Fiction or Ilsa would be apologies of violent crime and fascism. I think that way of drawing a conclusion is closely related to some other absurds statements, like "Django Unchained is a racist movie because the word nigger is said several times." Showing something wrong it's something different from standing up for it. But, sure, nobody is forced to think stepping forward the liberal, politically-correct bubble doesn't mean you have to support the wrong shit. Not everything is black and white, you know?
A great movie, even though the relationship between Léon and Matilda is questionable, it keeps the story more believable. Who knows what this film would be without it? With Léon believing she is eighteen and Matilda having a troublesome time dealing with everything, there has to be some weird stuff going down. Im glad the director didnt go to far with it, as it was already on the edge. With that said...
It all builds on the movie, their relationship, Stansfields ruthlessness, and ofcourse all the killing. Movies builds on emotions, and boy did i feel something..
Standsfield killing her brother, when Léon makes all these beautiful cleanings, final scene in the apartement and ofcourse the infamous "ring trick" in the end
. all these scenes made me feel something both good and bad.
Would be awesome to see a follow up, even though i know its not going to happen. And it would probably suck..
i liked it other than the fucking pedo shit.... the fucking crazy drug dea dude is the best part of the movie to me~ honestly i think i'd be more down with it if they just took out the weird pedophile sorta shit
I really wanted to like this movie--I loved Jean Reno's performance, but Natalie Portman bombed just about every scene she was in. Sometimes it wasn't her fault--the script wasn't the best, but other times her acting was so wooden it was painful. Child acting is very hit or miss, and unfortunately this one was a miss.
Although I can appreciate the marvelous performances of all involved, the violence and gore is just too much for me. It is a very good story of Mathilda and Leon's relationship which develops out of necessity to sincere love. Nice, but I'll never watch this one again.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 51
totavo
It's good, but uncomfortable at times. I guess it is pretty normal for kids to latch onto someone like she did, but it was unnecessary to the story. A more father-daughter relationship would have worked just as well without the ick factor.Linkmaster89
Great. The last scenes with the music of Sting in the background ... unforgetable.zaolee
Many 14-year old girls have sex at that age. Her hitting on him is realistic because she havent had fatherfigure or love from family. There was no pedo involved in whole movie, he treated her like daughter.marumar
Supremely uncomfortable to watch a 12 year old flirt and try to seduce a fully grown adult man. The movie is well shot and acted but the relationship is deeply troublingSiskoid
Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional - I went in thinking it would be a kind of Day of the Jackal, but was surprised to find it was a Lolita story with hitmen. 11-year-old Natalie Portman is a real discovery, but it's Jean Reno's performance as an awkward teenager in a man's body that makes the relationship at all workable. Besson's usual fetishes are all present: Decaying buildings, fish eye lenses, spring-autumn romance, oddly-juxtaposed comedy.togden
This might be the most overrated movie of all time.demagogo
It's not like you have to have a subtler understandig of the movie to catch up that there's some sort of sexual nuances between the little girl and the old man. Pretty much the contrary: you don't have to be smarter than a SJW to reach at that conclusion.It is pretty much evident to the average viewer that there is a romantic relation bond between a twelve-year-old and a grown-up man and that there is not an apology to paedophilia. I hate to make up "character analyses," always found it kind of silly, but there is something really simple to point out: the one in the movie the viewer may considere more responsible of the situation, Leon, is in denial to Mathilda's sexual insinuations, and advances, the whole movie, and when he "loves her back," it really takes some mental gymnastics to view it more than in a father-daughter relationship. An everyday, non-speculative viewer can spot all these nuances and resolve that this aspect of the movie is hardly disturbing, because they recognize it's part of reality (more or less common depending on what you do see outside) that there are minors who fall in love with grown-ups, and it's not a big deal because adults usually know how to address them. And our Leon is one of them.
I wouldn't like to keep writing on that subject, and obviously it's kinda shady that the director was 32 (I guess) when dating a fifteen-year-old. The film is still difficult to grasp as some kind of paedophilia apology, if so, Salò (despite all the pomo literature to back showing shit-eating to college snobs, which I personally find amusing) would be some sort of apology of rape, and even silly movies like Pulp Fiction or Ilsa would be apologies of violent crime and fascism. I think that way of drawing a conclusion is closely related to some other absurds statements, like "Django Unchained is a racist movie because the word nigger is said several times." Showing something wrong it's something different from standing up for it. But, sure, nobody is forced to think stepping forward the liberal, politically-correct bubble doesn't mean you have to support the wrong shit. Not everything is black and white, you know?
Long post, I don't care. Loved the movie.
Salma1992x
In love with their charactersLukeCentral
A great movie, even though the relationship between Léon and Matilda is questionable, it keeps the story more believable. Who knows what this film would be without it? With Léon believing she is eighteen and Matilda having a troublesome time dealing with everything, there has to be some weird stuff going down. Im glad the director didnt go to far with it, as it was already on the edge. With that said...It all builds on the movie, their relationship, Stansfields ruthlessness, and ofcourse all the killing. Movies builds on emotions, and boy did i feel something..
Would be awesome to see a follow up, even though i know its not going to happen. And it would probably suck..
krystalvon
i liked it other than the fucking pedo shit.... the fucking crazy drug dea dude is the best part of the movie to me~ honestly i think i'd be more down with it if they just took out the weird pedophile sorta shitboomdiddly
I really wanted to like this movie--I loved Jean Reno's performance, but Natalie Portman bombed just about every scene she was in. Sometimes it wasn't her fault--the script wasn't the best, but other times her acting was so wooden it was painful. Child acting is very hit or miss, and unfortunately this one was a miss.ClassicLady
Although I can appreciate the marvelous performances of all involved, the violence and gore is just too much for me. It is a very good story of Mathilda and Leon's relationship which develops out of necessity to sincere love. Nice, but I'll never watch this one again.yagamisakura
i feel weird... but i didn't like it. not sorry.vivienblue_06
Its just insanely good..Love it.LMTR14
my favourite film of all timeShowing items 1 – 15 of 51