"Leon" is a magnificent film that could never have been made in America. The
subject matter is too sensitive for American audiences. The film was made
in France, but in English. It's about an Italian hitman called Leon who adopts
a 12-year-old girl after her family is slaughtered. Over the course of the two
hour film an awkward relationship develops. Mathilda wants him to teach her
how to become a killer, so that she can take revenge on the men who killed her
younger brother. (The rest of her family meant nothing to her). She also
begins to fall in love with Leon. His age isn't stated, but the actor Jean
Reno was 46 when he made the film.
The American cut of the film is inferior to the international version. The
romance had to be toned down for American audiences, so 22 minutes was removed
from the original international version. I don't see why this was necessary.
Leon is a perfect gentleman and rejects Mathilda's romantic overtures. He
refuses her whenever she says she wants to sleep with him, as any normal man
would. She's just a child.
It's not stated how many men she kills, but based on the quick sequence in the
middle of the film it must be at least 15.
The film has outstanding performances from Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in
the two main roles. They're so outstanding that I forgot to mention Gary
Oldman as the corrupt policeman Norman Stansfield. He's an exaggerated figure
in the film, and Gary could be accused of over-acting, but he fits into the
film perfectly.
Success Rate: + 0.9
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