The Professional

[Cosmoline]

I disliked it intensely, both because of the very disturbing relationship subtext and the glaringly unrealistic gunplay. IIRC, to train the kid with a rifle, Leon has her shoot a paintball some 400 yards down into a park and hit a guy in the chest. Well of course in order to get a paintball to match the trajectory of a rifle's bullet it will need to be moving at supersonic speeds. Not likely. IIRC it also featured a laser sight on the rifle, marking the guy in broad daylight hundreds of yards distant. That laser would have drilled a hole through him, but nevermind.

The whole thing struck me as too French.

 

[Oleg Volk]

The paintball FAL was pretty goofy...as was the Beretta with a suppressor AND a muzzle brake. Same with La Femme Nikita: silly videogamish night vision goggles with trageting overlays, canned AUG which doesn't eject empties or product an audible sonic crack. The gunsplay is lousy but the acting is decent and the lighting is good, so the movies are very watchable.

 

[Wanderer]

I liked the movie, both times I've seen it. The thing about the sniper rifle being for beginners: Leon's boss, whathisname, was asking him if he really wanted to practice some more. In another scene, Leon said to Matilda that as you become more proficient, you can move in closer, so the sniper rifle is the first thing you learn, and the knife last. It might be a little unrealistic, but it looks great.

 

[sendec]

I'm really glad that I am not the only one a little uncomfortable with the "relationship." I liked the movie, but that was a little creepy.

Just to wax philosophical, the context between mentor and student is a good one, especially in this genre. I do not believe "The Mechanic" with Charles Bronson and the AirWolf guy was quite as good as "The Professional," but if there is a sequel I would be very much suprised if it didnt have a similar premise.

I have forgotten my basic psychoanalytic theory - Is the opposite of an Oedipal Complex the Cassandra Complex?

Gun content- Is "The Professional" the film that started the shooting-two-guns-at-a-time phenomenon that has shown up in "The Replacement Killers", "the Matrix" trilogy, and "Underworld" as examples?

Bill

 

[sharpie613]

^^

Not Cassandra, but Electra. Based on the story of Odysseus...FWIW.

 

[DigMe]

Gun content- Is "The Professional" the film that started the shooting-two-guns-at-a-time phenomenon that has shown up in "The Replacement Killers", "the Matrix" trilogy, and "Underworld" as examples?

Nah that was pretty much inspired by Hong Kong, John Woo, Chow Yun Fat movies.

brad cook

 

[standingbear]

Ive seen it many times.good flik.

 

[Orion]

Never got the Pedophilia angle. I looked at it more as a lolitta type thing. she was interested in him. he was uncomfortable with that.

In fact when she was impersonating Madonna he didn't know who she was or what she was doing.

I think he may have been a little slow on the uptake in regards to some things. Like women(girls) and money.

 

[Beetle Bailey]

Hope I word this right. . .

During that whole "paintball hitting the jogger with two security guys" scene, I couldn't help but think they were making a reference to a certain famous jogger of the day who was known to visit MacDonald's during his jogs. . .

More like a pubescent girl's crush on an older man than pedophilia. She hits on him, not the other way 'round, and it wierds him out (as you'd hope it would

I agree, but the issue is nevertheless brought up in the film, especially when she lies to the doorman. BTW, when the film was first released, I heard there was a protest and I was wondering at the time (still don't know, but also don't care) if the protest was due to this issue or to the violent ending.

BTW, very enjoyable film, even with a few less than totally realistic parts.

 

[Neal Bloom]

I liked it. Jean Reno is an interesting actor. Definitely not a pretty boy. Gary Oldham was great as the pychotic agent.

 

[GoRon]

Great flick, I didn't think it was very accurate in gun handling but I enjoyed it none the less. The first time I watched it the lolita aspect was disturbing. When I watched it the second time it didn't seem so obvious that there was something ontoward going on.

 

[tex_n_cal]

Reno is very good in it, as is Oldham. Reno was also DeNiro's buddy in Ronin and Oldham can do damn near anything.

When I saw Portman in this flick I thought to myself, she's going to be a hot girl when she grows up - low and behold, she becomes the elected queen of the universe and Darth Vader's wife.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

The film airs frequently on the DirectTV channels 242 through 269 in our area. (San Ramon, CA)

I couldn't get into the idea of the coke freak/psychotic agent going unnoticed and unjailed, but enjoyed the qirky charaters of Reno and Portman. Reno's character is like the loyal family dog with tactical capabilities. Liked the ending.

 

[inGobwetrust]

Reno's character is like the loyal family dog with tactical capabilities.

That is damn funny! It's also the perfect way to describe his character.

 

[Hugo]

A better way to put Leon/Matilda

Basically she latches onto Leon becasue first she's kinda traumatized at her lousy stepmom, abusive dad, mean sister, and sweet little brother being shot by crooked cops. Low and behold Leon saves her. Finally a guy who cares and doesn't hit her. Then she finds out what he does for a living. How convenient!

It's pretty clear thats why Matilda starts hitting on Leon. He sees himself as more of a father figure to her. Plus his relationships with women haven't gone well in the past (see uncut version for why). All in all a very Shakespearian story.

Anybody know what that big freaking machine gun was that the swat guys used with the grenade through the door?

And what was the pistol Leon held right on the swat guy who leaned around the corner? ALIMECHI or something I think I read on it. Pause on dvd sure helped.

Definitely get the Uncut DVD Leon: The Professional

Hope they come out with Collectors edition with commentary from actors/director. It needs it.

Speaking of good gun movies anyone seen The Boondock Saints? Remember the weapons room? Mmmmm..........

 

[Nightfall]

Unrealistic, but very entertaining.

 

[twency]

Interesting, stylish movie, despite certain obvious moral and technical shortcomings.

Question: Am I the only one who wonders if the "paintball" marker was actually a real bullet? Something about Leon's reaction almost makes me wonder if it wasn't the real thing, despite what the girl may think. Leon has a certain moral code (no women, no children), but somehow I could see him training her to perform a hit with live rounds. Yes, that would bring down the heat of the law (especially since this is obviously a well connected guy), but surely "tagging" a well protected politician or very wealthy person would equally initiate an intense search for the culprit(s).

Leon seems a bit startled and/or troubled when she actually hits the guy. Somehow that suggests the use of live rounds, to me. Maybe he's just surpirsed she's that good, though, or worried about getting out of dodge before a helicopter starts searching rooftops.

 

[IRONFIST]

I am not sure, but didn't the protected guy get up off the ground and realize that it was a paintball? I haven't seen the movie in awhile.

 

[Shootcraps]

Great movie (although as has been said, not very realistic) with some great performances. Jean Reno is great and of course, Gary Oldman is fantastic.

 

[igor]

A great movie. Oldman was never scarier... Reno and Portman really shine. As to realism, Besson directed it - I tend to think of his work in terms of realism as... well... cartoons. Get it?

As to the relationship of Matilda and Leon, if there ever were innocent characters in that sense (albeit assassins ), they are. She is just like a little girl should be and he is just like a... well, father or responsible, caring grown-up should be. Her antics, that she can feel safe playing her character, just serves to underline the safety and trust between the two.

Those here uncomfortable with that are just like Leon is. Nothing wrong with that, on the contrary. But to even bring a word like near this... I have to say, that's all in your mind.

 

[Shootcraps]

I agree with eye-gor.

 

[Ktulu]

This is one of my all time favorite movies. In my top 10 for sure. I like Luc Besson's films (especially Le Femme Nakita) and Reno and Oldman are some of my favorite actors.

This is a much better Portman film then those silly Star Wars movies where she goes from princess to Britney Spears with one swipe of the monster's claws.

I too am very uncomfortable with the relationship between Leon and Matilda. I think that shows how well it's written, acted, and directed. As Igor alluded, I'm supposed to feel uncomfortable about it, just as Leon does.

 

[VaughnT]

Great movie overall.

The relationship between Portman and Reanu isn't sexual in nature. Portman is a young girl that doesn't understand what her feelings are as she's going through that phase of life where hormones and physiological changes really do a job on the psyche. She sees Reanu as a lover, saviour, father, and friend. This is a dominant adult male that shows honest concern for her well-being, without being verbally or mentally abusive, and as this is a first for her, she equates her appreciation for all that he's done as the feeling of love. She doesn't know how to handle the sudden and violent deaths of her family, or the anger of the bad cops, but she does know that Reanu makes her feel safe and protected and appreciated.......and maybe that's all that love really is. For the first time in her life, she has a man that talks kindly to her and spends "quality time" with her, and includes her in his life and hobbies. That type of inclusive behavior, as demonstrated by Jean Reanu and, I would argue, good fathers around the world, could, and does, form very strong feelings in a newly pubescent girl.

As to the rest of the movie, I enjoyed it. There is a lot of stuff that might not be realistic, but that's half the fun. And I definitely loved the ending with the grenades. That was a very noble way to go!

PS: the guy in the park was hit with a red paintball and survived. Who the guy was supposed to portray is anyone's guess.

 

[Oleg Volk]

Now that I am older than the few teenagers I know, I actually have to be careful about them not misinterpreting concern and good treatment with romantic attitude. Leon probably ran into the same problem. If you read Nabokov (Camera Obscura, for example...I found Lolita unreadably boring and quick half-way through), his premise is very different. His men and women are predatory, and neither Leon nor Matilda characters show that trait.

 

[Joe Demko]

If you like hitman movies, you might want to check out this "Professional."