Léon: The Professional 1994 - Behind the Scenes - Natalie Portman: Starting Young
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 тра 2020
- Like the feature mentioned above, except this one puts the young actress in the spotlight. It covers how she landed the part of Mathilda, how her parents influenced a few significant changes to the original script, and more. Some of her early screen tests are also included here.
Documentary from Léon: The Professional 1994 Blu-ray
#LeonTheProfessional1994 #LeonTheProfessional #NataliePortman #JeanReno #GaryOldman #LucBesson #BehindTheScenes #DeletedScenes #Featurette #Documentary - Фільми й анімація
Absolutely one of the best movies I've ever seen! Natalie and Jen Reno didn't merely play the parts, they became the parts! Just amazing! ;-)
Her, Gary Oldman and Jean Reno - what an ensemble !!! What a dream movie !!
The times where talents and beauty counted. It was the best her role ever.
Yes the movie was incredible for 1994, still is incredible. The 3 leads could not have been better. Oldman was genius at playing his part, I can remember rewatching and rewatching his scenes, his psychopathy was too good.
That door scene with her crying is one of my top moments in cinema history
true
I adored this film so much that i’m left feeling somewhat empty when it finished, I want the film to keep going. I can relate to somewhat of the “Post movie depression” theory. The sound tracks gives a rising feeling in my chest, i kind of want to cry, it’s moving. That’s when you know it’s a good film
1:1 my feelings
I wanted it to keep going also I feel you in the empty part
go do ur homework
@@jamiehotomani7619 that was random
ITS EXTREMELY UNDERRATED TOO
Thank you Natalie for being brave enough to do this and I want to sincerely thank your parents for allowing it. This is one of my all time favourite movies. I just wish there could have been more than one of them. Loved this and loved Natalie. Nobody else could have done a better job of being Matilda. Jean Reno will always be Leon to me.
Your welcome. I wasn't just hanging with her and we watched this video while eating a pizza. She says hello.
One of the best movies I've ever seen. Natalie was awesome.
still is!!
What a great idea! A film about what she goes on to do after she grows up. The Professional Returns.
💕💕💕I'm 1 year older than Natalie and felt in love with her when I first saw this movie in my young age. She's still so beautiful right now and one of the greatest actress ever. A cult film to be seen at least once in a lifetime 💕💕💕
I'm one year younger and had the exact same experience. I also thought the brat/guardian chemistry was great between Natalie and Jean.
💕💕💕@@xlynx9
Yeah every teenager boy fell in love at this time
This movie is right next to Nikita as Besson's best movies. Very well cast leads, especially Jean Reno who captured Leon's naivete perfectly
I’m really glad that her parents put so many boundaries in place, with a lot of parents of child actors they don’t really care about the child and care more about the money. You can really tell that they love her and are like any other normal parents.
How do you figure that? Her parents said it was inappropriate and then let her play the role. Is that the sign of good parenting?
Bllox.
@@lapurdy71 She wanted to be an actress. On Letterman she tells him she did community theatre was offered modeling and said no I want to act. It's healthy for parents to honor a childs interests. It's also appropriate to set boundaries. She is certainly not the first child actor to play a role of a young child in a criminal adrift world. Have you seen Paper Moon.
@@cre8tvedge So, if I child really like the part and wants to be an actor, it is okay to put your 11yo in an over sexualized part?
@@lapurdy71It was rather fare from an oversexualised part. Have you actually seen it? There was one scene were she in a childish way tried to seduce him and he turned her down. It's about a child living in a harsh and brutal environment. He is the only one who protects her. In the end he became a fatherly figure for her.
She have charm, authenticity and a realness that makes her stand out from most other actresses.
She’s so beautiful and talented ❤
She is startlingly good in her audition
And pretty 😍
@@RepoMan-xg8bw Nigga.....
That was my first thought.
There are people in this world who are just naturally uber-cool. Natalie is one of them. A truly lovely girl and rather talented to boot. A new Luc Besson movie, "Mathilda: The Professional" is a must-make.
Got to agree, that would be a totally baddass film.
Gosh, just 5 minutes into this, and I was in tears. One of the best movies ever made.
I just adored the dedication this lady had in the movie. The whole concept of Leon was amazing. Never seen similar compilation of different aspects what only a child actor could bring. One of my favorites of all time. Good movie you can watch over and over finding something new.
lady? she was 11 at the time. lol
This movie is in my 'Hall of Fame' DVD collection! LOVE IT Jean and Natalie are a perfect 'kick ass' pair and she is a star in the making!👍👏👏👏👏
hall of fame 😂😂😂😂 silly boy lol 😅😅😅😅
How badass would it be if Natalie did sequel of Mathilda as a hitman all grown up😭😭
You fool, the whole point was for at the end to become a healthy child.
That would be NEXT LEVEL badassery on the most EXTREME next level of next levels.
Agreed great idea
Actually a sequel named Mathilda was long in talks and planning, but then Luc Besson moved on.
Mathilda: The Professional 2024 🔥
Some kids are so blessed! One of my favorite all-time movies!! Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Luc Besson!! Natalie's star has shown brightly for good reason.
Such a masterpiece! They don't make movies like this anymore
Yes, they do :)
I Love this movie. I watched it more than 10 times and I'm not gonna stop watching it over and over again. This movie is blockbuster which never gonna have even similar version . It lasts for ever !
👏 I agree, I own the movie as a DVD and MP4 format and others I love it soooo much‼️
I would love a “Matilda” Series with a few flash backs as both actors are still alive and could be aged younger for various weapons training scenes and more 🎉
You have to watch Alex Cross. The lead is actor Tyler Perry. Jean Reno also stars in it. Nothing like Madea whatsoever.
Jean Reno...one of the Best 🤩👍
The first time I saw the movie Leon, and Natalie crying at Leon's door to let her in, I was flabbergasted. I knew right then she was going to be a star.
Most powerful scene.
Terrific movie, terrific scene. I was blown away by her acting skills at such a young age. To be able to pull that off during her first time in front of a camera! Just wow!
@@testfire3000 after reading your comment I'm going to check this movie out...thanks
Agreed…
Give her her own Legacy and series of her own…👏 I would love a “Matilda” Series with a few flash backs as both actors are still alive and could be aged younger for various weapons training scenes and more 🎉
One of my favourite movies of all time - mostly because of the character Leon. But Gary Oldman was just amazing. And of course 11-year-old Portman was fabulous too.
And Danny Aiello is just icing on the cake.
@freshfritz4649 gods I'd completely forgotten about him! Thank you, yes!
Luc Besson was a genius in casting her. His talent scout radar must have been going bonkers at the time.
'A Star is Born', this film, more than any other, showed a new talent of mind blowing proportions. You just knew that Natalie had a certain future. Epic, thanks Cine Extras, for your tine.
One of the best films ever made❤
That goodness Natalie's parents were do protective. Natalie's is such a special person in addition to being do talented. Leone's sacrifice in the end of the film is one of the most moving I have ever seen. Natalie's natural reactions were truly special- some of her best work.
what a woman. So humble and real. I saw, and loved, the film in first run before her later successes.
She is the most beautyful and real lady in the film movies. ❤❤❤
This is my favorite movie of all time.
The only movie that got me so emotional & made me cry.
Though Some people have decided to misunderstand the great storyline & that tells a lot about their mindset.
A hit man meets a girl who boycott school without the knowledge of her parents & same parents left her exposed to smoking & other vises & they all got killed but her. He rescued her, asked if she has any family she could go to but she said no & she could be killed the same night if he didn't protect her. He never took advantage of her & several times cautioned her about lusting after him bc she was a kid & it made him feel uncomfortable & didn't understand love, asked her to stop smoking, cursing & don't hang out with thugs. Leon mentioned a lot of times "no women, no kids". Took her on a mission but didn't let her use real bullets & in the end died while protecting her & left money to be given to her for her education & life.
Reminder:99% of action movies are about killing, drugs & other vices. This is just a movie with a wonderful story better than a lot of other Mafia & action movies. If you don't like it, you can watch church always as your own movie. It's a free world.
I couldn’t believe how good she was in this film! Incredible performance!
Beautifully directed, written, acted
I am glad her parents cut down on the inapppropriate stuff that actually was not necessary for the story or characterisation. Thank you!
10:54 when she talks about Luc and his girlfriend, the girlfriend of director Luc Besson at that time was Maiwenn Le Besco who later became his wife. She's the Diva singer from the Fifth Element.
Natalie made a VERY good and important point at the end. Because her kid role was actually in an adult movie, her acting career could easily transition from kid acting to adult acting whilst other child actors that had roles in child movies had issues moving on.
Indeed, there was something eerily 'adult' about that film, considering it was starring a child.
That’s how good she is ❤
This was an absolutely great movie loved her in it, and would love to see a sequel of this as her as a grown-up hitwoman👍🏼🤩🫡❤️
Gary Oldman became my favorite actor after this movie!
Best film ever. I have it downloaded and watch it every so often.
When this first came out in the US market, I knew... This girl is going to be a star for many years to come. Sometimes you just know, a person either has or has not, that star quality and she exudes it still.
I was deeply impressed at this young girls exceptional acting ability. The protective and loving bond between Matilda and Leon is deeply felt. Exceptional cast and brilliant script.
The crying scene at Leon's door was probably the best acting in movie history.
You really have to watch the international version to get a real sense of what the movie is all about. There are quite a number of scenes that were cut from the American version that change the whole relationship dynamic between Matilda and Leon.
This was a brilliant concept and Natalie was epic and still is.
Still one of my favorite movies, perfect cast.
I assume she actually did this interview in 2020 (25 years after the flick) . I really enjoyed the interview though. There's also a David Letterman show on UA-cam long ago. She was perky then too .. and an enjoyable Letterman show. Natalie was a straight A student and proud of it! I'm so happy for the many roles the Professional lead you to. -Dan-
A gift! This firm pushed boundaries to expand and lines to be crossed yet not crossed. If they make a Pro2 I am all in. They should since Hollywood keeps making remakes or Superheros. This would be a treat to watch a part 2.
fun fact : Mathilda's epic champagne laughing fit has been my phone ringtone for 20 years :)
Her acting at such a young age was far better than a lot of adult actors today, bravo Ms Portman!
Her performance in this movie was the best among all her other work.
I swear people say this to act unique. She killed it, but she was a child. She obviously got better as she got older, and movies like Closer and Black Swan prove that.
After rewatching Leon, and other of her earlier films, u were right lmaoo. Leon and Anywhere But Here are her best performances,
hardly. Even her role in her next film "Beautiful Girls" was 1000x deeper and she won an Oscar for Best Actress for Black Swan. Not that she wasn't awesome here but come on.
@@KennedyCopy oh, i haven't seen that film. i did see black swan and didn't think it was that good a movie.
@@bikedawg well maybe stick to Avengers and work your way up
So wholesome when actors are allowed to put some personal experiences in the play. And the parents respectful way of handling smoking also created this beautiful character development in the movie.
I first loved this movie for the acting, the storytelling, and the emotion. Later I watched it more to study film-making and it works so well for that. I sometimes wonder why it isn't used for that purpose -- aspiring movie makers (and actors) could learn so much from it...
I watched the movie first, when I was the same age as Matilda, and then as an adult. It's incredible all the way through. I love all of Luc Besson's films. They all resonate with me. Gary Oldman - that's the best role of his career, hands down. Jean Reno is the only person I can see in this role. Everything is perfect. I wished for a happy ending, but I guess it had to be this way. It's a fictional story anyway. Natalie Portman equally amazing. So glad her parents didn't talk her out of the role.
I fell in love with the sweet innocence of Matilda in the movie and have always held Natalie Portman in the highest regard since first seeing the movie so many years ago. I had no idea it was her first role acting as she did so well. Great movie! I would like to see her in a sequel.
I wish they made a Leon 2 about Matildas life! It sucks that they never did. I hope they do it soonmif it´s not too late. Because that move is the greatest movie ever made(along with shawshank redemption).
And Lo......One of the greatest films ever was born ;)
Remarkable and insightful and articulate interview ❤✊
There is a reason why this film is currently in IMDBs top 50 of all time.
She is the reason.
1:35 Aww, she looks so cute. Reminds me of a little black kitten.
Epic movie. Loved the cinematography. Very unique shots.
difficult subject matter but a flawless film. leon is one of the greats.
This movie was so so good Powerful Amazing, going into it her first movie and total unknown and she flat out Stole the movie she was that good and that is really saying something because Gary Oldman was intensely amazing and very scary and Jean Reno was awesome too.
This movie is a freaking downer man. It's just crippling sadness throughout. Even the moments of levity and happiness are shrouded in darkness. But it does have some fun baddassery, excellent acting, great character development, and by god Gary Oldman stole this entire film.
Saw this when it came out in the theaters. I was blown away by it.
I had so many mixed emotions when i first watched this movie even though I thoroughly enjoyed it but seeing this made me feel much better 😊
Natalie was so incredible in this movie. If ever anyone got robbed of an Oscar, she deserved one for her role. I mean, they gave Sean Penn one. She was far far more deserving as Mathilda.
Knowing how good she was in Leon, I was shocked how bad she was in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. It had to be the horrible writing and bad directing.
She was and still is stunningly beautiful.
This is a crazy good movie, and it's amazing how such a dark hard-boiled, crime-filled, dark movie actually made space for such an excellent and touching performance from Natalie. 11 at the time, I can totally understand the parents' concerns and how many things need to be taken into account not to potentially truly harm a young person, but at the same time I'm marveled at how it can bring forth the true artist and human in them. Fascinating stuff to ponder.
Great interview, thank you.
Fantastic movie, Nat was divine in it.
A sequel with "Old Tony" hiring her for one last job would be pretty awesome.
Such a talent…
She was brilliant in this film. One of my favorites.
THIS interview................................IS FOR MATILDA :P
...SO well done!....Thanks for a great film and you and your parents must have a great and respectful relationship...Awesome film and always worth seeing again!!! Great interview too! Thanks agian...!
They need a sequel now. With her as the hit man at her current age.
Great movie, great actors. Nothing else compares.
It helps that Natalie basically has the same haircut as Matilda here.
Oh, and if Besson were nostalgic enough about his film he would probably do pt. 2.
I just loved this film, Natalie's acting was such a huge part of the success of this movie,
So incredibly mature for a 11 year old girl acting out such an adult roll...
one of the top 10 movies of nineties !!!!
It was a great movie. Every actor was perfect
Right out of the box. This girl became a star awsome!
One of my all time favourite films, as well as another Luc Besson, Jean Reno collaboration, The Big Blue.
I take with a huge pinch of salt anything I read or hear that isn't first hand, and oh my, there are so many armchair lunatics that castigate this film because the DO NOT understand it, casting all sorts of aspersions on Luc Besson as the writer and director ...... you can just imagine.
There is NEVER any doubt that the relationship between Leon and Mathilda never oversteps the mark, that the growing but still very innocent awareness of Mathilda develops into a bit of a crush, whereas Leon is simply protective and the father figure she never had.
The armchair experts also elude to all sorts of edits and changes made to the script, and here, from Natalie Portman's own lips, a scene, in which Leon innocently walks in on her to hand her a towel, and it is Mathilda who is the protagonist of sorts, is completely in keeping with the characters we already know.
Portman's performance, Jean Reno, and Gary Oldman (creepy as hell), Danny Aiello (keeps you wondering), are each outstanding in their own right, and then add in the director's imagination, the script and the end result is an engrossing and engaging film, to the end.
Didn't do well at the box office, but sometimes the best films don't.
For anyone that hasn't seen this, do yourself a favour and find it, watch it, and you will then understand. You will not be disappointed.
I was in high school when this film was released. I considered myself a film geek at the time, often mocking movies with weak actors or featuring annoying young actors (more recently Yellowstone grand son, Homeland Brody's daughter). Portman left me in my tracks after I watched the Professional. To this day one of my top 5 favorite films. It' was probably no small feat to cast a young, inexperienced 11 year old actress and build an entire budget around her character. A major risk I'm glad the producers pulled off.
What can one say about Natalie that has not already been said? Was obviously an exceptional film. Everything she brought to her part was above and beyond excellent. I enjoyed this old interview of her perception of the role and how it impacted her life afterwords. Would be interesting to see something current from her about this now that she is 30 years older. To see her play a continuation of her character many years later would have been interesting. I think that boat has sailed now though. lol Although, she could do the whole mom or grandma thing to instruct, protect or teach offspring from her experiences. But let's be honest, it's been done many times already. I like how actors like this can discuss the character being detached from it being them.
Love that movie!
Great film, great performances from all, including Natalie.
An extraordinary debut.
One of my all time fav movies.
been waiting for part 2 since the movie came out...and its been 30 yrs now...we need that sequel and to be titled "MATILDA"
There’s already a movie named Matilda and a musical named Matilda. How about Matilda the Professional
I love this, I am glad I saw and have the international version of this movie, Natalie is at her best in this first role.
I remember when Leon came out, saw the year after it was released and the movie was an instant cult classic. The way Portman came across in the movie made it seem as if she already had serious experience in acting.
Two of Luc Bessons films are two of the greatest films of the eighties and the nineties ‘Leon’ and ‘The Big Blue’. Still great:)
but not 'Nikita'? I love his films and always use 'Nikita' & 'The Assassin' as a demonstration of the difference between French films and Hollywood. Hollywood took all the subtlety out and made it into a dumb action movie with every plot point explained.
In my top 5
She was the epitome of girlish beauty at 11 and grew into a truly radiant woman.
She was amazing and brilliant for this movie role this movie is one of my favorites. We need a special edition 4k blu-Ray combo pack
great movie seen it a few times a movie too see more than once
One of my favourite films……
This is one of the best movie I have seen ever.
If you haven't seen this film you must for so many reasons.
The really wanted to make a sequel but took sometime to get it done cause they were waiting for Natalie to grow in to the role, but when the time came to it the creator of Leon The Professional is no longer with the studio that owns the film, so he couldn't go through with the sequel cause he doesn't own the rights to it. He just made Columbiana as an indirect sequel but it's not really the same, the charm of the first one was replaced with intensity