"This guy went to Jamaica for one summer and came back different." Best reaction line EVER! On another note... that a 12 year-old could nail a role that requires that level of maturity is almost unbelievable.
Guys like that used to be very common and were praised for being so "open-minded" and atypical. Suddenly a few years ago, they started getting called "culturally appropriating" and stopped immediately.
@@terribanks8633 I’m willing to bet Steph knows him, not sure about Kristen. I’m willing to bet they don’t/didn’t recognize him so young. Portman is still recognizable as is Jean Reno.
Luc Besson had made the movie La Femme Nikita in 1990, where Jean Reno had a smaller role as a "cleaner". Besson couldn't let go of that cleaner character, and made the movie Leon around him, with of course Jean Reno in the role.
I remember Jean Reno's "cleaner" scene in "La Femme Nikita" but I didn't realise that he played the exact same person in both movies. Thank you for the insight!
@@tubekulose I wouldn't call them the exact same person. As you know then, they are tonally very very different. I'd say León is a fleshed out expansion of the character. The cleaner in Nikita is just a 1 dimensional psychopath.
That movie was mid and was saved by its costume design To this day I dont know if there is any director as overrated as Luc Besson, even if we ignore that he is a pedophile and both of his most well known movies are about a child who acts like an adult and an adult woman who acts like an child, they are really not that good
The international version of the film is 25 minutes longer and you see more of Mathilda’s training. I highly recommend checking it out if you are looking to rewatch the film in the future.
@@ivindhimsett9803 Totally. Being from the US, the edited version wall all I knew for several years. When the extended version became available I picked it up and disappointed in the version we got as well. The international cut is indeed superior.
The International version's "training montage" was great! The other scene where "Matilda gets drunk at the restaurant" ruins it for me though. Now I'm older I prefer the cut version (same as Aliens).
@@Morris1581back then $100 bucks was a lot for a kid. Also Tony needs to get back on his feet and hopefully she'll get more when he's more stable and not being hounded by the DEA.
Fun fact, the movie "Colombiana" was originally written as a sequel to this and was supposed to be Mathilda as an cleaner. It was reworked to a standalone film after some "creative differences"
@unlimited971 yes, the original plan was to bring back Natalie Portman but due to creative differences, availability, etc. they rewrote it and recast it as a standalone movie.
I saw this movie in the theater a few decades ago. In that time, I've noticed that ONLY women come to the conclusion that Leon had "no life," before he met Matilda. This may be a fundamental difference between men and women. Most men, would be fine with this life. In our spare time, what do men do? Not talk. We go fishing, we get up early and go hunting, in silence. We play golf....minor chatting. We work on the car, or outside, or cleaning guns, or building model boats, or ANYTHING, that just involves solitude and silence. I'm not saying that Matilda didnt add to his life. She did. BUT.....if she didnt come along, Leon was just fine: watching old movies, cleaning his plant, working out. For a guy, it's a good life.
That’s how men USED to be. Nowadays, a lot of them talk more than women and are super emotional and needy. I myself can’t stand people like that, especially when they’re “men”.
While he is not unhappy in his quiet life, it may be more accurate to say Leon doesn't grow up emotionally until Matilda. He is stuck on his childhood love, dwelling in the past and doing the only thing he knows. She forces him out of his bubble, like a manic pixie murder girl, and he starts to grow up both in taking care of her and navigating her emotional journey.
It is better to be happy alone than unhappy with people, it says more about a person who thinks you cant be happy alone. I would rather have 3 friends and bro's who I see twice a year, than know 100 people who I see every day.
It's a shame Besson's "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" was such a meh movie. I did love the old French comic (and even have an limited print artwork hanging on my study).
Both have their charm. I think The Professional runs a little tighter narratively but the depth of character exploration in Leon is obviously superior.
@@StanleyKubick1 No. I invite you to watch another reaction video: ua-cam.com/video/x2Rl1AYVd48/v-deo.html The reactor had the best understanding of that movie I've ever witnessed. It was astonishing to me, and also helped me understand. Especially, how abused kid (Mathilda) and abused people (Leon) would react, and why it all made sense. There are several layers to a movie and I'm not saying you HAVE TO understand it this way or that way. But I'm not ok if you stop at one layer and claim it to be "the truth". Only dumb people do that.
I'm European and in Europe Leon is just called Leon. Not "Leon, The Professional". In the US version you've just watched, there are bits that show how vulnerable and lost Leon is, and "flirtacious" bits where Matilda is expressing her "love" for Leon, but he does a great job of explaining that he would never go there, and she accepts it. I think in the US version, there is a scene that more or less does the same, but the US censor thought the US audience wouldn't understand the emotional immaturity of Leon, and think they were both going to "get it on", which every European never thought they were .
@@musicmaker34 it means he knows he's not in control today. It's the kind of phrase you'd expect from a guy used to killing people and never facing much danger.
You should have watched the longer extended international cut. The extended cut has more scenes of Natalie Portman being trained in the field. Hands on.
You want to see more of Mathilda'a training? There is an international, kind of DIRECTOR'S CUT of the movie, where you get exactly that. Also the relation between Leon and Mathilda gets more screentime. This version has a 22 minutes longer runtime.
@@TheMiddlingGamer Yeah. It's just easier to look past in the shorter version. I find the longer version truly uncomfortable to watch sometimes if I'm honest.
Long before "focus groups", DEI, ESG, cheap-ass CGI... but most importantly, long before social media. Back then, you knew nothing about a movie until a trailer came out, and then nothing again until it hit the theaters. Now, if you try to make a movie, everyone's gonna have a million opinions about it before you even start shooting. Can you imagine making this movie today ? The cast would give away all the plot twists a year before it hits the big screen, and you'd have to rewrite it anyway because all the SJW on Earth got their panties in a bunch over a little girl falling in love with a much older man.
@@krisbrown6692Nikita or Point of No Return is a good headcanon given Luc Besson's involvement. Mine is Columbiana (co-written & produced by Besson) 😉
Gary Oldman is an acting god. You can watch three or more movies with him and not notice it’s him till either halfway through or you look it up. This, Dracula, Fifth Element, Dark Knight series… the list goes on and on.
Great reaction Steph & Kristen like always. Natalie Portman's performance while waiting for Leon to open the door is freaking amazing. Her fear cast shadows. The Director’s Cut is more disturbing on the relationship level, but it also clarifies things. She comes on more strongly, even asking him to be her “first.” Leon responds by telling her that he was in love only once and that the father of his girlfriend killed her when he found out they were going to elope. So Leon killed the dad, moved to NY, and became an assassin. Leon says this woman was the only one and, because of that, he wouldn’t be a good lover. Portman chills out a little after that. So…more disturbing. But it also fleshes out their relationship. They aren’t lovers, but they do love each. Not romantically, but as literally the only people they have in their lives to love. So the lines of what kind of love gets blurred a bit, even if he never, ever crosses a sexual line with her. And a fun-fact, Gary Oldman improvise almost all of his lines on this movie, including the famous "Eeeevvryyyonnneeee". There was talks about a sequel for Leon: the Professional. The sequel was named Matilda, it was under development limbo for a long time since the film required for Natalie Portman to be older and more mature, unfortunately both Portman and Luc Besson moved to other projects. The script was scrapped and the story morphed into Zoe Saldana’s Colombiana (2011), critics trashed it, but audience seem to like it. Keep up the good work.
The director's cut also goes a lot more in depth from a training aspect. And we see their expectation that he would train her to be a world class cleaner, while not complete due to Leon's death, was well on its way in that direction.
It should also be noted that Mathilda's mom is a prostitute and her older sister looks to be heading in the same direction. Her parents arent exactly subtle about their activities when mom is 'working from home' either! She has a distinctly warped idea of human affection.
A/ I'm glad I never saw that extended cut, it adds nothing to the story. B/ I saw Columbiana when it came out. Never made an association with this movie, so I guess this was a good rewrite. Eminently forgettable. The only reason I remember watching it is the context : it was a very hot summer, and I didn't have AC, so we went to the movies. This had gun and a chick nobody knew at the time. It did the job for us.
You are one of the few reaction channels that really gets this movie. You understand where Matilda came from and why she feels this love, and what it really means. Too many people get caught up on a twelve-year-old saying that she loves this man. If Matilda had in a few weeks learned enough to break in and rescue Leon, the movie we have lost its realism. It would have taken years of training to get good enough for that. However , you realize that's not what the movie is about However, you realize that's not what the movie is about.
Lol little fun fact in the resident evil 4 game there is a character named leon who has a pistol and he calls it Matilda that’s his favorite pistol based on the girl Natalie Portman portrays
This movie is really like fine art. It yanks you out of your comfort zone, forcefully at times, and keeps you there, all while it hits you with some of the best storyline, direction, and acting to experience. Natalie was 12 when this was filmed. She was 13 when she did the rounds on the talk shows. She was so unique for a young lady that age. Watch the letterman interview. It's crazy. Anyway, one of the best movies. Great reaction. Thank you.
Another great Jean Reno film is called "Wasabi" - it may have another name given to it for it elsewhere or other countries though - (But for the UK it was Wasabi)? In that he plays a former French Special Forces or Government Black Ops operator, who after retiring becomes a similar awkward type of policeman . . . Let us just say he has his own methods of his way of policing in it - until he receives a call from Japan . . . I won't give you any actual spoilers to it - but if you liked Leon this much, you'll also probably love Wasabi, too . . . Enjoy - and I await your reactions to it, eventually, ladies! 😁🤔
@@PsychoGemini wasabi feel like an unofficial adaptation of City hunter without Ryo Saeba perversity. The story could be easily edited to be a sequel set 20 years after city hunter.
When i first saw this i was blown away by the acting. The story is amazing and watching the interaction between portman and reno is just brilliant. Even today this film is just phenomenal. Definitely in my top 5 favourite films ever.
This movie is a hidden gem, and I'm glad you two get it. So many reactors are offended about Matilda's pseudo-sexual confused romantic feelings about Leon, as if it's Leon that's making advances toward her. Leon kept things fatherly and appropriate. It's Matilda that is in a confused prepubescent state, having grown up in such an inappropriate situation. No wonder she's so confused about it all. I don't understand how so many people take it all wrong.
I think he has a twisted code of morality. Meaning that on one hand, he definitely does take advantage of Leon (as in: asking way more than $5K per hit) but on the other hand, he'll never cheat a guy of the money he's holding for them. You know what they say about believable bad guys : in their minds they are doing what's right.
@@TheNefastor Leon lives like a poor peasant. He is absolutely cheating him of his money. He has no intention of ever giving it to him, or to the girl. He was using Leon, and he was not his friend.
@@roems6396 you didn't watch the movie, clearly. He keeps moving around. He can't own much while working. He's not gonna rent a U-haul every time he has to get away quick and find another place. DUH.
@@TheNefastor I own the movie bud. That means nothing at all. He only keeps moving because things happened. There is absolutely no reason that he is living in such crap holes. There is no reason he isn’t given a dime of his money, except the pittance that the boss allows him. You clearly don’t understand what is happening.
Of course Natalie Portman, Jean Reno and Gary Oldman are amazing but I do love Danny Aiello in this movie. He does a great job with very little. An underrated character actor.
One of my absolute favorite movies. I wish they would make a sequel to this movie now that she is older. Where she became this awesome assassin. Great reaction.
I really loved this movie , despite it's dark side , but many many people on the 'main road of life' would reject it because of the violence . Credit to both of you for balancing the positive and negative storytelling . Also great acting .
Very nice reaction, girls! I especially like that you drew the right conclusions from the movie, the relationship between Léon and Matilda and the whole situation. I would recommend 'The Fifth Element' as another Luc Besson movie and I think you will like it too. 😄
47:30 If you watched "The Professional", then you saw the US version that was cut down. If you watched Leon, then you saw the full version. If you saw the scene where the dope gets burned up, then you saw Leon. Leon has more about the training and their relationship.
I recently learned Netflix has The Professional (what they watched), but bait 'n' switches using Léon: The Professional title. Not cool Netflix. The International/Long Version is 133 minutes, for anyone looking for that one.
That was him thinking of giving her mercy to this life. Leon is pure magic from Luc Besson. It is one of the most deep films ever made and to this day is as fresh as the 1st time it blew me away in the cinema. Try watching Besson's other movies they are amazing. Happy watching.
Leon wasn't gonna kill her because of her inconvenience. He was gonna kill her to put her out of her misery. It was more an act of mercy. Other related movies I highly recommend: -The Fifth Element (Luc Besson) -Ronin (Jean Reno) -V for Vendetta (Natalie Portman) -Bram Stoker's Dracula (Gary Oldman)
Good reaction, ladies. Btw, the constant references to 'Beethoven that Gary Oldman's character made in this movie was actually an Easter Egg inside joke since at the same time in 1994 during the filming of this movie, he was also filming the 1994 movie 'Immortal Beloved' in which he played the title role of Ludwig Van Beethoven. That 1994 movie ('Immortal Beloved') is one of the most underrated movies ever....it's very good, and I would suggest that you should definitely check it out. You would probably be one of the first UA-cam movie reactors to react to "Immortal Beloved". Without giving away any spoilers, the movie is a historical Rom-Dram-Mystery based on the life of Beethoven. AWESOME MOVIE...and it is actually also my favorite Gary Oldman movies. 'Immortal Beloved' (1994) ---- definitely worth checking out.
I really enjoyed this video. I would suggest watching the uncut version where you do get to see more of her training and their relationship fleshed out. It's not much longer than this, but it does give you what you want. The reason this version came out here is because it does push some barriers (nothing too bad though).
Natalie Portman was my first crush. I was about her age in this at the time. Also this is easily Gary Oldman's finest acting performance, out of many he did. In my opinion of course
Hi Steph & Kristen, I`m glad you enjoyed this film, this was the first film I saw with Jean Reno as a lead actor. I had seen him in the 1990 film La Femme Nikita & after this film I was interested in his work. It would be great to see you react to Jean Reno`s 1993 Comedy/Fantasy film (Les Visiteurs). In which he portrays a 12th Century French Knight.
"Please tell me it's a bad guy you're shooting..." That jogger in the park was a depiction of then president Bill Clinton. It wasn't mentioned specifically, but he was famous for going on jogs every day with the Secret Service even when traveling.
this movie made me a huge fan of those three since i saw this movie in the 90's...natalie portman, gary oldman and jean reno! and to this day i still feel bad they have to get the character 'leon' killed. the way gary oldman shouted 'everyone!!' became iconic and even used in the video game need for speed: most wanted
The relationship of both Matilda and Leo was uncomfortable but as the story progress we fall in love with both of them 💝 💝 Direcor Luc Besson wrote this stroy based on his own relationship with the girl way younger than him ..
You really need to se The Fifth Element next, by the same director. It's insanely good. You also have Gary Oldman in it that one too, together with Bruce Willis and Milla Jovović
Great reaction 😊 I watched this movie in the theater (I'm old) heh... but I loved it. It didn't do well in the theater, but word got around about how amazing it was, and video stores couldn't keep it on the shelves.
The acting in this film is superb. One thing I never noticed till recently is that leon isn't in human mode, his actions are awkward, gangly. But when he is killing he's smooth. Just little things like that make this movie. And I think EVERYONE would agree.
This is the American version of the film. The considerably better "version international" does contain scenes showing more training and set up for "The ring trick". Masterpiece. A lot of people who do not understand the film have "issues" with the longer version, it demonstrates what they bring to the viewing experience rather than what the story is being told. I think you pair would get it, women tend to more than men. Well worth watching if you're up for a re-watch. Oldman is amazing is this. Everyone knows that.
@@toddjones1480 I highly recommend you read the book "Hitchcock/Truffautt" and pay attention to the chapter discussing Hitchcock's "Man on a park bench" audience experimental film. "You only bring what you want to see", its the people who read into it that should be on that "watch list" matey.
I always thought that version was uncomfortable but that it toed the line, so I thought it worked as a darker but still watchable version. Then I found out Luc Besson, the director, started dating his second wife when she was 15 and he was 32, before Leon was made. So anyone getting creeped out has all the rights in the world to do so. I'm just happy Portman's parents kept an eye on things during the filming. He got his claws on Milla Jovovich when filming the 5th Element instead. At least she was 19...
it's not that they don't understand it, the director was confirmed to be a pedophile or have adjacent interests, which changes the nature of this part of the plot a LOT.
Luc besson is an awesome director. Very stylistic. You should watch more of his (french) movies. Jean reno's movies are awesome too , wasabi, crimson rivers , etc
"This guy went to Jamaica for one summer and came back different." Best reaction line EVER!
On another note... that a 12 year-old could nail a role that requires that level of maturity is almost unbelievable.
Jack Black in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I feel like that's pretty much the most accurate description of Willi One Blood anyone could give.
Hilarious 😂
@@ryanmckenna3503The Broken Lizard crew parody that look in Club Dread 🤣🤣🤣
Guys like that used to be very common and were praised for being so "open-minded" and atypical. Suddenly a few years ago, they started getting called "culturally appropriating" and stopped immediately.
gary oldman gives one of the best 90s performaces , great villian
EVERYONE!!!
😆
AMEN
They don't appear to be familiar with him.
@@terribanks8633 I’m willing to bet Steph knows him, not sure about Kristen. I’m willing to bet they don’t/didn’t recognize him so young. Portman is still recognizable as is Jean Reno.
I always felt it was very cartoonish. But maybe that fits this film.
One of my favorite Gary Oldman performances. Screaming “EVERYONE” is just such an iconic line for a simple as it is
Yes. That and the “AAAHHH” Jean Reno does before they blow up the apartment with the parachute flare.
What do you mean "Everyone!" 😆
@@wartyrant8627 the EVERRRYYYYONNNNEEE line Gary Oldman improvised that and they kept it in the film
@@thundertmf that’s dope 🎥 and STILL intense after seeing it so many times 🔥
The child who was forced to grow up too quickly meets the adult who never grew up.
I lean to can't grow up. He seems to have some sort of limited intellectual development and is taken advantage of by his employer.
Reno played his character a bit "special" because people would see him as a predator . Not so much as one being manipulated. @mormacil
Solid comment. I never thought of it like that.
Yes, in fact he has the brain of an 16 year old teenager.
@@hewhoshallnotbenamed7862yeah, seeing as the director had a bit of a…..yeah….
Gary Oldman just embodying terror. The definitive performance.
Luc Besson had made the movie La Femme Nikita in 1990, where Jean Reno had a smaller role as a "cleaner". Besson couldn't let go of that cleaner character, and made the movie Leon around him, with of course Jean Reno in the role.
I remember Jean Reno's "cleaner" scene in "La Femme Nikita" but I didn't realise that he played the exact same person in both movies. Thank you for the insight!
@@tubekulose I wouldn't call them the exact same person. As you know then, they are tonally very very different. I'd say León is a fleshed out expansion of the character. The cleaner in Nikita is just a 1 dimensional psychopath.
No, in Nikita he plays a psychopathic cleaner named Victor, there is no comparison between him and leon besides the profession.
If you want another Luc Besson masterpiece that would be Fifth Element…
Yeah, the girl at the beginning in the hotel room with the target was, at that time, Luc Besson's wife who also played the Diva in The Fifth Element.
or Nikita
A minor masterpiece by Besson: ANGEL A. Loveletter to Paris...and very much his favorite trope.
That movie was mid and was saved by its costume design
To this day I dont know if there is any director as overrated as Luc Besson, even if we ignore that he is a pedophile and both of his most well known movies are about a child who acts like an adult and an adult woman who acts like an child, they are really not that good
No.
Bring me everyone. EVERYONE!!! is an iconic line.
that one scene made it one of the best villain performances of all time
It's really the delivery that makes the line. So if you ever use it, you gotta yell it.
The international version of the film is 25 minutes longer and you see more of Mathilda’s training. I highly recommend checking it out if you are looking to rewatch the film in the future.
As a European the US version is a huge let down from what I originally saw.
@@ivindhimsett9803 Totally. Being from the US, the edited version wall all I knew for several years. When the extended version became available I picked it up and disappointed in the version we got as well. The international cut is indeed superior.
I haven't heard that it has a longer version. i will be watching that today.
The International version's "training montage" was great! The other scene where "Matilda gets drunk at the restaurant" ruins it for me though. Now I'm older I prefer the cut version (same as Aliens).
@@XanderCrease Luc Besson couldn't leave his own creepiness out of the full cut.
That last scene with Danny Aiello and the kid totally busts me up. He was a great actor. RIP.
I think Tony is a good Guy, but He gives her only 100$?
1000$ would be better or Help her.
@@Morris1581back then $100 bucks was a lot for a kid. Also Tony needs to get back on his feet and hopefully she'll get more when he's more stable and not being hounded by the DEA.
@@Morris1581 you're forgetting inflation.
Fun fact, the movie "Colombiana" was originally written as a sequel to this and was supposed to be Mathilda as an cleaner. It was reworked to a standalone film after some "creative differences"
Colombiana... isn t with the woman who play gamora in guardian of the galaxy?
@unlimited971 yes, the original plan was to bring back Natalie Portman but due to creative differences, availability, etc. they rewrote it and recast it as a standalone movie.
@@sethshockey1114 IIRC, Besson switched studios but The Professional rights didn't come with him.
@@thatHARVguy that was a part of it for sure as well
I love Colombiana, great movie
I saw this movie in the theater a few decades ago. In that time, I've noticed that ONLY women come to the conclusion that Leon had "no life," before he met Matilda. This may be a fundamental difference between men and women. Most men, would be fine with this life. In our spare time, what do men do? Not talk. We go fishing, we get up early and go hunting, in silence. We play golf....minor chatting. We work on the car, or outside, or cleaning guns, or building model boats, or ANYTHING, that just involves solitude and silence. I'm not saying that Matilda didnt add to his life. She did. BUT.....if she didnt come along, Leon was just fine: watching old movies, cleaning his plant, working out. For a guy, it's a good life.
That’s how men USED to be. Nowadays, a lot of them talk more than women and are super emotional and needy. I myself can’t stand people like that, especially when they’re “men”.
While he is not unhappy in his quiet life, it may be more accurate to say Leon doesn't grow up emotionally until Matilda. He is stuck on his childhood love, dwelling in the past and doing the only thing he knows. She forces him out of his bubble, like a manic pixie murder girl, and he starts to grow up both in taking care of her and navigating her emotional journey.
Nah bro thats cap when u hit 40 years its so sad to be lonley
@@jamiraquai1 "sad to be lonely"? It sounds redundant. Is that some sort of gen alpha slang? 😆
It is better to be happy alone than unhappy with people, it says more about a person who thinks you cant be happy alone.
I would rather have 3 friends and bro's who I see twice a year, than know 100 people who I see every day.
One , amongst many, of Gary Oldman's most iconic performances!
i recommend you :
★ *The Fifth Element* (1997)
_Gary Oldman , Bruce Willis & Milla Jovovich_
Directed by *Luc Besson* (LEON's Director)
★ *La Femme Nikita* (1990)
_Anne Parillaud & _*_Jean Reno_*_ (LEON)_
_Directed by _*_Luc Besson_*_ (LEON's Director)_
BONUS TRACK
★ *Black Swan* (2010) 🔥
_starring _*_Natalie Portman_*
Directed by *Darren Aronofsky*
,
“It’s MY turn!” 🦢
Nikita! My first Besson/Reno film. Leon is the film you get when you watch Victor the Cleaner and want an entire film of that.
It's a shame Besson's "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" was such a meh movie. I did love the old French comic (and even have an limited print artwork hanging on my study).
The longer cut is my favorite film of all time.
It's kind of hard to watch the US version now, knowing what was sliced out.
i have only seen this version. I'll have to keep an eye out for this
Both have their charm. I think The Professional runs a little tighter narratively but the depth of character exploration in Leon is obviously superior.
y'all just simping for the inappropriate love story
She was grooming him,@@StanleyKubick1.
@@StanleyKubick1 No. I invite you to watch another reaction video: ua-cam.com/video/x2Rl1AYVd48/v-deo.html
The reactor had the best understanding of that movie I've ever witnessed. It was astonishing to me, and also helped me understand. Especially, how abused kid (Mathilda) and abused people (Leon) would react, and why it all made sense. There are several layers to a movie and I'm not saying you HAVE TO understand it this way or that way. But I'm not ok if you stop at one layer and claim it to be "the truth". Only dumb people do that.
I'm European and in Europe Leon is just called Leon. Not "Leon, The Professional". In the US version you've just watched, there are bits that show how vulnerable and lost Leon is, and "flirtacious" bits where Matilda is expressing her "love" for Leon, but he does a great job of explaining that he would never go there, and she accepts it.
I think in the US version, there is a scene that more or less does the same, but the US censor thought the US audience wouldn't understand the emotional immaturity of Leon, and think they were both going to "get it on", which every European never thought they were .
‘Don’t ever do that again or I will break your head’🤣 Leon with the one liners
Kinda cool how you admired that guy's snakeskin shoes while he was dying by hanging.
"Death is whimsical today" will always be my absolute fave quote from any movie.
meaning of this quote
@@musicmaker34 it means he knows he's not in control today. It's the kind of phrase you'd expect from a guy used to killing people and never facing much danger.
You should have watched the longer extended international cut.
The extended cut has more scenes of Natalie Portman being trained in the field.
Hands on.
You want to see more of Mathilda'a training? There is an international, kind of DIRECTOR'S CUT of the movie, where you get exactly that. Also the relation between Leon and Mathilda gets more screentime.
This version has a 22 minutes longer runtime.
Its the much better Version 👍🏻
The longer cut is good but also makes their relationship creepy in my opinion.
@@Riggswolfe It's almost as if that is kinda the whole point of their relationship
@@TheMiddlingGamer Yeah. It's just easier to look past in the shorter version. I find the longer version truly uncomfortable to watch sometimes if I'm honest.
@@Riggswolfe Poor thing (￣ლ￣๑)
Luc Besson actually had a previous assassin film. LA femme Nikita, which predates this film. And features the same actor.
Awesome film.
He co-wrote and produced Columbiana as well. Man loves him a lady assassin.
The Fifth Element (1997) and La Femme Nikita (1990) are a must watch. Just so good.
"The Big Blue" (1988), also with Jean Reno as lead.
@@JoergWeida not exactly the lead in that movie, but an important side character.
I cry each Time I watch this movie. One of the best movies ever.
They dont make movies like this no more. WHAT A MOVIE!!!!!
Long before "focus groups", DEI, ESG, cheap-ass CGI... but most importantly, long before social media. Back then, you knew nothing about a movie until a trailer came out, and then nothing again until it hit the theaters. Now, if you try to make a movie, everyone's gonna have a million opinions about it before you even start shooting. Can you imagine making this movie today ? The cast would give away all the plot twists a year before it hits the big screen, and you'd have to rewrite it anyway because all the SJW on Earth got their panties in a bunch over a little girl falling in love with a much older man.
Would love to see Natalie Portman do a part 2 and continue this story.
My head canon is that La Femme Nikita is the sequel to this.
@@krisbrown6692Nikita or Point of No Return is a good headcanon given Luc Besson's involvement. Mine is Columbiana (co-written & produced by Besson) 😉
Please no.
Colombiana is the rewritten sequel.
IIRC, Besson switched studios but The Professional rights didn't come with him. Hence Mathilda was rewritten to be Colombiana.
You know, who's got to see this movie? EVERYONE!!!!!
Gary Oldman is an acting god. You can watch three or more movies with him and not notice it’s him till either halfway through or you look it up.
This, Dracula, Fifth Element, Dark Knight series… the list goes on and on.
This is probably the best Luc Besson movie - humor, action, drama - a bit of everything that work so well together.
And the best score of Eric Serra.
The Fifth Element is on the same level for me. And Korben Dallas does feel like Leon a bit.
Great reaction Steph & Kristen like always. Natalie Portman's performance while waiting for Leon to open the door is freaking amazing. Her fear cast shadows. The Director’s Cut is more disturbing on the relationship level, but it also clarifies things. She comes on more strongly, even asking him to be her “first.” Leon responds by telling her that he was in love only once and that the father of his girlfriend killed her when he found out they were going to elope. So Leon killed the dad, moved to NY, and became an assassin. Leon says this woman was the only one and, because of that, he wouldn’t be a good lover. Portman chills out a little after that. So…more disturbing.
But it also fleshes out their relationship. They aren’t lovers, but they do love each. Not romantically, but as literally the only people they have in their lives to love. So the lines of what kind of love gets blurred a bit, even if he never, ever crosses a sexual line with her. And a fun-fact, Gary Oldman improvise almost all of his lines on this movie, including the famous "Eeeevvryyyonnneeee".
There was talks about a sequel for Leon: the Professional. The sequel was named Matilda, it was under development limbo for a long time since the film required for Natalie Portman to be older and more mature, unfortunately both Portman and Luc Besson moved to other projects. The script was scrapped and the story morphed into Zoe Saldana’s Colombiana (2011), critics trashed it, but audience seem to like it. Keep up the good work.
The director's cut also goes a lot more in depth from a training aspect. And we see their expectation that he would train her to be a world class cleaner, while not complete due to Leon's death, was well on its way in that direction.
It should also be noted that Mathilda's mom is a prostitute and her older sister looks to be heading in the same direction.
Her parents arent exactly subtle about their activities when mom is 'working from home' either!
She has a distinctly warped idea of human affection.
A/ I'm glad I never saw that extended cut, it adds nothing to the story. B/ I saw Columbiana when it came out. Never made an association with this movie, so I guess this was a good rewrite. Eminently forgettable. The only reason I remember watching it is the context : it was a very hot summer, and I didn't have AC, so we went to the movies. This had gun and a chick nobody knew at the time. It did the job for us.
You are one of the few reaction channels that really gets this movie. You understand where Matilda came from and why she feels this love, and what it really means. Too many people get caught up on a twelve-year-old saying that she loves this man.
If Matilda had in a few weeks learned enough to break in and rescue Leon, the movie we have lost its realism. It would have taken years of training to get good enough for that. However , you realize that's not what the movie is about However, you realize that's not what the movie is about.
Lol little fun fact in the resident evil 4 game there is a character named leon who has a pistol and he calls it Matilda that’s his favorite pistol based on the girl Natalie Portman portrays
Resident evil 2
@@neonghost8608 its also on resident evil 4 as but yeah your right
Another Outstanding Performance from Gary Oldman He Should Have Got an Oscar or at very Least Nominated A Great Action/Thriller
Gary Oldman one of my favorite actors
i missed Stephs reactions so much! im glad to see her on here again
Kristen is hilarious with who she considers 'trustworthy'. I'm in awe of Gary Oldman's range as an actor.
She was O for 2, a horrible judge of character! Starting with dad, who seemed so sweet!
This movie is really like fine art. It yanks you out of your comfort zone, forcefully at times, and keeps you there, all while it hits you with some of the best storyline, direction, and acting to experience. Natalie was 12 when this was filmed. She was 13 when she did the rounds on the talk shows. She was so unique for a young lady that age. Watch the letterman interview. It's crazy. Anyway, one of the best movies. Great reaction. Thank you.
All time classic! Oldman is awesome in this! Portman showing hints of the Oscar caliber talent here
Another great Jean Reno film is called "Wasabi" - it may have another name given to it for it elsewhere or other countries though - (But for the UK it was Wasabi)? In that he plays a former French Special Forces or Government Black Ops operator, who after retiring becomes a similar awkward type of policeman . . . Let us just say he has his own methods of his way of policing in it - until he receives a call from Japan . . . I won't give you any actual spoilers to it - but if you liked Leon this much, you'll also probably love Wasabi, too . . . Enjoy - and I await your reactions to it, eventually, ladies! 😁🤔
Wasabi is a fantastic fun movie.
@@PsychoGemini wasabi feel like an unofficial adaptation of City hunter without Ryo Saeba perversity. The story could be easily edited to be a sequel set 20 years after city hunter.
@@chevalierkraken That actually works for me.
When i first saw this i was blown away by the acting. The story is amazing and watching the interaction between portman and reno is just brilliant. Even today this film is just phenomenal. Definitely in my top 5 favourite films ever.
Now you know why Sgt Angel keeps a Japanese Peace Lily in 'Hot Fuzz'.
One of the greatest french movies of all time. I absolutely love Leon, Natalie Portman is purely stunning in this.
That " EVERYONE" got you 😂
Gary Oldman’s pill is Librium.
Used to treat anxiety, insomnia and withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and/or drug abuse.
This movie is a hidden gem, and I'm glad you two get it. So many reactors are offended about Matilda's pseudo-sexual confused romantic feelings about Leon, as if it's Leon that's making advances toward her. Leon kept things fatherly and appropriate. It's Matilda that is in a confused prepubescent state, having grown up in such an inappropriate situation. No wonder she's so confused about it all. I don't understand how so many people take it all wrong.
"Her dad .. seems too sweet ... "
🤨🤔😁🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Something about the banality of evil.
This film still holds up to this very day. Such a good film the acting and cinematography is out of this world!
What a classic it takes me back...my favorite from Luc Besson will always be Faith Element bc me and my family quote every line
This has been one of my favourite movies since I saw it years ago
"La Femme Nikita" (1990 original)
"The Accountant" (2016)
"The November Man" (2014)
"Harry Brown" (2009)
"Ronin" (1998)
"The Peacemaker" (1997)
"R.E.D." (2010)
"Death Wish" (1974)
"The Eiger Sanction" (1975)
"Jack Reacher" (2012)
"Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997)
The Peacemaker-1007 isn't about an assassin.
Ronin is pretty much a legendary movie.
I think Gary Oldman is the greatest actor in history.
“He seems trustworthy? I think they have a bond?” Dude is exhibiting every sign in the book that he is lying and taking advantage of Leon.
I think he has a twisted code of morality. Meaning that on one hand, he definitely does take advantage of Leon (as in: asking way more than $5K per hit) but on the other hand, he'll never cheat a guy of the money he's holding for them. You know what they say about believable bad guys : in their minds they are doing what's right.
@@TheNefastor
Leon lives like a poor peasant. He is absolutely cheating him of his money. He has no intention of ever giving it to him, or to the girl. He was using Leon, and he was not his friend.
@@roems6396 you didn't watch the movie, clearly. He keeps moving around. He can't own much while working. He's not gonna rent a U-haul every time he has to get away quick and find another place. DUH.
@@TheNefastor
I own the movie bud. That means nothing at all. He only keeps moving because things happened. There is absolutely no reason that he is living in such crap holes. There is no reason he isn’t given a dime of his money, except the pittance that the boss allows him. You clearly don’t understand what is happening.
@@roems6396 and you clearly overestimate your intelligence. So we're gonna end this exchange now.
Oldman was amazing in this film
jean reno and Natalie portman 🔥🔥🔥
Yay Stephs back and watching Leo the Profesional.
Leon*
My personal favorite. Natalie as Mathilda has never been better even though she's my favorite actress and Gary is iconic as Stansfield
I honestly think Natalie Portman peaked with that movie. Not through any fault of her own, just that no role has challenged her as much as this one.
Of course Natalie Portman, Jean Reno and Gary Oldman are amazing but I do love Danny Aiello in this movie. He does a great job with very little. An underrated character actor.
One of my absolute favorite movies. I wish they would make a sequel to this movie now that she is older. Where she became this awesome assassin. Great reaction.
I really loved this movie , despite it's dark side , but many many people on the 'main road of life' would reject it because of the violence . Credit to both of you for balancing the positive and negative storytelling . Also great acting .
Very nice reaction, girls! I especially like that you drew the right conclusions from the movie, the relationship between Léon and Matilda and the whole situation. I would recommend 'The Fifth Element' as another Luc Besson movie and I think you will like it too. 😄
I really love you're reactions! You are the best duo!
One of my favorite films. A New York movie shot in France. Some of those exterior shots of New York are priceless. The interiors were shot in France.
47:30 If you watched "The Professional", then you saw the US version that was cut down. If you watched Leon, then you saw the full version.
If you saw the scene where the dope gets burned up, then you saw Leon. Leon has more about the training and their relationship.
I recently learned Netflix has The Professional (what they watched), but bait 'n' switches using Léon: The Professional title. Not cool Netflix.
The International/Long Version is 133 minutes, for anyone looking for that one.
That was him thinking of giving her mercy to this life. Leon is pure magic from Luc Besson. It is one of the most deep films ever made and to this day is as fresh as the 1st time it blew me away in the cinema. Try watching Besson's other movies they are amazing. Happy watching.
Absolutely fantastic acting across the board and the photography is amazing
Leon wasn't gonna kill her because of her inconvenience. He was gonna kill her to put her out of her misery. It was more an act of mercy.
Other related movies I highly recommend:
-The Fifth Element (Luc Besson)
-Ronin (Jean Reno)
-V for Vendetta (Natalie Portman)
-Bram Stoker's Dracula (Gary Oldman)
Jeez Kristen trusts EVERYONE in this movie lol
You must see the extended version. You get a more complete story on Léons former life and his time with Mathilda.
Good reaction, ladies. Btw, the constant references to 'Beethoven that Gary Oldman's character made in this movie was actually an Easter Egg inside joke since at the same time in 1994 during the filming of this movie, he was also filming the 1994 movie 'Immortal Beloved' in which he played the title role of Ludwig Van Beethoven. That 1994 movie ('Immortal Beloved') is one of the most underrated movies ever....it's very good, and I would suggest that you should definitely check it out. You would probably be one of the first UA-cam movie reactors to react to "Immortal Beloved". Without giving away any spoilers, the movie is a historical Rom-Dram-Mystery based on the life of Beethoven. AWESOME MOVIE...and it is actually also my favorite Gary Oldman movies.
'Immortal Beloved' (1994) ---- definitely worth checking out.
Love this film. Just so stylish, and love your reaction to it
Unbelievable that this was Natalie Portman's first movie roll. She was Amazing and Held her own!! Incredible movie!
I really enjoyed this video. I would suggest watching the uncut version where you do get to see more of her training and their relationship fleshed out. It's not much longer than this, but it does give you what you want. The reason this version came out here is because it does push some barriers (nothing too bad though).
A great film, great performances all round but Gary Oldman is sooo good as a villian.
Loved this movie and your reaction!
Gary Oldman did "insane" in this so amazingly!
Jean Reno is awesome
And that voice ! He did the French dub of Porco Rosso, you notice right away.
Natalie Portman was my first crush. I was about her age in this at the time. Also this is easily Gary Oldman's finest acting performance, out of many he did. In my opinion of course
Hi Steph & Kristen, I`m glad you enjoyed this film, this was the first film I saw with Jean Reno as a lead actor. I had seen him in the 1990 film La Femme Nikita & after this film I was interested in his work. It would be great to see you react to Jean Reno`s 1993 Comedy/Fantasy film (Les Visiteurs). In which he portrays a 12th Century French Knight.
The extended version is even better. You get to see more Mathilda's training and Leon's background.
its the best movie ever made.
For the Luc Besson movie where the girl does become an assassin, see La Femme Nikita.
"Please tell me it's a bad guy you're shooting..."
That jogger in the park was a depiction of then president Bill Clinton. It wasn't mentioned specifically, but he was famous for going on jogs every day with the Secret Service even when traveling.
Leon "Directors cut" is a must watch!!! Way better in terms of Training, character development...
The white guy with the dreadlocks is a reggae singer.Back in the 90s,he was doing acting parts too.
this movie made me a huge fan of those three since i saw this movie in the 90's...natalie portman, gary oldman and jean reno! and to this day i still feel bad they have to get the character 'leon' killed. the way gary oldman shouted 'everyone!!' became iconic and even used in the video game need for speed: most wanted
The relationship of both Matilda and Leo was uncomfortable but as the story progress we fall in love with both of them 💝 💝
Direcor Luc Besson wrote this stroy based on his own relationship with the girl way younger than him ..
You really need to se The Fifth Element next, by the same director. It's insanely good. You also have Gary Oldman in it that one too, together with Bruce Willis and Milla Jovović
I think it's the first reaction I've seen where Steph is fully committed to the movie she is watching.
Very nice reaction ladies.
Great reaction 😊 I watched this movie in the theater (I'm old) heh... but I loved it. It didn't do well in the theater, but word got around about how amazing it was, and video stores couldn't keep it on the shelves.
Great movie! Great reaction! Thank you🎉
The acting in this film is superb. One thing I never noticed till recently is that leon isn't in human mode, his actions are awkward, gangly. But when he is killing he's smooth. Just little things like that make this movie. And I think EVERYONE would agree.
Hit man mode not human mode
This is the American version of the film. The considerably better "version international" does contain scenes showing more training and set up for "The ring trick". Masterpiece. A lot of people who do not understand the film have "issues" with the longer version, it demonstrates what they bring to the viewing experience rather than what the story is being told. I think you pair would get it, women tend to more than men. Well worth watching if you're up for a re-watch.
Oldman is amazing is this. Everyone knows that.
People who prefer that cut should be on a watch list.
@@toddjones1480 I highly recommend you read the book "Hitchcock/Truffautt" and pay attention to the chapter discussing Hitchcock's "Man on a park bench" audience experimental film. "You only bring what you want to see", its the people who read into it that should be on that "watch list" matey.
@@notjustforhackers4252sure😂
I always thought that version was uncomfortable but that it toed the line, so I thought it worked as a darker but still watchable version. Then I found out Luc Besson, the director, started dating his second wife when she was 15 and he was 32, before Leon was made. So anyone getting creeped out has all the rights in the world to do so. I'm just happy Portman's parents kept an eye on things during the filming. He got his claws on Milla Jovovich when filming the 5th Element instead. At least she was 19...
it's not that they don't understand it, the director was confirmed to be a pedophile or have adjacent interests, which changes the nature of this part of the plot a LOT.
Luc besson is an awesome director. Very stylistic. You should watch more of his (french) movies. Jean reno's movies are awesome too , wasabi, crimson rivers , etc
Exactly! I love intelligent reaction like this!
“I think he’s gonna give her money but…he’s taxing.” Soooo true!!
I used to live in the Chelsea where they shot this. Same apartment as Mathilda, facing the street. I moved there becsuse of this movie.
Jean Reno incredible performance!
My favorite movie of all time.
Why do I love Matilda, she cares about the only person she should have cared about. Tears in my eyes.