Leon
"If you want the job done right, hire a professional"

Summary of the movie: Set in modern day New York, Leon (Jean Reno) is a top-flight hired gun who carries out the occasional hit for italian boss Tony (Danny Aiello), part father-figure and part manipulator. Leon is truly exceptional at his job. However, he does abide by the traditional honour code of "no women, no children", which is a welcome contrast to the psychopathic killers found in many films. Strangely, Leon seems to derive little from his work, spending his spare time training, caring after his plant and letting Tony "look after" his money. The twist comes when Leon spies his next-door neighbour's annihilation in a furious gun battle, the result of trying to trick the wrong people. As Leon watches, interested but uninvolved, he sees the daughter Matilda (Natalie Portman) walking down the hallway, laden with groceries. Creeping under the gaze of a particularly twitchy villain, Matilda knocks on his door and silently pleads for sanctuary. As a dedicated hit-man Leon has no wish to compromise his position yet, after several long seconds, he inwardly relents and grants Matilda safety from the men who've wiped out her family. Thus begins a new phase in Leon's life, an interruption to his endless routine of training and action. He certainly doesn't want this change, and neither does Tony, but Matilda manages to convince him that saving her life makes him responsible for it. However, when Matilda discovers that Leon is a "cleaner", her course of action becomes clear. Convincing Leon to take her as an apprentice, so that she can go after murderer Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman), proves tricky but eventually Leon allows himself to be worn down. He kind of likes having Matilda around, even if she does force a few changes of address (he's deeply paranoid of being noticed, for good reason). Gun cleaning, target practice and assassination theory provide a form of courtship for Leon and Matilda (although more at the father-daughter level), drawing them closer together. Each has the ability to salve the internal pain of the other, providing elements which their lives were previously lacking. Eventually though, the Stansfield problem forces its way into their happiness. He's more than just a drug baron regrettably, not that this dissuades Matilda.   My personal opinion of the movie: This is one of my alltime favorite movies. Ever. Nothing more, nothing less. I love everything about it - the characters, the story, the cinematography, the music - everything! I never bought the original version on laserdisc, though. I always harbored a secret hope that the director's cut would some day be released, and almost three years later I was granted my wish. 22 minutes were restored and the movie was shown in French and Japanese theaters. Then, in early 1997, "Leon: Integral Version" was released on laserdisc in France and Japan. "Leon" is now an even better movie, and I'm a happy man. Does life get any better than this? Dunno. I'll let you know if it does. :-)

Director: Luc Besson Producers: Luc Besson and Bernard Grenet Executive producer: Claude Besson Screenplay: Luc Besson Principal cast: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman and Danny Aiello. ~ Related links: Internet Movie Database entry Leon fanpage Leon: Integral Version info Leon: Integral Version (French) ~ Laserdisc information: "The Professional" Columbia/Tristar, Catalog #: 74746, Letterbox, 110 minutes, Dolby Surround, Color, No extras. "Leon: Integral Version" Victor JVC, Catalog #: JVLF 77007-8, Letterbox, 133 minutes, Dolby Surround, Color, 22 minutes of restored footage. (Japanese release) ~ Trivia: The movie is also known as: "The Professional" "The Cleaner" The director's cut ("Integral Version") of the movie is 22 minutes longer than the regular cut.