LEON (1994)

There are two things which make this hitman love story exceptional one. First is French director Luc Besson’s freshness of story telling using all popular ingredients in an engaging way with his unique shot selections of action running with quite unusual pairing between the hitman and teenage girl Matilda who has disturbed childhood. The second is performance of all three players- Jean Reno as Leon, the professional and disciplined hitman clad in John Lennon goggles is really impressive. Gary Oldman is absolutely awesome and he filled the screen with enough tension every time he turns on to screen, it’s surely his one of the career best. But for me the film belongs to the teenage girl Natalie Portman. She brought to screen a disturbed twelve year old girl seeking freedom from her damned family and its low life. She is protected by her next-door neighbor hitman in most critical situation of her life and then onwards having the playful company of the man under whose shadow she breathes as human.
For her Leon is savior, companion, desirable man and religion all in one and she wanted to be like him to get revenge of his younger brother. Portman remains so effortlessly natural and confident in her expressions and act that it’s hard to believe that it’s her debut film. For me she’s even more impressive debut than Jodie Foster in ‘Taxi Driver’.

Bollywood had made poor rip off ‘Bichchu’, starring Bobby and Rani and watching this, it seems so irritating experience.

Ratings-8/10