I've read that Natalie was just 11 when she was cast as Matilda and was 12 during filming, and I believe that she had turned 13 by the time the film was released. She is an amazing actress to have pulled off this role at such a young age, very few 11 year olds possess the maturity to have done that.
@@ronbock8291 Jean Poiret et Michel Serrault, le top du rire "théâtral"... Michel, grand acteur, Jean, super auteur "coquin" (pas dans le sens sexuel, dans le sens "taquin"). La cage aux folles, mais quelle masterclass.
Reno's finest hour. Portman's first film. Oldman's greatest performance. Trifecta. Your giggling bout with his John Wayne impression was everything; so needed that laugh today Dawn Marie :D xoxo
@@dnish6673 Dracula? The only performance I like even better is in Tony Scott's "The Hire: Beath the Devil" where he plays one of the best Devil performances of all time (up there with Vigo Mortensen, Peter Stormare and Al Pacino, in that regard).
Keith Glascoe (Benny, the guy who is Stansfeld's henchman and gets yelled at) was not in many more movies and became a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department's Ladder 21. He died in the collapse of the Trade Center Tower on September 11th. Thank you for your service Sir. A Coward you were Not.
Leon already made an appearence before in the movie "Nikita" (French movie, same director) Leon was a cleaner, same outfit, same job....under the name "Victor"
It's funny how Oldman's role as Dracula, which was more of a Horror/Love story, is less as unsettling and terrifying as his Stansfield. Also, the use of Björk's "Venus As A Boy" was spot on.
I think you're one of the only people who properly understood the relationship dynamics between Leon and Mathilda. Awesome job! Everyone else gets caught up in the age gap and thinks it's something a lot darker than what you just laid out so perfectly. The director also did this intentionally to highlight how people (north americans especially) find deadly violence in movies so common place, he added these creepier aspects to the movie to give those people pause for more self reflection that they should feel just as uncomfortable with the mortal violence as the other stuff. This seemed to go over most people's heads.
No, Luc Besson (the director) is a fucking groomer pedo creep who met a 12 yeard old when he was 29, started "dating" her at 15 ("coincidentally" when it became legal), and impregnated and married her when she was 16. Leon and Mathilda were originally supposed to have a romantic relationship, but Jean Reno refused, and never let Besson be alone with Natalie Portman.
To be fair, the original version didn't clarify their relationship as much as the one Dawn watched. There's a LOT more context and clarification in this version thanks to the extra / extended scenes.
Thhe only thinkg Dawn missed was that her step mom was a prostitute. Of course a 12 year old girl that grew up with parental influences like that would have improper obsessions over a guy who not only is nice to her, but saved her life. I'm so glad Dawn picked up on most of that. He was broken and a bit child-like too, so he really didn't know how to respond to her being in his life. But I think he did well.
@@StevenKephart Mentally he stopped advancing about 14. Besson talked to Reno about this when discussing the character. In rural italy, he'd have left school at 12 or 13. Then he worked as a farm hand, right? So no more education, and shortly after he had to leave to the US for killing his girlfriends father. He couldn't read or write, didnt know anyone except Tony, lived by himself for all those years. Emotionally he's never grown up past that point, I guess.
Such a great movie. When it came out in America in the 90s, it was just called The Professional. It took out some of her training and some of romantic vibes. I’m really glad they were able to release the Leon version.
The "Leon" version is just the International release. The US is a little puritanical, so got a "special" version. (I say "puritanical: with a bit of irony, as the Puritans (whose age of consent was 10) would have called the US release a bunch of prudish nonsense.)
@@3.k Yes. I saw this in the theater, and it was labeled as just The Professional. Leon: The Professional is the international version and was released in the US as the director's cut. I'm not sure if it was released in theaters. Although the US is gun crazy, teaching a 12 year old to be a cleaner is a bit risky. That's why the US version had her pretty much train with the sniper rifle only. They didn't really show the rest of the training where they use the gum over the peep hole. They also didn't show "The Ring Trick", so it was a bit confusing watching the ending. But people were smart enough to understand what he meant by it without having it shown previously with crazy dude with the machine gun (which is a bad ass scene).
One of my all time favourite films, that is so often misunderstood. It is so clear that Portman's character is typical of a young girl starting to grow up, but without the parental guidance to keep her in check. Leon clearly takes on the parental/guardian role, making sure at the end that she is taken care of, as well as seeing to it that the threat is taken out, in the form of Oldman. Luc Besson and Jean Reno would partner again in the film 'The Big Blue'.
When I was 14, back when Leon came out, I had this friend who had a questionable *job* ... he was a dealer, basically. We'd grown up together, he was 4 years older than me, and he had his own place. We'd hang out together most evenings, and he gave me a Laserdisc player for helping him out when his dog gave birth. He was too afraid to handle it himself, he almost turned white from stress, I had to step in. I always remember, he gave me this laserdisc player with a bunch of movies, and the first one I watched was LEON. And it's been one of my favourite movies ever since. Watch it religiously, every couple of years at least. And I STILL have that original Leon laserdisc! Although the player long since died.
You might like "A Bronx Tale"... I saw it without having any clue of what it was about, and it was a "gem". It's a "street lesson"... And there's a great scene with Hell's Angels stuck in an Italian bar, with The Beatles singing out load "come together"... Great movie.
@@garryiglesias4074 You know, I don't think I've seen it! In fact I'm sure I haven't. But I do have it, I've had it for years on an external movie drive. Maybe I'll give it a watch, thanks!.
Finally a reactor gets it, matilda never had a father figure that loved and took care of her and she was only 12 leon didnt do anything wrong matilda just been through it
The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway that connects Roosevelt Island, which is in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, with the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Until the construction of the Roosevelt Island subway station, which opened in 1989, the only way to get directly from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island was via the tram.
And looking for family her parents where worthless and didn't care for her at all. He was the closest thing to a father than her real father that's sad.
The theme is that he's a child in an adult's body (can't read, can't manage money etc) and she's forced by circumstances to life a pseudo-adult life. Leon rescues her from a dark path (probably prostitution and drugs) and she rescues him by helping him grow up.
She's a traumatised child with a twisted view of how relationships work which she got from her home life and abusive father. That Leon, a killer, could show her the care and attention that she was needing was ironic.
9:55 "Can I please fill them out? You know how I like to check into hotels." This is an especially interesting detail about Léon. As far as assassinations go, he's at the top of his game. Yet he can't read.
Truly an amazing movie. The actor who plays Leon (Jean Reno), was also in another movie called La Femme Nikita that was very excellent. They are both by directed by Luc Besson who also directed the 5th Element (with Bruce Lee and Gary Oldman again). Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and a 12 year old Natalie Portman all nailed their roles in this movie. La Femme Nikita has been twice adopted for television; in the late 90's till 2001 and again in the aught 10's. the more recent was named just Nikita starring Maggie Q and Lindsey Fonseca.
Great movie, also the big guy that stood in the hallway all scared and shot at his guys by mistake was killed on Sept 11th. He was a firefighter in NYC.
I saw this in a small movie theater back in 1994 in Boston. I freaking loved it and still do. It is 30 years old now and still amazing. I always wanted Natalie Portman to reprise this role as "Matilde The Professional", with her own story as a grown adult and what her life became bit also hiw she never forgot Leon and everything he taught her.
Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Benny (Keith A Glascoe who was unfortunately one of the FDNY FireFighters who was killed in the Towers sept 11th 2001 R.I.P) all did phenomenal job in this movie
HAHA! I know this movie so well, that when you said "Under the Bed" poll, I actually thought you meant movies with scenes under a bed.... because in this movie... there is one! Accidental puns for the win!
For the folks who are always freaking out about Leon and Matilda's relationship remember we're a group species. That scene where Matilda begs Leon to open the door is a display of that sets off " baby releases " in our brains. Unless your amygdala is faulty the neurochemicals to protect the young will flood your brain overriding almost everything else. Including, in this case, the barriers Leon has been building between himself and others his whole life. He feels so vulnerable, probably for the first time in uncounted years, he tries to kill her as she represents weakness to him. But it's too late, he's a gonner. As for Matilda's side, babies start flirting with adults at around ten months old. The charm is them just working their end of the bonding process. Add her trauma and Leon being the first male stable male figure in her life who is kind to her, it's normal for him to quickly become a powerful survival figure to her. Leon knows she's a child and he does his best to set up healthy boundaries with her, and finally does by telling her story from his past that she can relate to. She really wants the intimacy and comfort he represents, but all the portrayals of sex in popular culture have confused her. Love has many forms that she's never been exposed to, or experienced. The circumstances under which they bond are strange but their bond isn't.
yes.. SOMEONE who can psychologically break it down, and even explain why he had his first night freak out and make it make sense without calling him adhoms. I feel like people often turn such a blind eye to Leon's trauma just b/c it isn't SHOWN, but Mathilda's was. Leon is just as broken, if not more due to the time he's spent blaming and punishing himself through isolation, compared to Mathilda. I work with young adults diagnosed with some of the worst symptomatic personality disorders, which compared to typical disorders, holds a lot more weight in genetic markers plus childhood trauma to trigger. True trauma follows you for life, even if you get help.. you're only learning to cope with it and able to lower the frequency of the pain.. but it will never truly go away. Leon is proof of this. So I, too, am constantly making these types of comments like you just did for this movie, or other similar situations (Jenny from Forrest Gump) where there's a lot of childhood trauma not being understood by the average person. Great analysis.
@@HaraQuinn Thanks for the support. I raised an autistic son and, while his intelligence was never in question, he didn't begin to develop theory of mind until he was nine. I'd always been interested in development psychology but became a strick behaviorist. It was my only defence. With special needs infants, you can never take for granted what they're born knowing what the rest of us know. And pre internet relevant research was very hard to come by. It didn't help that family members and professionals were dismissive of my concerns. Like many parents of disabled children I was on my own until he was three with no speech. And even then I didn't have a diagnosis until he was five. I'd started doing things differently with him when he was ten months old. Like holding him down and keeping him face to face with me while I smooched him and talked love. He hated it for a couple of weeks, then must have decided it was all that bad because he started seeking it out. The feeling that he was getting away from me had been my worst fear, but after that he would accept and give affection to close family members. So the analysis of normal relationships is child's play for me. I was casting very large nets for years trying to pull in anything that might work for my son, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. When you add in my current age of 65, I hope I've gained some wisdom over the years.
I love the relationship between Leon and Matilda. He's somewhat childlike and she's too mature for her age. He ends up being the caring protective father she needed.
When this hit the theaters in US and movie channels, it was titled "THE PROFESSIONAL". It's a French film in the English language from Luc Besson (just like THE FIFTH ELEMENT). Luc had his own problems with affaires involving teenage girls. Natalie Portman has an amazing film debut here, at age 12. A 'cleaner' in the criminal world means Hitman. Great reaction to a great film.
Jean Reno saved that film from becoming a creepy pedo fantasy. In the original script, Leon and Mathilda have sex. Reno refused to do it that way. He also made sure to play Leon as slow, so he doesn't catch on to the creepiness. He also protected Natalie from the people around her, like Besson. Natalie Portman remembers that film with pretty mixed feelings. She spoke out about it in 2020 when she talks about being sexualized at a very young age.
thinking it was a FUNNY MOVIE for 2 secs at the beginning...AND being giddy to see Gary Oldman before you realize his character was a total psycho...priceless.
Natalie Portman was born in June 1981. Leon: The Professional was actually filmed June 1993 - October 1993. So yeah, she had JUST turned 12 when filming began.
God, I love it when I see a good Leon reaction. Believe it or not you're only the second reactor I've seen who actually got this movie. And your explanation of how their different POVs defined their roles was perfect. 😚👌 This is why we love ya, Dawn. 😊
I have been in hospital unwell for nearly a week. I so needed one of your vids to cheer me up thank you. I have never seen anyone laugh as much as you to this (one of my top 5 all time movies), but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you x
It was explained pretty succinctly if you pay attention. Leon is a 14 year old boy, in a mans body. He is mentally under-developed. But he is aware enough of his responsibility.
In many regards Leon is the innocent e.g drinking milk and having little sexual experience and in contrast Matilda wants to be seen as an adult not a child.
@@speleokeir He was just 17 when he killed his ex-girlfriends father and fled to the USA. In rural Italy, as a poor person, he wouldn't have gone to school after the age of 14. After arriving in the USA, he was pretty much locked away in an apartment, his only relationship with Tony, who treated him as a child (which he was). Ergo, he hasn't developed at all, as an adult. But been stuck in that limbo.
Greatest performance by Gary Oldman. And it's saying a lot. The rest of the crew is just perfect. Everybody knews at the time that Portman was going to have an amazing career.
Great reaction and major kudos to you for acknowledging Jean's (Leon's) John Wayne impression! As many have said, watching those westerns payed off, indeed.
This was a Luc Besson film. Besson is a French director who had previously made La Femme Nikita - a story where a drugged out teen girl kills someone in a botched robbery, and the government kidnaps her and offers her the choice: the death penalty, or be trained by and work for the government as an under-cover hitman. Jean Reno played a small role as a government "cleaner" in that movie - and this movie was kind of an expansion of that character, also played by Jean Reno. Luc Besson also did The Fifth Element (with Bruce Willis, Ian Holm, and Milla Jovovich) and The Transporter trilogy of movies with Jason Statham, among others.
Victor was also in the English remake, Point of No Return, but played by Harvey Keitel, who played the cleaner in Pulp Fiction (The Wolf)! Both La Femme Nikita and The Point of No Return are Luc Besson movies as well. He was the one that did the "Best Movie Ever" called The Fifth Element. He also did French version of Taxi Driver (remade in English with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah) and he is responsible for The Transporter franchise (and the explosion of Jason Statham's career) as well.
Natalie Portman was 13 years old when they began filming Leon. The character Matilda is 12 years old. The restaurant scene and the scene where they go to the apartment and the shooting happens, was deleted for the films showing in the USA.
When Leon first enters the hallway to escape the building, you can see Stansfield's blurred figure in a doorway over Leon's right shoulder (left side of the screen).
Fun fact: The guy who plays Benny in this movie (Keith A Glascoe) was a full time NYFD firefighter who did acting on the side. He died in 9/11, as he was one of the firefighters rescuing people in the South Tower when it collapsed.
1994 had two Films, that really defined my 20`s, Leon and Pulp Fiction. Leon, Masterpiece holding the North American Morality their own Image into the Face while showing off european Cinematic Standards. And Pulp Fiction showing and humbling me at the same Time that i were wrong about all USA simply only thinking they are the greatest Gift to Humanity with every bold Idea They just come up with:) . Great Reaction and Reception of Leon, many dont get the real Vibes and Intention of this Piece of Art. Cudos Lady.
Excellent call! Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Johnathan Pryce, Michael Lonsdale and a cameo of sorts/skating by Katarina Witt. Great story, fantastic acting, beautiful scenery/settings and two of the best car chases ever filmed. Couldn’t agree more!
You don't cut coke with flour, because flour doesn't disintegrate when it gets wet. A lot of the time they'll bulk it up with crushed aspirin (because it has a similar bitterness) and add an odorless detergent or a laxative powder to smooth out the texture and make it brick up firmly. There's a number of things they can use, and most of them aren't especially good things to be putting up your nose.
She was underage, but she was a young girl who had never experienced happiness and finally did with him, so mistook what she felt for love. He was messed up but kept them apart (in his own messed way). This is the one movie where the theatrical cut is better than the directors cut, because of hw much of that relationship they trimmed (but kept the essential parts!). Great reaction btw! And yes, it was the best movie ever.
9:45 "Don't you ever do that again or I'll break your head." What Mathilda did, in most law-enforcement jurisdictions, counts as reckless discharge of a firearm. In most law enforcement agencies, an officer who does that faces _disciplinary_ action, but Léon operates above the law, which means he now has to _move._
Re: Matilda being in love - When she describes it she's describing a lack of anxiety, no more knot in her stomach, meaning that's the first time she's ever felt safe (it's something she's never felt before, which is sad).
"This is Leon and it was the winner of the under the bed poll" For a moment I thought that meant you had a poll of movies with scenes where kids hide under the bed (seemed rather specific for a poll choice!)
@@speleokeir While watching another reaction video I spotted one in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), in one of the animated scenes. The Pink Panther (1963) just popped into my head too.
I've been waiting a good eon for you to get to this gem, that was a fantastic watchalong with you. If you want a 'little' more of Reno's The Cleaner, do try the same director's prior gun-for-hire outing, La Femme Nikita; SO good.
Jean Reno is a great actor ! I highly recommend to check out some other of his movies: - Operation Corned Beef, 1991 - Wasabi, 2001 I also like to recommend another excellent french movie to you: - Cible emouvante, 1993. There was a remake of this movie ('Wild Target') in 2010. Dont watch the remake, the original is much much better.
Gary Oldman also portrayed Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's iconic movie: JFK, as President John F. Kennedy's (at least accused;) assassin. 🤔 (even John Candy & Joe Pesci are in "JFK"'s all-star cast;)
I saw this movie twice on the day it was released. I went to the first showing of it the theater had. Then went home and started making plans with friends to go see it that evening because it was so amazing and I really wanted people to talk to about it.
YES!! Definitely worthy of Greatest Movie List! Gary Oldman G O A T List! On the list of legends you have; Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, George C. Scott, Cary Grant etc. Gary deserves that status for sure!! Great Reaction Aaaaaverr!! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎
I agree with others who said this is the only reaction I've seen where someone understood the relationship. Americans are very simple and black & white about a lot of things. However, the feelings in this movie are very real and complicated.
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Never seen anyone react anywhere near that hard to the John Wayne impression. Your Western season got the job done.
Her performance in front of Leon's door pleading for him to open it... AMAZING!! To be THAT good THAT young! 🤯
Apparently that was on her first day of shooting the movie.
Good first impression!
Makes me tear up every time. The fear and desolation. An astounding performance from someone so young.
I've read that Natalie was just 11 when she was cast as Matilda and was 12 during filming, and I believe that she had turned 13 by the time the film was released. She is an amazing actress to have pulled off this role at such a young age, very few 11 year olds possess the maturity to have done that.
And just one year later, she delivers a great supporting performance in "Heat".
She seems highly exploited in this movie.
👀 In what way? @@faisalmemon285
She was born in '81. The movie came out in '94. Your math checks out.
@@faisalmemon285 Explain...
Find me another person under 40 who gets how great Jean Reno's John Wayne was. All those Westerns paying off.
Wish you do a few more western Quigley down under a good one
It heartens to a similar scene in La Cage aux Folles. In the best possible way.
True, but she can't tell the difference between a 12 year old and an 18 year old. Lol
@@russellward4624 just like Leon.
@@ronbock8291 Jean Poiret et Michel Serrault, le top du rire "théâtral"... Michel, grand acteur, Jean, super auteur "coquin" (pas dans le sens sexuel, dans le sens "taquin").
La cage aux folles, mais quelle masterclass.
Reno's finest hour. Portman's first film. Oldman's greatest performance. Trifecta. Your giggling bout with his John Wayne impression was everything; so needed that laugh today Dawn Marie :D xoxo
I thought WIlli One-Blood was the true star of the movie. "Man, keep yo' bumbaclot mouth shut."
There are better Oldman performances.
@@dnish6673 Dracula? The only performance I like even better is in Tony Scott's "The Hire: Beath the Devil" where he plays one of the best Devil performances of all time (up there with Vigo Mortensen, Peter Stormare and Al Pacino, in that regard).
"EVVVVEEERRRRRYYYONE!!!!!!"
"What do you mean by EVERYONE?".))))
You just DO NOT make Gary Oldman repeat himself.
He shouted that line as a joke and they kept it in.
@@campusmartius8450absolutely correct 😅
thx, i just wanted to write the same comment
Bring me everyone
Dawn: everyone??
EVERYONE!!!!
😂 Great timing i love it
Keith Glascoe (Benny, the guy who is Stansfeld's henchman and gets yelled at) was not in many more movies and became a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department's Ladder 21. He died in the collapse of the Trade Center Tower on September 11th. Thank you for your service Sir. A Coward you were Not.
The line was scripted but Oldman adlibbed the shouted emphasis because he was playing Stansfield as crazy throughout. Superb actor!
@@Wien1938 good idea too
(23:22) Gary Oldman has said people still say this to him and/or ask him to say it 30 years later.
The scene of you wearing an I ❤ westerns shirt cracking up to Leon imitating John Wayne is my new favorite thing.
I literally wrote the same comment. I loved the irony!
The most sane diagnosis of their relationship I've heard. Leave it to Dawn. I love this film, easily one of my top ten.
Leon already made an appearence before in the movie "Nikita" (French movie, same director) Leon was a cleaner, same outfit, same job....under the name "Victor"
Although both characters are played by Jean Reno, the hitman in "La femme Nikita" is not Leon, his character name is Victor.
@@lukes.345 you are right 👍 I have corrected my comment, Thanks !
Luc Besson once said Victor is a cousin of Leon
He was in the game way before that.
@@rollmops7948 It is an expression 🤦♂
My God! Your reaction to his invitation of John Wayne was priceless! Your laughter was infectious.
Nowhere in the history of Calm Down, has anybody ever Calmed Down, by being told to Calm Down.
If this was the Family Feud game show, the #1 most popular answer after being told that is: "I AM CALM !"
It's funny how Oldman's role as Dracula, which was more of a Horror/Love story, is less as unsettling and terrifying as his Stansfield.
Also, the use of Björk's "Venus As A Boy" was spot on.
People like Stansfield are real.
@@olddog330 Exactly
That opening of Dracula by Oldman is immortal performance. No idea where he pulled that from, but DAMN! That opening gives me chills EVERY TIME!!
One of the best films ever made....."This is for Matilda"... Chills!!!!!
I think you're one of the only people who properly understood the relationship dynamics between Leon and Mathilda. Awesome job! Everyone else gets caught up in the age gap and thinks it's something a lot darker than what you just laid out so perfectly. The director also did this intentionally to highlight how people (north americans especially) find deadly violence in movies so common place, he added these creepier aspects to the movie to give those people pause for more self reflection that they should feel just as uncomfortable with the mortal violence as the other stuff. This seemed to go over most people's heads.
No, Luc Besson (the director) is a fucking groomer pedo creep who met a 12 yeard old when he was 29, started "dating" her at 15 ("coincidentally" when it became legal), and impregnated and married her when she was 16. Leon and Mathilda were originally supposed to have a romantic relationship, but Jean Reno refused, and never let Besson be alone with Natalie Portman.
To be fair, the original version didn't clarify their relationship as much as the one Dawn watched. There's a LOT more context and clarification in this version thanks to the extra / extended scenes.
Thhe only thinkg Dawn missed was that her step mom was a prostitute. Of course a 12 year old girl that grew up with parental influences like that would have improper obsessions over a guy who not only is nice to her, but saved her life. I'm so glad Dawn picked up on most of that. He was broken and a bit child-like too, so he really didn't know how to respond to her being in his life. But I think he did well.
@@StevenKephart Mentally he stopped advancing about 14. Besson talked to Reno about this when discussing the character. In rural italy, he'd have left school at 12 or 13. Then he worked as a farm hand, right? So no more education, and shortly after he had to leave to the US for killing his girlfriends father. He couldn't read or write, didnt know anyone except Tony, lived by himself for all those years. Emotionally he's never grown up past that point, I guess.
@TheVanillatech Yes. Beautifully articulated.
Such a great movie. When it came out in America in the 90s, it was just called The Professional. It took out some of her training and some of romantic vibes. I’m really glad they were able to release the Leon version.
The "Leon" version is just the International release. The US is a little puritanical, so got a "special" version.
(I say "puritanical: with a bit of irony, as the Puritans (whose age of consent was 10) would have called the US release a bunch of prudish nonsense.)
Probable because "The Professional" is an older French movie
Isn’t the international release the “director’s cut?”
@@Turalcar Ah Bebel... This finale with Enio's music... -> I cry everytime I see it.
@@3.k Yes. I saw this in the theater, and it was labeled as just The Professional. Leon: The Professional is the international version and was released in the US as the director's cut. I'm not sure if it was released in theaters. Although the US is gun crazy, teaching a 12 year old to be a cleaner is a bit risky. That's why the US version had her pretty much train with the sniper rifle only. They didn't really show the rest of the training where they use the gum over the peep hole. They also didn't show "The Ring Trick", so it was a bit confusing watching the ending. But people were smart enough to understand what he meant by it without having it shown previously with crazy dude with the machine gun (which is a bad ass scene).
One of my all time favourite films, that is so often misunderstood. It is so clear that Portman's character is typical of a young girl starting to grow up, but without the parental guidance to keep her in check. Leon clearly takes on the parental/guardian role, making sure at the end that she is taken care of, as well as seeing to it that the threat is taken out, in the form of Oldman.
Luc Besson and Jean Reno would partner again in the film 'The Big Blue'.
When I was 14, back when Leon came out, I had this friend who had a questionable *job* ... he was a dealer, basically. We'd grown up together, he was 4 years older than me, and he had his own place. We'd hang out together most evenings, and he gave me a Laserdisc player for helping him out when his dog gave birth. He was too afraid to handle it himself, he almost turned white from stress, I had to step in.
I always remember, he gave me this laserdisc player with a bunch of movies, and the first one I watched was LEON. And it's been one of my favourite movies ever since. Watch it religiously, every couple of years at least. And I STILL have that original Leon laserdisc! Although the player long since died.
You might like "A Bronx Tale"... I saw it without having any clue of what it was about, and it was a "gem". It's a "street lesson"...
And there's a great scene with Hell's Angels stuck in an Italian bar, with The Beatles singing out load "come together"... Great movie.
@@garryiglesias4074 You know, I don't think I've seen it! In fact I'm sure I haven't. But I do have it, I've had it for years on an external movie drive. Maybe I'll give it a watch, thanks!.
This is one of my favorite movies but I have never seen someone laugh that much while watching it. lol
Finally a reactor gets it, matilda never had a father figure that loved and took care of her and she was only 12 leon didnt do anything wrong matilda just been through it
The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway that connects Roosevelt Island, which is in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, with the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Until the construction of the Roosevelt Island subway station, which opened in 1989, the only way to get directly from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island was via the tram.
"The Birdcage" for the only other John Wayne impression you need to see 😂😂😂
OMG - She’d lose it. 😂😂😂
Luc Besson wrote this specifically for Jean Reno after his appearance in Le Femme Nikita (also as a cleaner).
That's a good film!
@@Wien1938 Just don't watch the damn awful Hollywood remake.
Oh my !!! I adore this movie. Too many think its a bit perverted but I just see the innocent child looking for a male role model.
And looking for family her parents where worthless and didn't care for her at all. He was the closest thing to a father than her real father that's sad.
The director/writer was a pervert.
It would have been wrong if Leon reciprocated, but he didn’t. She just had a crush, and that happens.
The theme is that he's a child in an adult's body (can't read, can't manage money etc) and she's forced by circumstances to life a pseudo-adult life. Leon rescues her from a dark path (probably prostitution and drugs) and she rescues him by helping him grow up.
She's a traumatised child with a twisted view of how relationships work which she got from her home life and abusive father. That Leon, a killer, could show her the care and attention that she was needing was ironic.
9:55 "Can I please fill them out? You know how I like to check into hotels."
This is an especially interesting detail about Léon. As far as assassinations go, he's at the top of his game. Yet he can't read.
Truly an amazing movie. The actor who plays Leon (Jean Reno), was also in another movie called La Femme Nikita that was very excellent. They are both by directed by Luc Besson who also directed the 5th Element (with Bruce Lee and Gary Oldman again). Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and a 12 year old Natalie Portman all nailed their roles in this movie.
La Femme Nikita has been twice adopted for television; in the late 90's till 2001 and again in the aught 10's. the more recent was named just Nikita starring Maggie Q and Lindsey Fonseca.
Great movie, also the big guy that stood in the hallway all scared and shot at his guys by mistake was killed on Sept 11th. He was a firefighter in NYC.
@@BishopWalters12 Keith Glascoe (Benny), Ladder 21.
I saw this in a small movie theater back in 1994 in Boston. I freaking loved it and still do. It is 30 years old now and still amazing. I always wanted Natalie Portman to reprise this role as "Matilde The Professional", with her own story as a grown adult and what her life became bit also hiw she never forgot Leon and everything he taught her.
That, and then partner with The Bride in a Kill Bill + Leon sequel.
Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Benny (Keith A Glascoe who was unfortunately one of the FDNY FireFighters who was killed in the Towers sept 11th 2001 R.I.P) all did phenomenal job in this movie
HAHA! I know this movie so well, that when you said "Under the Bed" poll, I actually thought you meant movies with scenes under a bed.... because in this movie... there is one! Accidental puns for the win!
,,,and Léon's getting larger (a few people will get this quote).
lager or larger?
I can make a hat, a pterodactyl, a broche.
'Worst character in that cast.
The tower? The tower! Rapunzel! Rapunzellll!!!
Loen what can you make of this???
Two great child actress performances in 1994. Natalie in this one and Kirsten Dunst in "Interview with the Vampire".
The "John Wayne" laugh made my Day!!! That was Great😂
Stansfield said "TOSS the apartment..."
I cherish this film. One of my favorite 90's films, cast was perfect, action, emotion, pain, cinematography, acting, writing...such a beautiful film.
For the folks who are always freaking out about Leon and Matilda's relationship remember we're a group species. That scene where Matilda begs Leon to open the door is a display of that sets off " baby releases " in our brains. Unless your amygdala is faulty the neurochemicals to protect the young will flood your brain overriding almost everything else. Including, in this case, the barriers Leon has been building between himself and others his whole life.
He feels so vulnerable, probably for the first time in uncounted years, he tries to kill her as she represents weakness to him. But it's too late, he's a gonner. As for Matilda's side, babies start flirting with adults at around ten months old. The charm is them just working their end of the bonding process. Add her trauma and Leon being the first male stable male figure in her life who is kind to her, it's normal for him to quickly become a powerful survival figure to her. Leon knows she's a child and he does his best to set up healthy boundaries with her, and finally does by telling her story from his past that she can relate to. She really wants the intimacy and comfort he represents, but all the portrayals of sex in popular culture have confused her. Love has many forms that she's never been exposed to, or experienced.
The circumstances under which they bond are strange but their bond isn't.
yes.. SOMEONE who can psychologically break it down, and even explain why he had his first night freak out and make it make sense without calling him adhoms. I feel like people often turn such a blind eye to Leon's trauma just b/c it isn't SHOWN, but Mathilda's was. Leon is just as broken, if not more due to the time he's spent blaming and punishing himself through isolation, compared to Mathilda. I work with young adults diagnosed with some of the worst symptomatic personality disorders, which compared to typical disorders, holds a lot more weight in genetic markers plus childhood trauma to trigger. True trauma follows you for life, even if you get help.. you're only learning to cope with it and able to lower the frequency of the pain.. but it will never truly go away. Leon is proof of this. So I, too, am constantly making these types of comments like you just did for this movie, or other similar situations (Jenny from Forrest Gump) where there's a lot of childhood trauma not being understood by the average person. Great analysis.
@@HaraQuinn Thanks for the support. I raised an autistic son and, while his intelligence was never in question, he didn't begin to develop theory of mind until he was nine. I'd always been interested in development psychology but became a strick behaviorist. It was my only defence.
With special needs infants, you can never take for granted what they're born knowing what the rest of us know. And pre internet relevant research was very hard to come by. It didn't help that family members and professionals were dismissive of my concerns. Like many parents of disabled children I was on my own until he was three with no speech. And even then I didn't have a diagnosis until he was five.
I'd started doing things differently with him when he was ten months old. Like holding him down and keeping him face to face with me while I smooched him and talked love. He hated it for a couple of weeks, then must have decided it was all that bad because he started seeking it out. The feeling that he was getting away from me had been my worst fear, but after that he would accept and give affection to close family members.
So the analysis of normal relationships is child's play for me. I was casting very large nets for years trying to pull in anything that might work for my son, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. When you add in my current age of 65, I hope I've gained some wisdom over the years.
I love the relationship between Leon and Matilda. He's somewhat childlike and she's too mature for her age. He ends up being the caring protective father she needed.
8:11 This movie has an unusual approach to its moments of levity. They tend to come on pretty suddenly.
Jean Reno has a Time travel movie, French but funny :).
The Visitors (film, 1993)
And: The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time.
Gary Oldman as the lead and amazing is "Romeo is Bleeding", a movie from the 90s
"It should never be that hard as a kid."
It should never be that hard as an adult.
Tony gave the bad guy a photograph of Leon when he confronted and threatened Tony for the information on the hit man "Leon".
Tony... That guy only giving Leon $5k per head and probably pocketing 10x or 20x for himself.
@@joelwillems4081 Plus the five!
Stansfield lay the Photos in the table at Tony.
Stansfield lay the Photos on the table at Tony.
When this hit the theaters in US and movie channels, it was titled "THE PROFESSIONAL". It's a French film in the English language from Luc Besson (just like THE FIFTH ELEMENT). Luc had his own problems with affaires involving teenage girls. Natalie Portman has an amazing film debut here, at age 12. A 'cleaner' in the criminal world means Hitman. Great reaction to a great film.
You laughing at Leon doing John Wayne was the best. Thank you.
Jean Reno saved that film from becoming a creepy pedo fantasy. In the original script, Leon and Mathilda have sex. Reno refused to do it that way. He also made sure to play Leon as slow, so he doesn't catch on to the creepiness. He also protected Natalie from the people around her, like Besson. Natalie Portman remembers that film with pretty mixed feelings. She spoke out about it in 2020 when she talks about being sexualized at a very young age.
They have sex?! Well, that's French values for you. Nation of libertines.
Jean Reno makes any movie better, often great. One of my favorite actors. Ronin (1998) another great movie with Jean Reno.
Singing in the Rain!!! It's a musical. It's very good!
Best performance of Singin' in the Rain is, IMHO, the one by Alex de Large.
@dolf370
That would be in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, correct?
@@Blue-qr7qe Yepp 3:)
They should really rerelease this in theaters. It was an incredible movie on the big screen.
thinking it was a FUNNY MOVIE for 2 secs at the beginning...AND being giddy to see Gary Oldman before you realize his character was a total psycho...priceless.
Natalie Portman was born in June 1981. Leon: The Professional was actually filmed June 1993 - October 1993. So yeah, she had JUST turned 12 when filming began.
I love the fact that you were wearing a shirt that said "I love westerns" while laughing at his impression of John Wayne. The irony was hilarious.
God, I love it when I see a good Leon reaction. Believe it or not you're only the second reactor I've seen who actually got this movie. And your explanation of how their different POVs defined their roles was perfect. 😚👌 This is why we love ya, Dawn. 😊
I have been in hospital unwell for nearly a week. I so needed one of your vids to cheer me up thank you. I have never seen anyone laugh as much as you to this (one of my top 5 all time movies), but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you x
wish you a quick recovery m8
The part was specifically written for Jean Reno. This is a classic for sure.
Leon's response to Matilda's advances proves that he isn't a pervert. Excellent reaction.
It was explained pretty succinctly if you pay attention. Leon is a 14 year old boy, in a mans body. He is mentally under-developed. But he is aware enough of his responsibility.
In many regards Leon is the innocent e.g drinking milk and having little sexual experience and in contrast Matilda wants to be seen as an adult not a child.
@@speleokeir He was just 17 when he killed his ex-girlfriends father and fled to the USA. In rural Italy, as a poor person, he wouldn't have gone to school after the age of 14. After arriving in the USA, he was pretty much locked away in an apartment, his only relationship with Tony, who treated him as a child (which he was). Ergo, he hasn't developed at all, as an adult. But been stuck in that limbo.
@@TheVanillatech I thought he was French? He has a French accent.
@@creech54 The actor is french. But his character is from Italy.
1994 was the best year for modern classics, hands down. What an awesome cast - a shame, that Natalie Portman didn't get an Oscar.
Best John Wayne reaction ever. You had the impression before he ever said anything.
Greatest performance by Gary Oldman. And it's saying a lot. The rest of the crew is just perfect. Everybody knews at the time that Portman was going to have an amazing career.
This was a masterclass from Gary Oldman on playing crazed psycho's!!
Great reaction and major kudos to you for acknowledging Jean's (Leon's) John Wayne impression! As many have said, watching those westerns payed off, indeed.
This was a Luc Besson film. Besson is a French director who had previously made La Femme Nikita - a story where a drugged out teen girl kills someone in a botched robbery, and the government kidnaps her and offers her the choice: the death penalty, or be trained by and work for the government as an under-cover hitman. Jean Reno played a small role as a government "cleaner" in that movie - and this movie was kind of an expansion of that character, also played by Jean Reno. Luc Besson also did The Fifth Element (with Bruce Willis, Ian Holm, and Milla Jovovich) and The Transporter trilogy of movies with Jason Statham, among others.
Won't make a great reaction(except with a select few), but La Femme Nakita is a spectacular movie. Original French version of Leon's character.
Victor was also in the English remake, Point of No Return, but played by Harvey Keitel, who played the cleaner in Pulp Fiction (The Wolf)! Both La Femme Nikita and The Point of No Return are Luc Besson movies as well. He was the one that did the "Best Movie Ever" called The Fifth Element. He also did French version of Taxi Driver (remade in English with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah) and he is responsible for The Transporter franchise (and the explosion of Jason Statham's career) as well.
Natalie Portman was 13 years old when they began filming Leon. The character Matilda is 12 years old. The restaurant scene and the scene where they go to the apartment and the shooting happens, was deleted for the films showing in the USA.
When Leon first enters the hallway to escape the building, you can see Stansfield's blurred figure in a doorway over Leon's right shoulder (left side of the screen).
Most people have a reaction to this movie. IMO the best movies inspire your best reactions. Thank you.
In my personal favourite films of all time. ❤
Youre disgusting and you need better taste in movies
Fun fact:
The guy who plays Benny in this movie (Keith A Glascoe) was a full time NYFD firefighter who did acting on the side. He died in 9/11, as he was one of the firefighters rescuing people in the South Tower when it collapsed.
12:57 You know, Dawn, I think the people who made this movie would be _very pleased_ to see you having this kind of reaction to it.
Ghost Dog's Way of the Samurai is a good underrated Forrest Whittaker movie.
The fact you know what I'm talking about means ur cool
That's one to SINK the reacting into.
1994 had two Films, that really defined my 20`s, Leon and Pulp Fiction. Leon, Masterpiece holding the North American Morality their own Image into the Face while showing off european Cinematic Standards. And Pulp Fiction showing and humbling me at the same Time that i were wrong about all USA simply only thinking they are the greatest Gift to Humanity with every bold Idea They just come up with:) .
Great Reaction and Reception of Leon, many dont get the real Vibes and Intention of this Piece of Art. Cudos Lady.
Another Great film with Jean Reno (Leon) in (as well as Robert DeNiro, Sean Bean and other stars) is called Ronin (1998) well worth watching.
Excellent call! Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Johnathan Pryce, Michael Lonsdale and a cameo of sorts/skating by Katarina Witt. Great story, fantastic acting, beautiful scenery/settings and two of the best car chases ever filmed. Couldn’t agree more!
Gary Oldman in True Romance is another Gary Oldman classic. You're the best reactor ever.
Best breakdown of the relationship which often gets confused...nice one dawn 😊.
The John Wayne scene is the hardest I think I've seen you laugh, which was very contagious...lol
Luc Besson is such a great director.
My personal tip is "The Big Blue" from 1988 also with Luc Besson as director and Jean Reno as actor.
You don't cut coke with flour, because flour doesn't disintegrate when it gets wet. A lot of the time they'll bulk it up with crushed aspirin (because it has a similar bitterness) and add an odorless detergent or a laxative powder to smooth out the texture and make it brick up firmly. There's a number of things they can use, and most of them aren't especially good things to be putting up your nose.
Gary Oldman’s pill is Librium.
Used to treat anxiety, insomnia and withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and/or drug abuse.
She was underage, but she was a young girl who had never experienced happiness and finally did with him, so mistook what she felt for love. He was messed up but kept them apart (in his own messed way). This is the one movie where the theatrical cut is better than the directors cut, because of hw much of that relationship they trimmed (but kept the essential parts!). Great reaction btw! And yes, it was the best movie ever.
9:45 "Don't you ever do that again or I'll break your head."
What Mathilda did, in most law-enforcement jurisdictions, counts as reckless discharge of a firearm. In most law enforcement agencies, an officer who does that faces _disciplinary_ action, but Léon operates above the law, which means he now has to _move._
I fell in love with Natalie Portman from that movie (I was 12 then too). She has the most beautiful smile on the planet.
Gary Oldman is something else in this Movie. What an amazing Performance from probably the best Actor of the last 30 Years.
One of my favorite films of all time. I'm so happy to see this reaction, Dawn!
I loved when you said at 3:06 "I love you" seeing Gary Oldman and all I thought was "you're gonna hate him in this movie!!!"
11:07 I'm so glad as an American that I understand that Jimmy Saville joke (thanks to John Oliver). That one really cracked me up.
Re: Matilda being in love - When she describes it she's describing a lack of anxiety, no more knot in her stomach, meaning that's the first time she's ever felt safe (it's something she's never felt before, which is sad).
"This is Leon and it was the winner of the under the bed poll"
For a moment I thought that meant you had a poll of movies with scenes where kids hide under the bed (seemed rather specific for a poll choice!)
I'm now trying to think of other under the bed movies... Aliens
@@speleokeir While watching another reaction video I spotted one in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), in one of the animated scenes. The Pink Panther (1963) just popped into my head too.
@@speleokeirLittle Monsters? Monsters Inc?
My dear Dawn Marie 😍 this has got to be my favorite reaction of yours so far and I have seen plenty of them. 🙏🏼✌🏼🫶🏼
Her best acting in her career !
Oh this is going to be great! I'm looking forward to enjoying this with you
I've been waiting a good eon for you to get to this gem, that was a fantastic watchalong with you. If you want a 'little' more of Reno's The Cleaner, do try the same director's prior gun-for-hire outing, La Femme Nikita; SO good.
Jean Reno is a great actor ! I highly recommend to check out some other of his movies:
- Operation Corned Beef, 1991
- Wasabi, 2001
I also like to recommend another excellent french movie to you:
- Cible emouvante, 1993. There was a remake of this movie ('Wild Target') in 2010. Dont watch the remake, the original is much much better.
Gary Oldman also portrayed Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's iconic movie: JFK, as President John F. Kennedy's (at least accused;) assassin. 🤔 (even John Candy & Joe Pesci are in "JFK"'s all-star cast;)
Oh wow, you watching the extended version!
I saw this movie twice on the day it was released. I went to the first showing of it the theater had. Then went home and started making plans with friends to go see it that evening because it was so amazing and I really wanted people to talk to about it.
YES!! Definitely worthy of Greatest Movie List! Gary Oldman G O A T List! On the list of legends you have; Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, George C. Scott, Cary Grant etc. Gary deserves that status for sure!! Great Reaction Aaaaaverr!! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎
Stunning movie: Jean Reno and Natalie Portman's best ever performances. Brilliant story. Tragic. Redemptive. Believable. Powerful themes.
Romeo Is Bleeding would be a great next Gary Oldman movie, Lena Olin plays one of the greatest female villains ever!
Yes the girl, played by a young Natalie Portman, was supposed to be 12 years old. . your laughter was amazing and made me smile right along with you..
Best movie ever.
I use it routinely as an example in lectures.
I agree with others who said this is the only reaction I've seen where someone understood the relationship. Americans are very simple and black & white about a lot of things. However, the feelings in this movie are very real and complicated.
How do they know this is the only reaction you've seen
@@4Kandlez The only one that understands. I have seen other reactions.