LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL [1994 / 2014] [20th Anniversary Limited Edition SteelBook] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] No Women! No Kids! That’s The Rule!
The first English language thriller ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL’ from Luc Besson, the director of ‘Nikita.’ Gary Oldman plays Norman Stansfield, a psychotic government official whose actions provide the catalyst for murder on the New York streets. When a young girl named Mathilda [Natalie Portman] witnesses her family being gunned down by Gary Oldman's team of corrupt cops, she teams up with lone hit man Leone "Léon" Montana [Jean Reno] to take revenge. Natalie Portman made her film debut with this film.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1994 Awards Circuit Community Awards: Win: Best Actress in a Leading Role for Natalie Portman. Win: Honorable Mentions (The Next Ten Best Picture Contenders) for Luc Besson. Nominated: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Gary Oldman. Nominated: Best Film Editing for Sylvie Landra. Nominated: Best Achievement in Sound. 1995 César Awards, France: Nominated: Best Film (Meilleur film) for Luc Besson. Nominated: Best Actor (Meilleur acteur) for Jean Reno. Nominated: Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur) for Luc Besson. Nominated: Best Music (Meilleure musique) for Éric Serra. Nominated: Best Cinematography (Meilleure photographie) for Thierry Arbogast. Nominated: Best Editing (Meilleur montage) for Sylvie Landra. Nominated: Best Sound (Meilleur son) for Bruno Tarrière, François Groult, Gérard Lamps and Pierre Excoffier. 1995 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Win: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in a Foreign Feature for John Morris (sound effects editor) and Patrice Grisolet (sound editor). Win: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in a Foreign Feature for Bruno Tarrière (re-recording/adr/foley mixer). 1996 Awards of the Japanese Academy: Nominated: Best Foreign Film. 1996 Czech Lions Awards: Win: Best Foreign Language Film (Nejlepsí zahranicní film) for Luc Besson. 2015 20/20 Awards: Nominated: Felix Award for Best Actress Natalie Portman.
FILM FACT No.2: ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL’ is to some extent an expansion of an idea in Luc Besson's earlier 1990 film, ‘La Femme Nikita’ (in some countries ‘Nikita’). In ‘La Femme Nikita,’ Jean Reno plays a similar character named Victor. Luc Besson described Léon as "Now maybe Jean is playing the American cousin of Victor. This time he's more human." While most of the interior footage was shot in France, the rest of the film was shot on location in New York City. The final scene at the school was filmed at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Cast: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Peter Appel, Willi One Blood, Don Creech, Keith A. Glascoe, Randolph Scott, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene, Elizabeth Regen, Carl J. Matusovich, Frank Senger, Lucius Wyatt Cherokee, Eric Challier, Luc Bernard, Maïwenn, Jessie Keosian, George Martin, Abdul Hassan Sharif, Stuart Rudin, Kent Broadhurst, Tommy Hollis, Peter Linari, Johnny Limo, Danny Peled, Seth Jerome Walker, Michael Mundra, Alex Dezen, Betty Miller, Geoffrey Bateman, Arsène Jiroyan, Peter Vizard, Joseph Malerba, David W. Butler, Robert LaSardo, Steve Gonnelo, William James Stiggers Jr., Anthony Ragland, Crystal Michelle Blake, Sonny Zito, Rocky Hernandez, Randy Pearlstein, Trevor Walace, Keith S. Bullock, Jeff McBride, Fred Fischer, Peter Justinius, Peter Justinius, Denis Bellocq, Thomas Delehanty, Ed Ventresca, Wallace Wong, Cary Wong, Amimul Rolly, Mohammed Rashid, Adam Busch, Mario Todisco, James Melissinos, Jernard Burks, Matt De Matt, Samy Naceri, Christophe Gautier, Junior Almeida, David Gregg, Michel Montanary, Hervé Husson, Didier Legros, Marc Andréoni, Gilles Kleber, Junior John Levis, Tony Sauraye, Thierry Maurio, James Fahrner, Daniel Schenmetzler, Jean-Hugues Anglade (long version) (uncredited), Hélène Cardona (uncredited), Alyssia Dujmovich (uncredited) and Michael Wehrhahn (uncredited)
Director: Luc Besson
Producers: Bernard Grenet, Claude Besson, John Garland, Luc Besson and Patrice Ledoux
Screenplay: Luc Besson
Composer: Éric Serra
Cinematography: Thierry Arbogast (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 110 minutes and 106 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment / STUDIOCANAL
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: French auteur director Luc Besson may have gained international acclaim for 'La Femme Nikita,' cleaned house at the box office with his sci-fi smash 'The Fifth Element,' and had a hand in making Jason Statham into an action leading man with 'The Transporter,' but for me his pièce de résistance will always be 'LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL.' Brutal, beautiful, and controversial, the film isn't just Luc Besson at his best and it's cinema at its finest.
In New York City's underworld, Leone "Léon" Montana [Jean Reno] is a "cleaner," a professional hit-man for a mobster named Tony [Danny Aiello]. Leone "Léon" Montana is the best assassin in the city, and routine, order, and simplicity have moulded his way of living. Of course, being an efficient killing machine does come with one major drawback and he's not much of a "people person." Aside from Tony and his short-lived clients, Leone "Léon" Montana is someone who has very little human contact. When his best friend is his houseplant, it goes without saying that social skills just aren't his forte.
Leone "Léon" Montana's simplistic lifestyle unexpectedly takes a complicated turn when a drug deal in the next door apartment goes sour. After the family is massacred by a psychotic lunatic Norman Stansfield [Gary Oldman], the only one left is twelve-year-old Mathilda [Natalie Portman]. In a moment of kindness, Léon offers sanctuary to the young girl, and unwittingly invites in a whole heap of trouble in the process. Not only does Mathilda uncover what Leone "Léon" Montana really does for a living, she wants to become his student so she can have her revenge. As Mathilda's pain and persistence begins to wear down Leone "Léon" Montana's defences, it isn't long before she's welcomed under his wing and into his heart. My favourite scene is when Leone "Léon" Montana's and Mathilda play charades, especially dressed up as Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin is guaranteed to make you laugh. That scene also perfectly sums up their unorthodox relationship.
Although 'LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL' does share a few similarities with the film 'Nikita' and was even inspired by Jean Reno's "cleaner" character in 'LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL' and Luc Besson crafts a tale that is entirely in a class by itself. The cinematography is simply brilliant, as the violent opening sequence locks in the electrifying tone for the picture. From then on, every action-packed hit is dripping with intensity, and the quieter moments in between are dreamlike and surreal. Virtually every scene is staged with such elegance and grace that it's hard to not be completely transfixed by this film.
Luc Besson doesn't just captivate his audiences with soothing visuals; he also stirs the pot to make them restless in their seats. The backbone of the plot already pushes the morality envelope, as a pre-teen is being trained to kill in cold blood. But Luc Besson goes one step further, placing the relationship between Leone "Léon" Montana and Mathilda in an area completely clouded in grey and essentially creating one of the most unconventional love stories ever told. There are times where their screen time together is delightfully charming, and other instances where it starts going down a more disturbing path. While this may have crossed the line for some viewers, the intent was to create tension and ruffle a few feathers, and in that regard Luc Besson hits a home run.
There is also a great deal of depth provided by its three unforgettable performances. Jean Reno is really at the top of his game here, juggling the two very distinct personalities of his character with dexterous precision. In "serious" mode Leone "Léon" Montana is experienced and confident, but when he's outside of his comfort zone he morphs into a shy and timid creature. Then there's Gary Oldman as the nut job villain Norman Stansfield. While he doesn't totally steal the show, which is good since this is supposed to be Leone "Léon" Montana and Mathilda's story anyways, he fully embraces his despicable role, and his portrayal is so unnerving that the rattled expressions on the actors playing his own goon squad just had to be genuine. Last and certainly not least is Natalie Portman, who gives such an endearing performance in her feature film debut that it's utterly mind-blowing.
If you haven't already guessed it, ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL' is one of my all-time favourite films and the reason for this is because it is a very intelligent character driven genre type thriller and full of well-choreographed action, done in a very thoughtful intelligent way. Between Luc Besson's unique vision and the impeccable performances of the cast, this is a powerful film where style meets substance in perfect harmony.
Overall, ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL' is a very clever action film with a historic duo. The three important characters of Leone "Léon" Montana, Matilda and Norman Stansfield [Gary Oldman] all bring the goods and rock the screen. It’s not for everyone with its dark and twisted themes but it’s a brilliant film for mature audiences. It might be a bit cliché ridden nowadays with the opening that just has to be the hero killing a bunch of guys to show that he’s not to be trifled with but it all works. Nothing feels stale and so overall a real tour-de-force action thriller, that will grip you from beginning to the end credits, plus it is also a very clever action film, but it’s the 1990s type of action film which means it’s almost unescapable of being a guilty pleasure. It does manage to avoid that but it isn’t a masterpiece it is just really good and totally action packed film to set your pulses racing.
LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL MUSIC TRACK LIST
SHAPE OF MY HEART (Written by Sting and Dominic Miller) (Introduction by Dominic Miller) [Performed by Sting]
THE EXPERIENCE OF LOVE (Written by Éric Serra) [Performed by Éric Serra]
VENUS AS A BOY (Written by Björk aka B. Gudmundsdottir) [Performed by Björk]
I LIKE MYSELF from ‘It's Always Fair Weather’ (1955) (Music by André Previn) (Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green) [Performed by Gene Kelly] (uncredited)
LIKE A VIRGIN (Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly) [Performed by Natalie Portman] (uncredited)
Blu-ray Image Quality – The 1080p high-definition transfer has been struck from the same master Optimum Home Entertainment and STUDIOCANAL accessed in 2009 for their standard Blu-ray release of 'LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL.' Unsurprisingly, its basic characteristics are identical to those of the high-definition transfer from the standard Blu-ray release. Generally speaking, most close-ups look pleasing, while the panoramic shots boast good clarity. Traces of light contrast boosting and sharpening, however, are easy to spot throughout the entire film. During close-ups it is also easy to see that some of the fine grain is mixed with light noise. Still, the film still has a pleasing organic look. Colour reproduction is satisfactory, but it is obvious that saturation can be better. Image stability is good. Lastly, a few tiny flecks still pop up here and there. All in all, this is a good presentation of Leon, but it would have been nice to see a brand new transfer for the film's 20th Anniversary Blu-ray release. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray Region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio. For the record, STUDIOCANAL have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it. The 5.1 track is very good. It has an excellent range of nuanced dynamics and clarity is outstanding. The elaborate action sequences sound particularity good, but Eric Serra's score also makes an impression. The dialogue is very crisp, free of background hiss, stable, and easy to follow. Also, there are no pop ups, audio dropouts, or distortions to report in this review.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: There is a disappointingly meagre selection of supplements on this release. Sure, we get both the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version, but apart from that, only brief interviews with actor Jean Reno and composer Eric Serra are included.
Directors Cut [1994] [1080p] [2.35:1] [110 minutes]
Theatrical Version [1994] [1080p] [2.35:1] [106 minutes]
Special Feature: Interview with Jean Reno [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:45] In this new video interview, actor Jean Reno recalls his work with young Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman and the two became big friends after the film ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL’ was completed, and Jean Reno discusses the style and tone of the film and his character Leone "Léon" Montana.
Special Feature: Interview with Eric Serra [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [9:40] In this new short video interview, acclaimed composer Eric Serra recalls his first encounter with director Luc Besson and how the soundtrack for ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL’ came to exist. Eric Serra also discusses the specific music themes that were used during key sequences in the film ‘LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL.’
Finally, move over Beethoven and Mozart, French filmmaker Luc Besson has conducted his own symphonic masterpiece with 'LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL.' Between its slick writing, melodic direction, and trio of scene-searing performances, and it is the type of film that just seems to hit all of the right notes and especially all the action pack scenes in the film. Although this 20th Anniversary Limited Edition SteelBook Blu-ray is a bit lacking in extra special features, fans can now enjoy the two different versions of the film. Add in excellent image presentation and one of the best audio presentations for 'LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL’ to date, and this Blu-ray disc is well worth owning. What is also very exquisite about this particular Blu-ray SteelBook is the stunning design inside and out and has now gone proud of place in my ever expanding SteelBook Blu-ray Collection, as this is now the ultimate feature film version. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
