This is, by some comfortable margin, Luc Besson’s best film. From the very start with his debut feature, The Last Battle, Besson demonstrated a strong visual sense but it is safe to say that both script and performances have often been a little lacking. Leon was the first and only time that his movies have excelled in all three departments. For the odd few who have yet to see the film it is about a friendship between a hitman (the…

For a short while, back in the early 90s, I think Léon was my favourite film of all time. I still think it's really rather splendid, too.

As I've mentioned before about some films that I love, there are some where you can well imagine why they might get on the tits of some people. Léon is definitely one of those films. It is an absolutely bonkers and sometimes completely unbelievable action and crime thriller with a central relationship that…

"I haven't got time FOR THIS MICKEY MOUSE BULLSHIT!"

From that opening shot, swooping down through the skyline of New York, whilst avoiding a lot of the tourist-y, cliched establishing shots, you can guess that this film is going to be nothing less than amazing.

And you'd be right.

You've got three excellent, although completely different, central performances ranging from Jean Reno's understated, almost mute, titular hitman who when not on the job, reverts back to a more innocent, almost…

I've always been a little reluctant to fully embrace Leon: The Professional, because when male movie geeks in their twenties and thirties start to wax rhapsodic about the relationship between Leon and Matilda, it gets kind of questionable. As moving as their relationship is, it's the ambiguous nature of it that makes The Professional more thematically complicated than an action-packed reworking of the premise of Cassavettes' Gloria. It's superb action filmmaking, of course, filtered through a European sensibility that allows…

March Mystery Challenge - Film #2 of 5

Nominated by: Emily

Just to note, I've seen this film a few times in the past but have only now found out there is an extended cut, so that is version I decided to watch. My memory of the original may be a little rusty but the additional scenes mainly just delve deeper into the relationship between Mathilda and Léon, so for this, and the fact that the additional 26 minutes do…

"I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoveen. Can you hear it? It's like when you put your head to the grass and you can hear the growing and you can hear the insects."

There are plenty of calm, quiet moments like that in this film that help add to the human drama, as well as high octane action that keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for the outcome. The very…

MYSTERY MARCH CHALLENGE - Week 3

I've seen the beginning of the film twice and I was really glad I got this in the mystery march challenge as I had an excuse to watch it. From watch I saw both times the film looked promising and really good but I never got round to finishing it.

Jean Reno is brilliant. He can play the part of a stone-cold killer assassin whilst playing a kind-hearted man as well. It's nice to…