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Come see Léon: The Professional presented on 35mm film on the big screen in L3!

As visually stylish as it is graphically violent, this thriller directed by Luc Besson concerns Mathilda (Natalie Portman), a 12-year-old girl living in New York City who has been exposed to the sordid side of life from an early age: her family lives in a slum and her abusive father works for drug dealers, cutting and storing dope. Mathilda doesn’t really care for her parents, but she has a close bond with her four-year-old brother.

One day, she returns home to discover that most of her family, including her brother, have been killed in a raid by corrupt DEA agents, led by the psychotic Stansfield (Gary Oldman). Mathilda takes refuge in the apartment of her secretive neighbour, Léon (Jean Reno), and discovers that he is a professional assassin. Wanting to avenge the death of her brother, Mathilda makes a deal with Léon to become his protégée in exchange for work as a domestic servant. However, a platonic relationship develops between Léon and Mathilda that changes Léon’s outlook on his life and career.

Besson’s first American film boasts a strong performance from Jean Reno, a scintillating debut by Natalie Portman, and a hyperbolic, yet disturbing turn by Gary Oldman.

Stephen Leach