Luc Besson. What can be said about the man? He's a director/producer who makes movies that are rarely great films, but they are always really entertaining. Movies like the Transporter series, the Fifth Element, and my personal favorite of his, the incredibly entertaining Taken. I hadn't seen the Professional before, yet I knew I was in for something good because not only is it considered to be Besson's best film, it is considered one of the greatest action movies ever and is currently number 34 on the Internet Movie Database's Top 250 movies of all time. It was one of the last films that high on the list I had yet to see. And though it doesn't deserve to be nearly that high, it is a very well made, exciting picture. There were some things, however, that I didn't like at all. The relationship between Mathilda and Leon (played by Natalie Portman and Jean Reno, both in outstanding performances) is interesting at first, but eventually it turns into a very VERY creepy relationship that I felt was unnecessary. When a 12 year old girl asks a large hitman to have sex with her, I felt a little uncomfortable. One thing that I haven't decided on yet is my opinion about Gary Oldman's performance. I know it's supposed to be over the top, but at parts it felt like he was going above and beyond over the top and into OVER the over the top. But, of course, the best part is the action sequences with Leon. I feel like his character was so perfect and well acted by Jean Reno that we didn't even need Mathilda. Then again, in the scenes where she wasn't trying to get in his pants, I thought their chemistry was wonderful, and the emotion was really there. So, even though I had some issues with the film, and I didn't like the ending very much either, I still enjoyed it and recommend it.
The Professional - 8/10
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