Review: ‘Léon: The Professional’—a Stylistic Endorsement of Pedophilia Bookended by Action Sequences

Highly regarded among movie lovers, “Léon: The Professional” initially appears to offer a lot of potential. Jean Reno plays Léon, a professional hitman at the top of his game. Through a series of violent coincidences, Léon ends up taking in Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl played by Natalie Portman, as his protégé.

It is a promising premise, but director Luc Besson never delivers. The opening action sequence pulls you in, as Léon effortlessly takes out a target, appearing in and out of shadows like a murderous ghost. Yet the film begins to drag, as we meet Mathilda’s unlikeable family and dive into a confusing plot involving corrupt DEA officers whose motives and plans are never explained. From there, the action sequences are rare, with much more time spent on the uncomfortable relationship between Mathilda and Léon. I’ll come back to that later.

There are things that this film does well. The pacing in the final action sequence is excellent, the cinematography is solid, and the mute color palette imbues the film with stylistic flair. Unfortunately, the highlights are few and the flaws are many.

The acting in this film is varied at best. Natalie Portman has the standout performance by far, displaying emotional maturity and depth rarely found in young stars. Reno is great in the role of Léon, though Léon’s social awkwardness and silence limit the scope of his acting. The most disappointing performance is Gary Oldman as the crooked DEA officer Norman Stansfield. He is excessively erratic throughout the entire film, oscillating wildly between stable and explosive. Though his volatility occasionally adds to the suspense, Oldman tries too hard to be wild, crossing the line from unpredictably unstable to cartoonish. 

The worst part of this film is the indisputably uncomfortable relationship between Léon and Mathilda. At 13-years old, Natalie Portman is extremely over-sexualized. Repeatedly throughout the film, she asks Léon to make love to her and to take her virginity. This discomfort is increased by the fact that the film was inspired by director Luc Besson’s sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl when he was in his thirties. 

This movie takes an engaging premise and transforms it into a dull, uncomfortable film about a sexualized relationship between a grown man and a 12-year-old girl. This is stylistic endorsement of pedophilia, bookended by two excellent action sequences.