LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL (DELUXE EDITON)
Directed by Luc Besson
Columbia Pictures
Fans of French action maestro Luc Besson will be interested to know that Leon has been released in a special two-disc edition. Filled with great characters, played by fine actors, the film also has slick style and vibrant kinetic delivery. Originally released in North America as The Professional, the film tells the story of Leon (Jean Reno) a solemn hit man who, against his better judgment, takes in his young neighbour Matilda (Natalie Portman, in her first starring role) after her family is killed by a corrupt drug enforcement administration officer (Gary Oldman). The film became an action favourite not only for its brutal nature and violent sensibilities, but also for the off-putting sexual tension between the title character and the 11-year-old Matilda. Years later, the European version of the film was released on video and restored several scenes excised for North American audiences.
While this 10th anniversary edition of Leon features Besson’s longer cut of the film, the supplementary materials don’t make it worth the wait. The second disc merely offers retrospective documentaries with cast and crew members, but Besson and Oldman are noticeably absent. It is interesting to learn that Leon was originally made to fill time while Besson tried to find funding for his sci-fi epic The Fifth Element (which is also getting a new special-edition treatment), but for the most part the four documentaries offer little insight. Fans of the film will be more interested in the trivia track that accompanies the feature. Jammed with tidbits of info, it’s worth checking out, but hardly makes up for the lack of commentary track.
Keep in mind these complaints are minimal. Even 10 years on, Leon is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, but if they want us to shell out for the film again, they should have loaded the DVD up with stronger features.
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