# Leon: The Professional **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586 "2014-04-21T05:50:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/41 "2014-04-24T17:27:16Z")
Yeah, my interpretataion of the movie (from years ago) was that Besson intended quite a bit of sexual tension between the two. They’re both incredibly scarred and damaged people. Leon by his so-called career and Matilda by what happened to her recently. Putting them together is a recipe for disaster, even if they truly work well together. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/42 "2014-04-24T17:35:01Z")
It’s also possible that the director was an idiot, and intended something for the movie that really wouldn’t have worked, but that the actors were good enough to make it work anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/43 "2014-04-24T17:35:22Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I think Tony is most uncomfortable by Leon’s sudden curiosity, and the “oh shit, now I’ve gotta figure out how to move that money.” I doubt it. More like “oh shit, now I’ve gotta figure out how to weasel my way out of paying him”. He’s not only screwing Leon, he then screws Mathilda over as well. She even knows he’s doing it, and she lets him. I guess she decides she doesn’t need more shit at that point. And, well, what can she do about it? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/44 "2014-04-24T18:21:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s also possible that the director was an idiot, and intended something for the movie that really wouldn’t have worked, but that the actors were good enough to make it work anyway. Based on all his other films, that does seem to be the case. He seems to have lucked into a masterpiece via sheer random dumb luck. (His film about divers wasn’t too bad, but almost everything else that Besson has done is B-grade action schlock.) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/45 "2014-04-24T20:31:48Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Based on all his other films, that does seem to be the case. He seems to have lucked into a masterpiece via sheer random dumb luck. > > (His film about divers wasn’t too bad, but almost everything else that Besson has done is B-grade action schlock.) I never saw the one about divers, but I liked _La Femme Nikita_. But overall, I agree. I think the three Transporter movies were simply Besson trying to fund a cocaine habit or something similar. All 3 were a hot mess, but fun action sequences. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/46 "2014-04-24T20:54:39Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I never saw the one about divers, but I liked _La Femme Nikita_. But overall, I agree. I think the three Transporter movies were simply Besson trying to fund a cocaine habit or something similar. All 3 were a hot mess, but fun action sequences. Forgot about Nikita. Yeah, I’m not sure whether Besson lost a writing partner sometime after Leon, or if his brain just died ala George Lucas. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/47 "2014-04-24T21:00:53Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Thanks for that link, I completely forgot about Leon’s pet potted plant. It made the movie for me. 🆒 You’re not the only one. (I loved that Mireille had a pet potted plant in (Japanese TV series) _Noir_, because it was such a shout-out.) I’ve seen enough Besson stuff that I now think that the movie was vastly improved by Natalie Portman’s parents, if indeed they were the ones who made Besson cut the sex scenes out of the script. It works as well as it does because they’re _not_ having sex, I think. Particularly the part where Matilda claims they _are._ ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/48 "2014-04-24T23:35:28Z")
Fifth Element is one of the awesomest movies in awesome town. I rather liked Angel-A. And I’m looking forward to Lucy. Those are the only three I could find among his imdb credits that I consider respectably good, and one I haven’t even seen yet. There’s a lot of movies on that page. But still, one masterpiece (Leon) and three more good ones (Nikita, Element, Angel-A) isn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/49 "2014-04-24T23:57:52Z")
No, Fifth Element is a really bad movie. It also happens to be an incredibly fun movie, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s really bad. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/50 "2014-04-25T00:57:16Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Oh, and because I must [spoiler alert!]: > > [“This…is from…Matilda!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNS9aDRqyII) Yes, you must. However, I must suggest that [EVERYONE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBKXu3Kg4yg) watch Leon. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/51 "2014-04-25T02:21:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No, Fifth Element is a really bad movie. It also happens to be an incredibly fun movie, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s really bad. I wouldn’t use ‘incredibly’, but yeah, you nailed it. A movie doesn’t have to be good to be fun. I would say _Fifth Element_ was more fun than _The Transporter_, but _The Transporter_ was a little better (but still not good) and with better action sequences. Both are watchable if you let your brain sleep while watching. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/52 "2014-04-25T12:46:28Z")
I went to pull out my copy of The Professional and now I can’t find it. I may have to buy a new one. It is the uncut, international version that I want, right? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586/53 "2014-04-25T13:15:36Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I went to pull out my copy of The Professional and now I can’t find it. I may have to buy a new one. It is the uncut, international version that I want, right? As long as you buy “Leon: The Professional,” you’re golden. So this… > **[Amazon.com: Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition) : Jean Reno, Gary Oldman,...](https://www.amazon.com/Leon-Professional-Deluxe-Danny-Aiello/dp/B0006GVJEE)** > > The mysterious Léon (Jean Reno) is New York's top hitman. When his next-door neighbors are murdered, Léon becomes the unwilling guardian of the family's sole survivor - 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman). But Mathilda doesn't just want... or this… > **[Amazon.com: Léon the Professional (Theatrical and Extended Edition) \[Blu-ray\] :...](https://www.amazon.com/L%C3%A9on-Professional-Theatrical-Extended-Blu-ray/dp/B002O5M4SA)** > > Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Danny Aiello star in THE PROFESSIONAL, a go-for-broke thriller about a professional assassin whose work becomes dangerously personal. OR if you need a shorter version go with: A go-for-broke thriller about... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-the-professional/686586.md?page=2)