Leon (Reno) is a cleaner. A quiet man who rarely ventures from his apartment. When he does,it's either to buy milk, or kill his latest target. He's a hitman, and a damn good one.
But when his next door neighbours are hit by corrupt DEA Agents, lead by the vicious Stansfield (Oldman), he lets the battered Mathilda (Portman) in to his apartment rather than allow Stansfield to silence her like the rest of her family. Leon soon realises that the orphaned Mathilda wont survive long without his help. So they come to an agreement - she'll cook and clean whilst he continues to work for Tony (Aiello), taking out targets as and when requested. But the seed of change that was planted when Leon allowed Mathilda in to his life, begins to take root and culminates with Mathilda's attempt to get revenge on Stansfield and his henchmen, leaving Leon no choice but to take matters in to his own hands.
I've been a fan of Luc Besson ever since I saw Nikita. His Gallic style of 3 dimensional characters and settings always compliments the intense action scenes. However, nothing before or after Leon compares to the beauty of this film. Perfect casting means this film stands head and shoulders above most purely on the three main characters. Reno turns a heartless killer in to a warm, troubled and innocent young boy, whilst newcomer Portman turns in a mesmorising performance as Mathilda, his mothering child. Then Oldman's Stansfield is as cold and evil bad guy as seen in a movie, and he has most of the movie's classic lines ("I like these calm little moments before the storm"). Add to that marvellous photography and masterful direction and you have a near perfect movie.
The international version of this movie is around 25 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and this extra time explains Leon's background, as well as his developing relationship with Mathilda. Although some of this development is a little electra-esque and its omission from the theatrical version is understandable, it just adds value to an already essential film. There's also a scene which will make you think twice about doorchains!
Assisted by his usual soundtrack companion, Eric Serra provides an edgy and engaging score, complementing the imagery. Sometimes it's completely opposite to the visual style, but just seems to work. This is really demonstrated on the excellent dolby 5.1 track, which balances dialogue and action beautifully. Surround sound is a bit limited, but the film sure sounds nice. A clear, sharp picture is colourful throughout. Extras-wise there's little here, but this film is essential without the 25 extra minutes, so with it makes this a must-purchase.