CINEMA
The Professional’ focuses on relationship, not action, to entertain
Dylan Alford
for Or*pan Dt*y Emtmkl
Great story Great acting Great
acton Th^s «s what The
Pro<e$s>onai, director Luc
Besson's follow up to La Femme
Nikita, has to offer Besson uses
creative camera angles and an
intriguing musical score to cre
ate some of the most amazing
action sequences in film
However, the action is not the
key to the greatness of The
Professional
The focus on the bond
between two people, comple
mented by the extremely we;,
directed action scenes, makes
this an amazingly intelligent
action film Although trie film i$
very violent at times, it is so we;1
The Professional
Jean Reno. Cary Oldman and
Saialie Portman
Director Liu Beeson
Rated R
balanced by the tenderness o?
the moments between the two
stars that the violence almost
becomes secondary
Jean Reno, who also starred
tor Besson in La Femme Nikita
and Sub*ay plays a profession
at hitman named Leon who
saves a 12-year-old girt from
bemg executed by dirty federal
drug agents Reno creates a
character fu« erf ironies. and
bongs a human side to a Char
actor type that is traditions !y
one dimensional.
Although h« may be a profes
sional murderer he is also a soft
spoken. trustvsofthy. likeable
man Most lo.-.vs are portrayed
as hardened tough guys .vho
completely shut themselves off
to any emotion Not Leon
Even though otting Mat-kta
• N C.i e Podmjn) into I . . to
goes against h«s better judge
ment, he can't help feeling a
bond to her
This bond S the tocal pom! ot
the film and Port man plays her
ro*e to perfection From the
moment she appears on screen,
she is absolutely captivating
ij.»(.!!» M it via
depth than the average 12 yea'
old female character that at
times she seems to be much
oidf>r than that
Matilda is tough, sensitive
passionate, stoic, irrational and
logical an at the same time She
etc as sympathy tmm the audi
ence at one turn and almost
makes them cheer at the next
t or example, earty in trie film
she breaks your head as she
sits, nose bieedmg pot ause tier
lather hit her, and asks Loon. *>s
‘e a way this hard or just when
you're a kid7* l ater m the film
she puts it a back together
agam as she demonstrates
a<’ a.Mig courage m the tar »* o»
a very frightening man
That man is federal drug
agent Gary Stansftefd, played
by Gary Oldman Stansfieid
as»s Ma! i.u if she loves !'?e
She answers that she does to
wfnch he responds, 'Good
That's good l wouldn't enjoy
taking the life of someone a no
didn't enjoy it *
Oldman's performance is
astounding He makes
Stanstieid a dospcable charac
for almost right from the begin
ning His complete disregard
for human life and indiscriminate
killing create a stark contrast to
leu- s *,».{(* t>f No women, no
k C-1*. Stansfaild w>:i basu a fy
k'll anything tn.it moves after he
pops one of Ns pills and starts
hearing Beethoven's overtures
in hts tread
Luc Bessons movie a nveting and intelligent thriller
(AP) - There's a scene tn Luc
Besson's new English-language
him. The Professional, m which a
wyged-oui DEA agent tens a
12-year-old gift how much plea
sure he will denve in killing he'
It's an incredible piece ot film
making, no? so much because of
the sheer terror experienced by
a child at the hands of maniac,
but because this very child has
come armed to the teeth to
kill the agent
The child, played with exquis
ite precision and honesty by
newcomer Natai e Portman. is
the center of this engrossing
story about a hitman and his
young protege
The Professional is one of the
most intelligent and riveting
thrillers to emerge m years It
involves more than car chases,
high-tech weapons, martial arts
and explosives, focusing on the
human condition and what
bonds one individual to another
The amazing Jean Reno, who
starred tor Besson in the French
anguage La f emme Nikita and
Subway, portrays l eon, a pro
fessional human who lives an
austere existence without
friends, comfort or any plea
sures outside ot milk and movie
musicals
He's a quiet and haunted man
whose credo is no women, no
Children" he will kill only men
His one companion is a scraggiy
plant he loves more than any
thing in the world until his 12
year-old neighbor comes into his
life
An abused cr id, her parents
sister and baby brother are
rubbed out in a drug hit by cor
rupt federal drug agents, led by
Gary Stansfiefd (Gary Oldman),
a pt- popping lunatic who nkes
to k to M<vart
Leon takes her in, realizing
her life might be m danger But
she has plans beyond just being
m a safe house She wants Leon
to teach her how to become a
professional hitwoman
Theirs is a strange, but
endearing bond And despite
Natalie's charming sensuality,
there are no sexual overtones
She is a child in love with an
older and dangerous man, but it
is not carnal and tie shows no
sexual interest in hef There is
much she can learn from him
and much he learns from tier
and. against his better judg
ment, his emotions are stirred
Natalie sets out to avenge her
fam-iy and she gets a little help
from her mentor It all crashes
together m an explosive and
frightening climax
Besson is an actor's director
and uses his camera to supple
mens what his actors do His
camera is never still and he
enhances each mood, each
sequence with inventive angles
and shots
Reno, with his hawk-tike face
and gawtty moves, is wonderful
as Leon He s mysterious, las’
menacing, sad, tortured His
moments with the girt are tender
Nata ie Porfsnan s an at tress
to watch She gives an Os< ar
WOTthy performance as the
saucy, streetwse and sects* ttve
innocent caught in the realty o'
death
Oldman, who has emerged as
an outstanding character actor
in recent years, is somewhat
over the top with his man* ran",
and twisting head as he snaps
down on hts drug eapsues But
he remains a compelling screen
presence
The a ways-sturdy D,r "y
Aioito tends goo<J support as
Tony, the Contract tyoMrf wh,
looks after Leon
Uniike most Hollywood film
makers who insist on looping
nosy, Panal and intrusive
canned music over the>f action
sequences. Besson has the ere
alive talents of fine Serra w’wsii
score breathes tension and
intrigue There's also a nice
lightness to <t Serra also scored
La Tenvrw Nikita and The Big
Blue, among other films
The F'rofesstonai rs a
Columb>a Pictures release pro
duced by Patnce Lodoux who
has produced ail of Besson's
recent films It is rated R for
graphe violence
Q
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ExJ
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