Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 19, 1994                   TAG: 9411230038
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

'THE PROFESSIONAL' HAS STYLE TO BURN

In "The Professional," he plays a corrupt D.E.A. agent with such feral intensity that he makes Dennis Hopper, at his most bizarre, seem restrained and tasteful. It's the kind of excess that's beyond criticism. But Oldman is not the star here, and when he's not on screen, the film loses a certain spark.

The protagonists are Leon (Jean Reno), an Italian immigrant hitman, and Matilda (Natalie Portman), his 12-year-old neighbor in a seedy New York apartment building. Other than his employer, the mafioso Tony (Danny Aiello), she's the only human being Leon has any contact with. When agent Stansfield (Oldman) and his gang kill her family, Leon takes her in.

What follows is a curiously paced tale of violence and revenge set in some of the dirtier parts of Manhattan. It's also a love story about two characters who bring out the best in each other. Despite his cold approach to his profession, Leon has an innocent side. For her part, Matilda has never trusted an adult and isn't sure how to deal with Leon. Both Natalie Portman and Jean Reno manage to make their offbeat characters believable and wholly sympathetic.

French writer-director Luc Besson showed his affinity for this kind of action in "La Femme Nikita." He brings a European sensibility this story, and that may put off American audiences who expect the same kind of non-stop action they saw in "Speed." Besson allows some of the more quiet scenes to spin out slowly, setting up a pace that gives Gary Oldman room to flex his dramatic muscles. Does he ever.

The violent scenes are jarring, but considering the level that's been set this year by such films as "Natural Born Killers," "Pulp Fiction" and "The Crow," it's not out of place. When the action involves children, the violence takes place off screen.

With this kind of visceral escapism, style is more important than substance. For better or worse, "The Professional" has style to burn.

The Professional ***

A Columbia release playing at the Salem Valley 8. 105 min. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language.