THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 25, 1994 TAG: 9411230107
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: TEEN [movie] REVIEW
SOURCE: BY ALAN CHANG, TEENOLOGY MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
THE HIGHLY acclaimed French director Luc Besson is back.
His last action film, ``La Femme Nikita,'' was about a female assassin. This time the actors don't speak French, it's English, and the eye-taxing subtitles are gone.
But don't let the action-packed previews and the melodramatic movie posters for ``The Professional'' fool you. The film is more an action comedy than an action thriller. Some might see the humor as a relief from the intense violence, although more effort is focused on the characters than the shootings.
The film takes place in Little Italy in New York City, where drugs and gangs thrive. Jean Reno plays the cool Leon, a professional hit man. The heavily armed Leon is swift, stealthy and never misses his target. One look at his cold face would even make Rambo squirm with fear. But there is a gentler and sweeter side. Leon also gets pleasure from watering his precious plant, drinking milk and watching a Gene Kelly movie. This part of him is hard to believe but laughable.
The film not only pokes fun of the characters' lives but also draws strong emotions as Leon saves and befriends a young neighbor, Mathilda, played by Natalie Portman.
Mathilda's life is probably the worst that a kid can have. She grows up in an abusive family supported by illegal business. Her parents and siblings are all slaughtered by a group of drug dealers who suspected Mathilda's father of hiding cocaine. With nowhere to turn, Mathilda forces herself into Leon's secluded life to protect herself.
It is through their relationship and mutual dependency that the humor is drawn.
No matter how big or small the characters, they all have colorful personalities. Portman's debut performance is impressive as the 12-year-old problem child. Even the corrupt drug enforcement officer played by Gary Oldman, is appealing. His exaggerated emotions and expressions bring more humor than fear to the audience.
The movie's heart-pounding action sequence might be the one thing that everybody is anticipating. The camera moves right with the action, and emphasis is put on certain scenes with slow motions and close-ups. Eric Serra's bass-pumping music adds more tension to every frame, making these action scenes feel like an intense roller coaster ride.
``The Professional'' is another Luc Besson masterpiece - an action film with a twist of humor. MEMO: ``The Professional'' is rated R. Children under 17 not admitted without
a parent or guardian.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Alan Chang is a junior at Kempsville High School
PATRICK CAMBOULIVE / Columbia Pictures
Jean Reno plays Leon, a professional hit man who befriends Mathilda,
a 12-year-old whose family is killed in ``The Professional.''
by CNB