Great movie directed by Luc Besson starring Gary Oldman, Jean Reno and Natalie Portman. Jean Reno is the kind killer who more or less adopts precocious 12 year old Mathilda (Portman) after her family are wiped out by assassins working for depraved, drug addled cop Stansfield (the ever excellent Gary Oldman).
I've yet to see the full uncut Euro version which, I'm told, is far more violent than the orignal British and American cuts. The best Luc Besson films are...
1) Leon 2) The Messenger (very underated, good attempt at the old Joan of Arc legend) 3) Angel-A 4) Subway 5) Fifth Element
Posted by annier (Member # 3305) on :
I think Gary Oldman is an excellent actor too. I love him in "The Firm".
Abit of useless information for you - Do you of you watch "Eastenders" ? I think its on BBC America. If so the character "Mo" is Gary Oldmans sister.
Annier
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Hey annier; I’m from England, don’t watch ‘Eastenders’ anymore but I know who you mean, and now that you mention it, there is a slight resemblance. So Oldman did a John Cusack and cast her in his gritty directorial debut ‘Nil By Mouth’.
If you like Gary Oldman, I’d recommend getting the ‘Dracula’ DVD, I’ve grown to love this film over the years (hated it first time around, as I was expecting a different kind of movie and was unprepared for the comedy accents).
Watch the rehearsal footage on the extras and you’ll see Oldman taking himself far too seriously, scaring Winnoa Ryder with his outbursts (but to be fair, it is kinda frustrating to try and get the lines just right) and generally acting up like a real ac-tour ought to Posted by eightieschick (Member # 4385) on :
I loved the Professional, but I have only seen the U.S. version. I just read an article about Natalie Portman, and they tried to say that the Professional was a kind of Lolita story, that he fell in love with her. But I didn't think so- I think he just wanted to take her under his wing since her parents were murdered. Why does Hollywood always have to make up sick stuff? If there was a "Lolita" part for her, it was in Beautiful Girls as Marty.
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
Nice movie Kash!
this was one of those first date movies for me........and it was awesome......made me give the guy a second glance."He has great taste" haha!
you can't help but love Portman.......when I think of her I relate her to this movie. I like Beautiful Girls too Eightieschick......but Leon was such a standout performance for her. Yeah the Lolita thing is stupid..........it was more like a taking care of a child thing......not Lolita!
Kash did you know??? I think Luc Besson is awesome and I wouldn't even watch The Fifth Element til someone made me........and I loved it! What was I even thinking??? Posted by annier (Member # 3305) on :
I have Dracula. It grew on me too. I presume everyone on this board is from America for some reason. I love him in "Sid and Nancy" too.
Annier
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Muffy, somehow I kinda guessed you would I had a similar issue with 'The Fifth Element' hence saw it on video and liked it a lot, by the time the Blue Diva crops up, you begin to wonder exactly what Luc Besson was taking with his corissants when he invented this one Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
The Lolita reference has become a movie journalism cliche Eightieschick, everytime a marginally talented young actress stars in something good, its only a matter of time before they're mention lolita. Some people may've been confused by the scene at the hotel where Portman says Leon is her lover (but that was obviously a joke playing on the whole idea).
'Beautiful Girls' great movie, another good performance by Matt Dillon and a glimpse of how good an actor Timothy Hutton can be (health problems robbed him of a few years on screen).
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Annier, would you believe I've never seen 'Sid & Nancy'? its one of those movies I always seem to miss anytime its on TV,. 'Romeo Is Bleeding' and 'JFK' also feature good Oldman performances, though a lot of his recent stuff hasn't been very good.
Posted by annier (Member # 3305) on :
I've never seen "JFK". I must rent it.
You've gotta see "Sid and Nancy".
Annier
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
I agree........Kash you need to see "Sid and Nancy"
If not just for the fact of how young Oldman is. Also it's punk rock!!!!
The chick that plays Nancy almost could play Courtney Love......haha She played a drugged out rock chick well.
Posted by annier (Member # 3305) on :
Yeah, she does look abit look Courtney Love but not as ugly (personal opinion).
Annier
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Will do, Muffy, I think Courtney Love was in that movie wasn't she? the only place I know Chloe Webb (who plays Nancy) from is 'Ghostbusters II', she's the wierd guest on Pete Venkman's 'World of the Psychic', the one who claims she was abducted by aliens at the 'Holiday Inn'.
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
don't forget Twins and China Beach Kash.......my mom and I used to watch that show together, awwww...."reflections offfff the way life used to beeee" sorry I was singing...
I totally forgot Courtney Love is in that movie.....thats almost weird I said that now....whoaaaaaaa! haha Let me know when you watch it mister!
Posted by eightieschick (Member # 4385) on :
I loved Beautiful Girls, I just bought it about 2 months ago. Timothy Hutton was great. I thought the whole cast was great. Natalie Portman was beautiful- what guy wouldn't fall in love with her? I also loved Nobody's Fool which is another great ensemble film, and I bought it at WalMart last month for $5.50.
Posted by Hordak (Member # 1772) on :
Luv this film so much; Oldman the epitomy of psychotic charisma. The 'Oh... sh*t!' moment at the end when he finds the explosives, has to be easily one of the most satisfying comeuppances in film history, priceless!!
Of course...! Been tearing my hair out recently trying to place the actress who played Nancy in Sid And.., thanks to an Oldman piece on some movie actors retrospective (never actually seen it), only to realize - thanks to Kash - it's Chloe 'Mona Ramsey' Webb off of Tales Of The City! Latter a truly GREAT 90's TV mini-series; Webb giving a captivating performance. Thoroughly recommend to anybody who hasn't seen it (also features note-perfect turns from likes of Laura Linney, Paul 'Due South' Gross & Bill Campbell).
Didn't realize that was her in Twins either! (Cheers 4 that Muffy)
Posted by Hordak (Member # 1772) on :
Oh and you're right annier, she's *definitely* not as ugly as Courteney..
Posted by insane8veggies (Member # 5023) on :
wow, ive always wondered who she was, she was in the movie funny about love as well. one of my fleeting favorites as a child(i grew up in an odd family, lol. i was maybe 5 the first time i say terminator 2) anyways about the Professional, i watched it with my husband a while back and i was compleatly blown away, it was a beautiful story. when he asked me what i thought i told him, 100% serious, that it was the best romantic comedy ive ever seen. lol. but your talking to a girl whos idea of a chick flick is the movie monster, or even devils rejects. thats about as close to a chick flick as i get most of the time. i will admit im a sucker for romance though. god, im shutting up now, first time poster newness still not wearign out. sorry.
Posted by Bernie_Lomax (Member # 8571) on :
Overrated. But still ok. I would not watch it again.
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
I agree with you, Bernie. It's a very good film, not the wildly overrated masterpiece that many say it is. For my money, Luc Bession's masteripiece is "La Femme Nikita."
Posted by Bernie_Lomax (Member # 8571) on :
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