Léon: The Professional

"Oozing style, wit and confidence from every sprocket, and offering a dizzyingly, fresh perspective on the Big Apple that only Besson could bring, this is, in a word, wonderful" - Chicago Tribune

Léon, The Professional, whatever you want to call it: this is a quintessential mid 90’s action thriller. Written and directed by cinéma du look director Luc Besson, the film follows Léon, a cleaner (aka hitman) who lives a solitary life in New York City. When his next door neighbors are murdered during a DEA raid, Léon takes in their 12-year old daughter, Mathilde, who survived the onslaught while grocery shopping. Now bound together, the unlikely duo strike up a father-daughter relationship that causes the hardened and stoic Léon to open up while Mathilde learns just how dangerous the world is. The cast is small but effective: Jean Reno’s performance is subtle, bringing a warmth to a character that is, ultimately, a killer; Natalie Portman walks onto the field swinging in what is her feature film debut; and Gary Oldman is as chilling as you would expect a man of many masks to be.

After Hours is the best films you never saw on the big screen (or maybe you did) from late-night cult classics to foreign favorites and even summer blockbusters on weekends. Please note that unclaimed pre-ordered tickets will be sold to the rush line 30 mins after showtime.

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