Mathilda

Léon is a movie I haven't seen in a very long time. It's a fine piece of filmmaking, to be sure. It made a bona-fide star of Jean Reno in America, introduced the world to Natalie Portman, and solidified Gary Oldman as one of Hollywood's most reliable villainous powerhouses. But it wasn't without its issues, not least the pseudo-romantic thread running through it, which is even creepier when one considers writer-director Luc Besson's inspiration for the movie.

This edit does a wonderful job of excising the remaining vestiges of the romance while creating an aura around Léon that wasn't there in the original. Less isn't necessarily always more, but in the case of Léon, it is most certainly the case.

The editing is mostly seamless, with some of the trickier edits done with aplomb, and the replacement music is well-chosen and works brilliantly to enhance the viewing experience. Some of the foley work could do with boosting in spots where replacement music has been used, but otherwise it's a damn fine edit of an already damn fine movie.