ada the leading man is my tpye

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

gavin6942 Victim of a plot which has resulted in his imprisonment in a Central African jail for two years, a French secret agent arrives in Paris to settle accounts.As others have noted, this is a film that gets better as it goes. Initially, the Central African scenes are not very compelling, but once the "professional" gets going, it heats up quickly. This is an action film, a political thriller (to some degree) and even has a touch of humor at various moments.Although to Americans saying "The Professional" invokes thoughts of "Leon", this was the true progenitor of the name. And with no less a musical backing than from Ennio Morricone, quite possibly the greatest composer of the 20th century.

Ilya Eckstein What should have been just another spy/revenge B-movie ends up being one of the most memorable French films in my book. Sure, similar modern thrillers from Hollywood (e.g., Bourne franchise) may be more sophisticated plots, more intense chase scenes, camera angles, elaborated combat but ... who cares? A few months later, I can barely remember what those movies were about, let alone specific scenes. And yet, I just cannot get enough of Belmondo as The Professional. This movie hits me emotionally again and again, no matter how many times I watch it. It's charming, often funny, and ultimately, profoundly sad. If you've never heard of Belmondo, who by the way, is one of French cinema's national treasures, this is a great one to start with. A true classic!

eyesour Hilarious 1981 Gallic mash-up of every comic schoolboy adventure story stretching back to Fanfan la Tulipe (Gerard Philipe, 1952), and taking in everything you can think of both before and since. A jolly payday for everyone involved, happily strolling through their parts with varying degrees of thespian competence, but not straining too hard, whether good or truly mediocre. It kept reminding me of other movies: Where Eagles Dare, Day of the Jackal, James Bond, the Bourne trilogy, Good, Bad, Indifferent, Gunfight at OK Sundown, North by Northwest, Charlie Varrick, Leon the Professional, Last King of Scotland, You Name It.Long Leone-type facial close-ups. Plenty of political incorrectness. Sadism, persecution, lesbianism, unconvincing fake punch-ups. Great car chase sequence, with Last Gasp Belmondo, looking leathery and cool, at the wheel, handling his own stunts in the spectacular setting at the Trocadero. Wow! Fabulous anti-Hollywood ending. Weird relationships of love and friendship --- something seminally continental about those. I really couldn't sort them out. Who was doing what to who, exactly? Highly watchable, but I'm suspending all critical faculties by giving it 6 out of 10. Is this rating system working again, yet?

R. Ignacio Litardo I saw this film when I was very young, at the cinema, and still remembered the glorious ending. This film is perfect in its genre. Like a 007 but with heart, sociological undertones and humour.Like when the big bosses of the system look at the city from above their crystal palaces, and the first people who help our hero are the clochards/ beggars. Which are no saints, but whose materialism "what is it there for me?" seems honorable by comparison to the chiefs.Of course Belmondo is the best, and Morricone's score can't be improved. The script by Jacques Audiard has not one word that should't be there, like Poe's famous dictum.The passage of time: This film didn't loose any power with time. On the contrary, I feel it wouldn't be possible to make it now. Maybe it was the simple technology, the vague appeal to honour, and the political incorrectness. Like when Beaumont's chief, the hooker and cops speak of the president of an African state as "le negre".Josselin has a way with words, with people and strategically. Instructor Picard goes to the point when says that "he's got the whites" = always takes the initiative. This film is about mental games when outnumbered and out resourced. As such, it could be given in a course of strategy.Whereas its imitators rely on the action scenes like "Bourne identity", riches and gadgets (007) here life is mean and meaningless. Even a genius like Beaumont can achieve little against a corrupt and inefficient system.Somebody could make a study of the use of the telescopic lenses on the rifle. He who has it wins? Not necessarily so! But the three times it's being used, people fall like flies, like if death didn't inflict any pain.Morals: Beaumont has no friends, and he barely believes in his wife or his mistress, let alone his "friend". His nemesis, Le président N'Jala, is pragmatical as him, but follows some codes: "I didn't kill you because I wanted to exchange you for something". As is Robert Hossein as Le commissaire Rosen. Somebody as hard boiled as himself, no less. The "prisonnier évadé" also has moral. As, paradoxically, Doris Frederiksen, the stunning prostitute (I can't say more, but the ending proves it). I'd liked more character development of Jeanne Baumont and Salvatore Volfoni, his pal. Rosen always drawing sketches, at important meetings or when interviewing his wife, proves he cared for nobody, it was just another way of showing his superiority (in his perspective). Like when he said of Volfoni, whom he just used as a bait, "I pity him".I agree with IMDb's reviewer from Bochum, Germany that: "Today no one makes movies like this any more...". I was thinking about who could impersonate Joss now? Matt Damon in "The Bourne identity", as suggested by Amazon reviewer Hiram Gomez Pardo? Bradd Pitt :)? Definitely time doesn't always bring about progress...PS: Everyone will have its favourite quote with such a film. Mine probably would be the Instructor Picard again when he extols his pupils' virtues: "I'd like my son to be like him" and Le ministre, still insomniac, answer: "Ok, very moving, but it doesn't solve our problem".