The Professional (1981)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Please don't spend money on this.

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

At first impressed with the beginning, the effects at that time was impressed. But in the film there is nothing remarkable, perhaps for that hour he was something high and stood out, but looking now - he looks stupid and mediocre, then how they presented the agents and their secrets, where there is nothing secret anymore for the secondary people, funny that they all know (agent's wife etc) or for Agents (the murder of the president is probably already known to the neighbor), and the agents, if I can write like that, are somehow distracted and not professionals at all. Children's playground, where the main character even pistol can not directly hold, when aiming at a person. But let's start in chronology. Here's the court, how stupid the secret agent there falls and loses consciousness. From what? The viewer is at a loss. Prison, it's even more stupid to look for their escape, and why soldiers are so dangerous, they started shooting at poor people, and the agent found his weapon in the hut of some one, only you sit and guess, thinking that the director is brilliant and the agent is prudent, but that's far from it. And the blood - there is a funny ketchup. And then he came back, and there is a question, he seems to be already a terrorist, well, yes, he is a professional, there's nothing to say, he came and sends telegrams and "agents" decodes them on their 80' Enigma. And everyone is so worried, so only the viewer does not, tales are told of him as about Tarzan, and he is throwing alarm clocks. By the way in the movie there are a lot of blunders and dialogues where they say one thing, but on the screen you see another. The scene with his wife is also interesting when she is interrogated in a dressing-gown and like a stupid prostitute (not to mention the woman-agent who says nothing to her and nonsense) and take off her clothes, and she not to resist and runs naked to the detective and without covering himself tells him something, I laughed, as if she has not noticed that ripped off her robe. Already try to think that there cuted a bed scene. Yes, and the fake arrival ( I know it is fake, but it fake twice already) of this president, you begin to doubt as well as about the country and the seriousness of everything, came himself, and against the backdrop of some anthem, but in fact no one is playing. A prostitute there certainly does not matter. Ass maybe is good. The setting of battles is continuous caressing the cheek and pretending. Not serious, for example lets look at the same Bond, where Daniel Craig, where is the pro-agent, seriousness, cold mind, tacting. This is not a comedy or it is, professionnel? Throughout the film, it was not clear the motives of the professional agent. By the way everything ends also stupidly, he try to something proved or what, he put in a bad situation the special services, and if he proved something, he did not prove anything, only played the role of a victim. Music, more precisely one track of Morricone, only matters, and while constantly being set in scenes where it does not fit, a lot of this music, the music is good and without the film. I do not know how and why the film is so admired, and who benefited from it, it was untwisted and there is nothing in it. Bloated. Yes, I understand the stupid government that gives such orders, and throws a person because of its debility, but in the end everything will be thrown on him, they are already lifeless. A good plan here, hatred of such a government and agents, injustice and the fact that it was thrown out, every living person wants justice and even more so when he did a lot, but then how they shot the film and added the production and dialogues is ugly and boring. Imagine if you did not look for presentation the film so much and don't know this weird actor, because there are many others about hatred, rationality and much more reasonable. It is some parallel reality about agents and other stuff that no place in real and that only wash brain and some time and after so what, what it proofs or giving.

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.

This spy movie packs thrills , emotion , exciting action scenes , good performances , spectacular car chases, and a moving finale . Belmondo steals the show , as he runs , bound and leaps ; he jumps over buildings , cars and executes his own stunts . It concerns a French secret agent named Joss Baumont (Jean Paul Belmondo) is sent to one of the African countries to murder president Njala . However, at the last moment the political climate turns and his superiors decide to sell him to the new African regime ; as the French secret service deals with the African authorities , Joss is double-crossed and condemned to a long-term imprisonment , two years of hard labor . After a daring getaway he goes back to his country and deliberately communicates his previous bosses of his presence promising them to kill Njala (Pierre Saintoins) who has just arrived in France with the official visit . And so begins the manhunt , including Le Ministre (Jean Desailly) , Chief of Police, and Military Adviser . Belmondo being relentlessly chased by his former superiors and a tough agent (Robert Hossein) , while he attempts to see his wife (Elisabeth Margoli) and lover (Cyrielle Clair) .This is an intriguing film that contains noisy action , suspense , thrills , car chases and may other things . Belmondo sports an inimitable smile while shots and kills ; as usual he combines action with comic episodes . The highlights result to be a dueling filmed in Western-showdown style between Belmondo and Robert Hossein , furthermore a suspenseful ending . Enjoyable acting by main star names , Jean Paul Belmondo and Robert Hossein . Belmondo steals the spectacle , as usual at the time , he runs , bound and leaps ; Belmondo makes as his own stunts as well as Jackie Chan , he jumps over buildings, climbs walls , drives rapidly automobiles , including those of the car chase on The Trocadero Plaza . Belmondo asked his father Paul Belmondo to help with the authorizations needed to perform the famous car chase scene . Jean-Paul always performed all the stunts himself but ceased to do so after the accident during the filming of ¨Hold Up¨(1985) . Strong and agreeable secondary cast such as Jean Desailly , Cyrielle Clair and Elisabeth Margoni , among others . Interesting and thrilling screenplay by the prestigious Michael and Jacques Audiard based on a novel by Patrick Alexander . Colorful cinematography by Henri Decae , considered to be one of the best French cameramen , shot on location in Camargue, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (Africa scenes) and Château De Ferrières, Ferrières, Seine-et-Marne, France . Wonderful musical score by the classic Ennio Morricone , including emotive leitmotif . Released years before this film, Ennio Morricone's musical theme "Chi Mai" was never intended to be used for cinema. After hearing it on the radio however, Jean-Paul Belmondo was so impressed that he suggested it should be put into the soundtrack of his film. Ultimately, the record of this musical score was not only more successful than its initial release but came to be one of Morricone's bestselling work . The picture was successful at box office , ranking 4th highest grossing movie of its year in Franc e. Broke the 300,000 admissions mark in Paris ; a record at the time . The motion picture was well directed by Georges Lautner . He was an expert on comedy and action genre , and realized various vehicles for famous and tough French actors ,such as Alain Delon (Twisted detective , Les Seins De Glace), Michael Constantin (These was once a cop , Man in the trunk , Take it easy is a waltz) and of course, Jean Paul Belmondo (Cop or hood , Le Guignolo , Joyeuses Paques , Le Professional) . Rating : 6 , acceptable film for Jean Paul Belmondo fans and action aficionados .

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!