A girl has a crush on an older man....this ain't Lolita.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
LTTP: Leon the professional...its creeping me out!
- Thread starter kittoo
- Start date
- Status
A girl has a crush on an older man....this ain't Lolita.
Mind blown. I never saw the directors cut. I thought it was a little weird and weird that he never shut it down but I still like the movie.
It's the only time I've thought she was genuinely good except maybe a moment in Black Swan towards the end.
As for Leon, it's one way, she went through a horrible experience, only adult who cares for her even slightly. Not physical love, just like a Dad I suppose. Madonna and Like a Virgin doesn't really mean much, just makes Leon uncomfortable. They are playing a game right.
Point out some specific points, please?
All I noticed was Leon looking awkward or shutting down advances when Mathilda was expressing herself.
Fallout-NL
Member
Also not going in this movie though.
Yup.
But the subtext has its place in this movie. Since Leon is emotionally undeveloped.
She is teaching him about love and emotions. Which through the course of the movie changes him from emotionless killing machine to well everybody knows the ending.
It has nothing to do with pedo stuff...
Jesus Carbomb
From Water into Guinness
I thought it was pretty clear that Leon wasn't having any of it. Mathilda had her little crush, Leon shut her down and that was that. I'm pretty sure you're seeing something that isn't there.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
There's nothing more to point out. I'm not saying there's a sex scene hidden in the background. It's a movie that's sets up an unusual romance between a girl and a man, and explores that dynamic. Some would be uncomfortable that a movie did that at all.
Infernostew
Member
Lolita is awesome as well!
My thoughts exactly - did these people watch a different movie?
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
OP, were you actually watching the movie or was this a failed Netflix and chill moment
I agree, it just portrays the whole situation very differently than Leon.
M1ch04c4n0
Banned
This movie is the reason I have a permanent crush on Natalie Portman.
Relax, I watched it about a year after it was release (I'm 35)
Relax, I watched it about a year after it was release (I'm 35)
GrotesqueBeauty
Banned
I'd just like to add how great it is living in a culture where a budding young lady pulling a Marilyn Monroe birthday performance is problematic, but there's nary a whiff of uncomfortably around a professional assassin teaching her the tricks of the trade. Ima go play videogames now.
There is no "unusual romance between a girl and a man".
The things you're describing do not exist in the film.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I'm not even seeing it myself, I have no problem about this movie. But this is the discussion that has surrounded the movie since its release, so I think it's silly to act surprised and say "what are you talking about???"
I'm not even joking when I say the movie is moe. It's about the unusual pseudo-romantic feelings of taking care of someone younger and more vulnerable. Some people call moe "pedophilic", and some people rebut that and say it's totally harmless. That's exactly the same discussion people will naturally have about this movie.
Ganzlinger
Member
Oh it's a movie. I thought it was something about Leon S. Kennedy then I realized I'm not in the gaming side.
True, but the American version is also missing the sequence (spoiling this just in case the OP hasn't finished the movie yet) where
Leon takes her on several different hits for her "training". If I'm remembering correctly, the American version just has the scene where she shoots the runner with the paintball from the sniper rifle. Not only does this foreshadow the "ring trick" later in the movie, but it also makes the scene where she goes after Stansfield by herself make a bit more sense. In the American cut, it just seemed like she was being a stupid kid by charging into the police station with a gun and no actual "training" from Leon.' With the training montage, however, you at least get an idea of WHY Matilda thinks she'll succeed, or at least take out Stansfield before getting killed herself.
People who believe there are even slight pedophilic hints in this movie should really make an analysis of themselves.
Matilda is infatuated with Leon. At no point during the movie does she try to seduce him. She never makes any sexual advances towards him, and it's CLEAR that Leon is not sexually or even romantically attracted to her. Leon protects her because he has finally found someone to protect instead of living only for himself. Matilda is like a daughter to her.
And while Matilda may be attracted to Leon, it's never in bad taste. She is not even trying to seduce him. She has a crush on him. She sees him as the only adult who has shown any interest in her well being.
Matilda is infatuated with Leon. At no point during the movie does she try to seduce him. She never makes any sexual advances towards him, and it's CLEAR that Leon is not sexually or even romantically attracted to her. Leon protects her because he has finally found someone to protect instead of living only for himself. Matilda is like a daughter to her.
And while Matilda may be attracted to Leon, it's never in bad taste. She is not even trying to seduce him. She has a crush on him. She sees him as the only adult who has shown any interest in her well being.
Beardz
Member
Mailenstein
Member
Op doesn't understand the movie I see.
Ah interesting. I've only ever seen the US cut once, waaay back when it first came out. I've seen the DC like 20 times since then.
He isn't even done watching!
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
If you think about the actual meaning of the Japanese word moe, it undeniably is.
If you think it's a genre of anime, well no, it's not anime
What's to wonder? He never planned on paying him more than the little slice that he doled out every once in awhile.
ugh_the_boot
Banned
You should try watching the whole movie before creating threads about it asking "WTF is going on man?!" It's an amazing movie and has amazing perfomances. It's one of Luc Besson, Jean Reno and Gary Oldman's best work which is saying a lot.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
I threw up a little.
Monocle
Member
I found that aspect of the movie creepy too.
True, but isn't that separate from the pedo vibes the OP is talking about?
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
Not everything you watch must fit your level of comfortability.
Gary Oldman is master at playing psycho characters. Leon and State of Grace are his best roles in my opinion.
PlayALLtheGames
Banned
Are you just completely unable to read into a character?
I mean Portman is a girl who has seen some shit and had to grow up 1000 times faster than kids her age. She's, whatever she is in the movie, like 13 (?) going on 20-something. She's got a crush on this older man (not uncommon among younger girls) who has saved her life. That's the kind of behavior you would expect.
I mean Portman is a girl who has seen some shit and had to grow up 1000 times faster than kids her age. She's, whatever she is in the movie, like 13 (?) going on 20-something. She's got a crush on this older man (not uncommon among younger girls) who has saved her life. That's the kind of behavior you would expect.
But the question is: What "pedo vibes" exactly? I would like to see a list of all the times Leon acts creepy with Mathilda during the movie.
The perverse would be the opposite, with a completely oblivious innocent girl being tricked and manipulated into bad situations by a completely knowing older adult.
This doesn't sound like that. Sounds cute. It's not like the French would shy away from either situation in their cinema anyway.
This doesn't sound like that. Sounds cute. It's not like the French would shy away from either situation in their cinema anyway.
Can you or one of the other posters saying this movie has 'creepy pedo vibes' remind me of any scene in which Leon actually demonstrates this?
Monocle
Member
It's more the sexualization of Mathilda than anything Leon does. I realize it's well justified in the film and it makes sense for her character, but come on. If watching a little girl be coquettish toward a grown man doesn't creep you out on a gut level, I'm not sure how to explain it to you.
Monocle
Member
That's what you're taking from this?
kittoo
Cretinously credulous
Finished the movie.
A few things first
I was watching the extended version.
I am not American.
Its a decent movie overall. Some very tense sequences and great performances by everyone involved.
But is it so hard to understand that a girl of her age saying 'First time is very important for a girl, 'we will share a bed' and 'My love, Leon' etc. can be a little creepy to a few people? Of course Leon rebuffs her advances and I get that the character was in such a condition that she was more 'mature' than her age, but cant it still not be a little discomforting?
What? LOL how did you arrive on that?
A few things first
I was watching the extended version.
I am not American.
Its a decent movie overall. Some very tense sequences and great performances by everyone involved.
But is it so hard to understand that a girl of her age saying 'First time is very important for a girl, 'we will share a bed' and 'My love, Leon' etc. can be a little creepy to a few people? Of course Leon rebuffs her advances and I get that the character was in such a condition that she was more 'mature' than her age, but cant it still not be a little discomforting?
What? LOL how did you arrive on that?
no the viewer is afraid of being a pedo
But besides the Marilyn Monroe charade (Which is not really sexual), what else is to it? We never see Mathilda acting sexual, or even seductive towards Leon or anyone else.
As I said, she clearly has a crush on Leon. But she does not dress provocatively for him, or anything of the sort.
She's hitting puberty. She's discovering sexual attraction and the only person she has to rely on is Leon. He is her protector. The fact that people are taking this as "pedo vibes" is baffling to me. Teenage girls wake up to their sexuality. If people consider that as "pedo vibes", then they must be feeling "pedo vibes" around teenage girls all the time.
Monocle
Member
Yes, people who find Mathilda creepy want to fuck children. Leon is unearthing certain posters' dark secrets. Now that's powerful cinema.
this is an interesting thought.
Check out Lucy for the real Luc Besson experience
- Status