Leon: The Professional (Review/Personal Opinion!)

Leon: The Professional 

This movie was very out-of-the-blue for my movie watching criteria. Most movies I watch are fantasy and sci-fi oriented, lamenting themselves into the geekier and nerdier side of me. However, I wanted to watch this movie for no other purpose than to understand song lyrics. If you recall one of my first posts, Alt-J has a song called Matilda based off of this movie, and the lyrics are as follows:

This is from
This is from
This is from Matilda
Just like Johnny Flynn said, ‘the breath I’ve taken and the one I must’ to go on
Put the grenade pin in your hand, so you understand who’s boss
My defeat sleeps top to toe with her success…
The song goes on, but those lyrics when listened to were always very fascinating to me, and I wondered how they applied to the movie. And applied, they did!
Now, let’s get to the review.
Leon: The Professional in my personal humble opinion is a masterpiece of a movie. Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, and Gary Oldman all do a fantastic job in their roles. I feel it is important to know that Natalie Portman is twelve years old in this movie, and this was her “breakout” role, so to speak. The movie centers upon a little girl named Mathilda who has a wrecked home life, and the only person she truly loves in her little family is her four-year-old brother. Her father is involved in the drug scene, storing various types for corrupt police officers. A crooked DEA agent finds out about this, and murders Mathilda’s family while she is out grocery shopping. Though at first this movie seems violent, it is actually a beautiful tale of companionship as Mathilda relies on her neighbor, Leon, to help her get back at those who killed her family, namely her brother. She looks to Leon as a fatherly figure and cares for him deeply.
Overall, this movie was a complete masterpiece and I’ve watched it twice since I first saw it. It is tearful, funny, uncomfortable, and everything inbetween! I would recommend it to anybody and there is no age limit as to who can watch it.
It is available on Hulu, at your local library, or on Amazon Prime Video 🙂

My Favorite Tracks Of June!

Runaway- Half Alive

Runaway is the newest single from local indie band Half Alive. This song proves that they can mix up their sound in any variety- Runaway is a beautiful ballad and refreshing take on how you don’t always need to run away from yourself in times of doubt. Their new album, Now, Not Yet, releases on August 8th and I could not be more excited for it. If your ears demand a listen, the music video is below!

Imagination- Foster The People

Foster The People’s newest single, Imagination, is anything but boring. The song is an energetic one, speaking towards a sad subject. The song, in my interpretation, is about only having someone in a fantasy world or state of mind since they are no longer together. Regardless of the subject, definitely give this one a listen!

Surf Curse- Disco

Surf Curse’s song, Disco, is one I have most definitely enjoyed over the course of June. With a spunky guitar and a classy feel, this song always brings me to my feet, dancing. Speaking of dancing, the music video for this song is stunning! The mood lighting and style of dance really compliment each other well without distracting from the music itself. Overall, a super wonderful listen!

 

An Awesome Wave Alt-J Review!

Recently, I have been going on an album binge and this was an album I have always been curious about. The fourth track, Breezeblocks, had always drawn me in to listening to Alt-J. However, the track only lead me to want more from them, and I figured An Awesome Wave was a great place to start. The album begins with a very chill Intro, a nice snappy lead-in. The pace quickly picks up with one of my favorites from Alt-J, Tessellate. The crisp drums and the crooning vocals really set up the album well, and the lyrics are a pool of metaphors that you have to dive into in order to better understand the song. Later, a fascinating tune, Matilda, is unearthed. This track is based on a movie called Leon: The Professional which I have yet to see, but overall the track is very smooth and pleasurable to the ears! Alt-J chooses to wrap up with a very gentle album closer. Hand-Made is a beautiful conclusion to an overall chaotic record, and the guitar-laden track underneath the rich harmonies leave you to your own devices to reflect upon the pieces of work you’ve listened to throughout Alt-J’s first album of many upon their discography. To put it simply, this was a wonderful listen of an album and I will definitely tune in again.

Rating: 8.5/10

Listen along with me and let me know if you loved or hated the album 🙂

Black Mirror: My Favorite Show And Why

05/30/19

               “Got our attention, as requested. What do you want to say?”

This quote from the show perfectly encapsulates what the show attempts to do- grip you and never quite let go. Black Mirror, a soon-to-be five season show, focuses on technology. However, the brilliant writer Charlie Brooker not only focuses on one of our societies’ greatest distractions, but it zooms in primarily on the dark consequences that can come along with the constant evolution and change that our technology is throttling towards at an alarming rate. Some episodes are far fetched, such as USS Callister, The National Anthem, and Metalhead. But don’t let that prevent you from viewing this Netflix original series. Some episodes amongst my viewing pleasure made me feel sick to my stomach after seeing how tangible the consequences seemed to be, such as in episodes Shut Up and Dance, White Bear, and Playtest. I personally really enjoy this show because it makes me think more about what our society is willing to do for a good source of entertainment, in the golden age of recording and getting everything on camera.

I recommend this show to anyone I come across, and most often times they enjoy the show, too! It is on Netflix, and season 5 comes out on June 5th, debuting the new episodes called Smithereens, Striking Vipers, and Rachel, Jack and Ashley, Too. Watch the trailer for said new season here, and get as hyped as I already am! 🙂

https://youtu.be/2bVik34nWws

Cage The Elephant: Tell Me I’m Pretty Review

Cage The Elephant’s fourth album, Tell Me I’m Pretty, is a whirlwind of sonic adventures, twists, and turns. With the leading track Cry Baby and the twisted backstory of Sweetie Little Jean, a friend of lead singer Matt Schultz’ who went missing when he was a child, this record does anything but bore you at its beginnings. The middle hump of the record supplies some of Cage The Elephants’ most known hits, such as Cold Cold Cold, a drum-filled and catchy tune. Alternatively, this record produces one of my favorite songs, Trouble. This is a mellow and sweet piece of music, although it is contrasting to the end of the album. The end of Tell Me I’m Pretty has a bite to it; with a grittier sound to songs such as Punchin’ Bag and Portuguese Knife Fight.

Overall, this album has been one of my favorites to listen to.

Favorites: Trouble, Mess Around, Sweetie Little Jean, Punchin’ Bag

Least Favorite/s: Portuguese Knife Fight

Overall, this is a great addition to the alternative genre and I will definitely give it another listen. 8.5/10!

If you would like to disagree or agree with me, you can listen to the album here: