Does Portman's performance here top...

She was 11 when the first scenes were shot, had just turned 12 when shooting was complete, and had never acted in a movie before.

I think she was good and generated a lot of empathy for her character, much better in her part than John Adames who played a similar role in Cassavetes' Gloria, but most of her performance was instinctual and an expansion on her personality, as opposed to the kind of nuanced performances she gave in Closer and Black Swan. In those roles she had not only great directors, as with Besson in this film, but also the experience and world knowledge to fully inhabit her roles.

I think Besson picked her because of her spirit, intelligence, personality, and her willingness to follow his directions.

When he chose her, he changed the script from purely tragic realism to a medieval tragicomic fantasy (from his own description of melding Reno's recent performance as a French knight in a 1993 comedy into the character of Leon).

Where Leon became partly a knight with a code instead of a brute like Viktor in Nikita, Mathilda was switched to being a headstrong child princess who had to be protected from her own wild fantasies instead of a 16-year-old murderess.

Natalie Portman, the brilliant and effervescent only child of a New York doctor, fit the role of a headstrong princess, but didn't really fit the expected behavior of a physically-abused school dropout.

She used to do skits like the Marilyn Monroe and Madonna for her family. All that Besson asked her to do was Gene Kelly, but the personality, bargaining, and take-charge attitude she gained from being a beloved and intelligent only child were exactly what he needed for the part.

Nope, it's not even close.

For a child actor, Natalie's performance was excellent. It was the best part of "The Professional" for me.

But no, her acting has improved as an adult and it shows when she has the right role such as with "Black Swan".

BB ;-)

it is just in my opinion - imo - 🌈

Yes I think she was a better actress when she was younger. She was good in Black Swan but horrible in Star Wars and V for Vendetta

I would say yes given the fact that she was so young. This a very rare performance given by an child actor on this level.I believe we witnessed one of the best child performances in Cinema History. Whenever people comment on her performances in other movies they almost always compare it to her role as Mathilda. That alone shows how impressive her acting ability was at only 11 years old. I'm not sure she can ever top this one.

Her performance here is one of the best ever given by a child actor, while her performance in BS is one of the year's best. I personally prefer her in the former.


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