An ex-special forces soldier (Leon). is hired to be the bodyguard of a local mobster's daughter (Sara). They fall deeply in love with each other, but there are obstacles that stand in their way. One, the girl's father has already made plans for her future, and two, Sara is sixteen and Leon is forty. They hide their love, knowing that if Sara's father finds out he really will kill Leon. Needless to say, her father does find out.
The first ten minutes of this film are really quite awful,some of the action shots are over the top, and several parts are downright flaky, but I promise, you will LOVE this movie. This is quite simply one of the most unique and original films I have ever seen. It is a cross between a mob movie, an action film,a comedy, and a love story. Once past the first few scenes, this movie just keeps getting better and better. The last fifteen minutes are wonderful, and the ending is one of my all-time favorites. I hated to see it conclude.
While the action is fast paced and exciting, the real core of this movie is the love story between Leon, (played by the great Boguslaw Linda) and Sara (real life sixteen-year old Agnieszka Wlodarczyk). This is not a case of schoolgirl infatuation, or an older man seducing and taking advantage of a young girl. The love between Leon and Sara is the real thing, and the actors do such a convincing job portraying this that the ages of the characters becomes a moot-point next to the genuine love that comprises this relationship. Pay close attention to the song "I'm Your Man" that is sung as the movie comes to a close. Not only is it a nice love song, but it is sung by Boguslaw Linda. The lyrics fit in so well with the final scene that you realize that the singer is actually Leon, expressing his feelings of love to Sara and it works into the film beautifully.
Along with action and romance, the director makes clever use of humor. This is a Polish movie, and it is clear that in some ways the director was striving to emulate American mob and action movies. When they're not shooting someone, or burying bodies in the back yard, one of the gangsters favorite activities is watching subtitled American films about organized crime. They seem to be mesmerized by them. I am an American, and I don't speak Polish, so this meant I had to use subtitles. Basically then, you have Americans watching a Polish mob movie in subtitles of Polish mob members watching American mob movies in subtitles. You just have to love the paradox there, and I'm pretty sure it was intentional on the part of the director.
In short, there is something about this film that just clicks. Once viewed, it becomes an instant favorite-one of those films you just love to see again and again. I've lent my copy to many of my friends, and I have yet to have anyone tell me they disliked it.
