A to Z Movies: The Fifth Element
Title: The Fifth Element
Year Released/Rating: 1997 PG-13
Starring: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker
Directed By: Luc Besson
Written By: Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen
Star Rating: 4 /5 stars
Trivia: The language spoken by Leeloo was invented by director Luc Besson and further refined by Milla Jovovich. By the end of filming they were able to have full conversations in this language.
So F... Hmm... We definitely have an odd collection of movies for F. We sat there for about 5 minutes, I narrowed it down to three, J picked The Fifth Element out of that. I think it partly has to do with the fact that over dinner we were talking about how many bad movies were made in the 1990s. There are quite a load of them. And we happened to pick a good 90s movie for our pick tonight.
You have to take this movie with a bit of camp. Don't take it too seriously or it comes off as seriously cheesy. That's why I like it so much. A fun campy action film. Complete with cheesy Bruce Willis lines and Chris Tucker being, well, Chris Tucker. My favorite part has to be all the parallel shots. We get the fight scene between Leelo and the nasties going on at the same time as Zorg is infiltrating the ship and Korben is watching the opera. There are others, but that sequence is my favorite. I just love the cuts in that scene.
Best Bits:
Priest Vito Cornelius: You're a monster, Zorg. Zorg: I know.
~~
[ Father Cornelius and Ruby Rhod see the bomb stuck to the door]
Priest Vito Cornelius: It's a - it's a - it's a - it's a - it's a - it's a...
DJ Ruby Rhod: No no no no no no. 'Cuz if it was a bomb, the alarms would go off 'cuz all these hotels have bomb detectors, right?
[ the alarms sound]
~~
Korben Dallas: Whoa, lady, I only speak two languages, English and bad English.
[ Leeloo continues to talk in divine language]
Korben Dallas: Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for conversation, but maybe you could just shut up for a moment?
~~
Korben Dallas: What's your name?
Leeloo: Leeloo Minai Lekarariba-Laminai-Tchai Ekbat De Sebat.
Korben Dallas: Good. That... that whole thing's your name, huh? Do you have, uh... a shorter name?
Leeloo: Leeloo.