19 Ultimate Final Shoot-Outs Of Cinema History

Jean Reno's soft-spoken hitman takes in troubled girl Natalie Portman who has Gary Oldman's nut-job cop after her. It results in movies that's an endearing love tale, emotional rollercoaster and exhilarating action film all rolled into one - as well as the best thing director Luc Besson ever made.

The story hits a fairly high-pitched crescendo as Oldman finds the location of the two and calls in S.W.A.T. support. Suddenly Reno’s warm and fuzzy lead turns back into terminator mode and makes quick work of the assault. Oldman isn’t pleased and calls in; "EVEEEERYONE!”.

Jump cut to the entire New York police department outside our protagonist's apartment building.

Besson was never a slouch in the action department, and this sequence does feature some of his best gunplay. Yet, what really catapults to classic status is how emotionally fuelled it is. The genuine forbidden love between the two characters (which is surprisingly not creepy) comes to an honest and heartbreaking closure, with an intense farewell as Portman is able to escape but Reno is left behind.

It ends with an unforgettable emotional coda (coupled with Eric Serra's phenomenal score) that is true peak cinema and rarely leaves a viewer less then teary-eyed.

“For…Matilda’ - that’s right Oldman, don't make him tell you twice.