The Limey Reviews

I mostly gave this 3 stars because of Terence Stamp, he plays an old bad ass British gangster/ex-con/father very well and the story, though fairly simple is interesting enough. I was thinking of giving it a slightly less 2.5 stars because there was some interesting and weird directing and editing, a lot of it I felt didn't work and was just trying too hard to be artistic/unique, but it had it's moments. I also did not like several of the supporting cast choices, the bad comedic parts by them were too cheesy and ruined the mood of the film.

Steven Soderbergh decide de faire un revenge movie. C'est evidemment tout le contraire de ce a quoi on pouvait s'attendre. Sa structure tres particuliere et sa mise en scene parfait en font un must-see instantane. Les 20 premieres minutes sont parfaites, avant que le scenario de Lem Dobbs se mette a tourner quelque peu en rond. Mais qu'importe, tant Terence Stamp, Luis Guzman et Peter Fonda sont excellents.

This is the classic revenge thriller, as tweaked by Steven Soderbergh.

Terence Stamp stars as WIlson, the titular character, who is a recently released career criminal who travels to Los Angeles to investigate the death of his estranged daughter, whom he is told died of mysterious circumstances. Besides being about a man who is out for straight up vengeance, and really not much more, it also touches upon the divide between old school criminals like Wilson, and their modern day counterparts.

The film is pretty clear cut, and Soderbergh is maybe one of the few directors who can really get away with such a basic, single minded premise with not much else backing it up. Even though the film doesn't have much depth to it, it oozes style, mood, and tone, and is really rather mesmerizing.

I also liked how the film is a meeting of two titans of 60s cinema, with the British Stamp going up against America's Peter Fonda as the shady record producer Valentine who was involved with Wilson's daughter, and is thus the prime suspect in her "accidental" death. Both are amazing, but this is easily Stamp's film through and through, and a real showcase for him. Luis Guzman is pretty terrific as Ed, an acquaintance of Wilson's daughter, and perhaps the only person he can trust. He's pretty much the guiding light here, as he;s the one who contacted Wilson about his daughter, and provides him basically everything he needs to complete his quest. Barry Newman is also pretty awesome as Avery, Valentine's chief of security. Nicky Katt also makes a brief appearance as a hitman associated with Avery, but he could have been used a little more. He's good for how much we get him, though.

Being a Soderbergh film, it's got a great amount of style, slick production values, and is shot masterfully. Some of the proceedings get rather dark and intense, but thankfully there's a nice undercurrent of sly humor. One of the coolest things going on here is the creative integration of footage from an old Stamp film from the 60s as bits of flashback sequences.

This really isn't a deep film, and while it is pretty cut and dried, and just a variation on a theme, it's somehow gets a pass because Soderbergh just has this touch that elevates even the most unoriginal concept into something fresh and entertaining.

While there is nothing very original about the plot itself, Soderbergh engages the audience visually and gives it a style that is aesthetically appealing in a neo-noir sense, adding a unique twist of danger and unpredictability but also deepening the psychological aspect of the main character, masterly portrayed by Terence Stamp in arguably one of his best performances ever.

The storytelling technique and supporting cast are more interesting than anything the protagonist says or does.

Starts out strong but lost my interest after the first 15 minutes and only half-picked up it's speed at the end. This is a "nothing" movie that you forget about the second it's over and it is quite literally the dullest revenge film I've seen. The "cockney" accent Stamp uses is so fake and the disjointed flashback editing style is more frustrating than innovative.

Some may find fault with the jump cuts, but this is a pretty cool crime drama from Steven Soderbergh. Terence Stamp is perfectly cast in the lead role and has some terrific moments throughout. Great work as well from Peter Fonda and Barry Newman.

A dream-like, non-linear revenge drama, centered on well-acted characters, fragmented chronology, sunny locales, and an undercurrent of melancholy. Terrence Stamp gives a ferocious, funny, stark, and empathetic performance.

The Limey is directed by Steven Soderbergh from screenplay by Lem Dobbs. Starring Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda.

Terence is a British career-criminal recently released. He flies to United States on a hunt to track a elderly man (Peter Fonda) who somehow was responsible in his daughter's death, and who had intimate-relation with his young daughter.

This is 2nd film of Peter Fonda that I have watched since I last watched him in Easy Rider in 2007. Fonda looks ageless, so does Mr. Terence. This is the stuff that we're talking about, from Steven Soderbergh (he has been giving us useless movies recently). Good picturization, with touch of finely crafted flashback events.

NOTE: But I don't think this movie is worth 92% on RT, this is ridiculous. This is where the critics blindly fall for established actors/directors.

Stamp's lead performance is excellent, the direction is great and the camerawork is superb. This all adds up to a gripping crime-thriller.

Could watch this sometime if i can find.

Not your typical revenge flick, I liked it specially its ending

When you're not feeling sorry for the main character, you're laughing at the incredibly fucked up things he does on a regular basis.

Overrated, I think. I would like to see it again though.

Although it's creative, The Limey's confusing narrative and slow pacing make it feel long at only an hour and a half.

I rarely like these new stylistic thrillers from directors like Soderbergh, but this had a great story and great actors starring in it. I should watch it again soon.

There are moments in which the non-linear editing techniques get a bit too out of hand, but for the most part the style and structure of shots is inventive and keeps "The Limey" extra interesting, which is neat considering the fact that it's already an interesting story. Also, Terence Stamp is wonderful!

Criminally not seen by many people, Soderbergh's minor 1999 revenge drama is one of his best works.

ok, the story is not very developed, it's not even very believable, but what it lacks in originality and depth of characters, this movie compensates with lots of style.
it's not the first time that we see los angeles and hollywood as a modern-day babylon, it's propably not even the last time. but told from the angle of an aging english career criminal, the subtext is getting generally good. we see the dark side of an average success story. terence stamp is simply great as a "cockney geeser", and so is peter fonda as a washed-up music producer. there is more of a crime story, there is a kind of social story about the industry that eats its own stars, but this is mainly introspective look in the direction of a wasted life. a special feature of this picture is something extraordinary: flashbacks to london's swinging sixties where and when main character's life went to a completely wrong direction.
the atmosphere is great, the direction is almost invisible and therefore secure. doing it low-key is the right way for an intimate story. my recommendations to indie lovers.

The Limey possesses a simple plot supplemented with such rich, unforgettable dialogue, it comes off a lot like a classic screenplay, and Terrence Stamp's intense performance seals the deal. Soderbergh's photography and editing are extraordinary (in literally every definition of the word).
*3.5/4*