The Limey

I first watched this film when it came out, 1999, and did not find it particularly memorable, apart from Stamp's steely performance, Fonda's sleazy character, and the film's conclusion.

I watched it again on 12 January 2018 and I have to own up to the fact that I must have been less than attentive when I first watched it. This time, I found the acting excellent across the board, the script far more interesting than I remembered, photography highly effective and economical, action sequences quite riveting, and director Steven Soderbergh to be in inspired form, even in his judicious use of flashbacks.

Do not take me wrong, THE LIMEY is not a masterpiece - and never purports to be anything even close. It is just a film well aware of its limitations, and highly credible because of that.

A thrilling and suspenseful movie about a thief ex-convict called Wilosn (Terence Stamp) who sets out to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter's death. However , he quickly finds that he is completely out of place with no understanding of the culture he finds . Wilson is a Cockney career criminal who gets out a Brit prison and immediately flies to L. A. and in his investigations is helped by another ex-con (Luis Guzman) . Together they learn that his daughter (Melissa George) had been having an affair with a record producer (Peter Fonda) , who is presently in love with another young woman (Amelia Henlie) . Investigations lead him to surprise the locals not only with his rhyming slang , but with his hard-man resilience , witty and ingenuity . Moreover , an aging actress (Lesley Ann Warren) helps him , as well. Vengeance knows no boundaries !. Tell Him I'm coming !.

There's so much going for this movie with vastly separate lives of two veteran outlaw men : ageing Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda , colliding in an interweaving story of killings , revenge , violence and redemption , being well written by screenwriter Lem Dobbs . Stirring , fun and as effortlessly assured , in its own relativity short budget way , as ¨out of Sight¨, this consistly attractive, imaginatively comic film milks the fish-out-water formula for all it is worthwhile , and anything else . Adding colorful images and enjoyable soundtrack by Cliff Martinez that are perfectly in keeping with the light , relaxed mood . The performances are all terrific , while director Soderbergh seemingly effortless mastery of his medium goes from strength to strength , while stories cross and collide . Sixties icons Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda show that age has not whitered their performance chops in this vengeance thriller in which an extremely volatile ex-convict investigates the death of his daughter learning she was involved with self-important record producer . Soderbergh's flashblack sequences make use of footage Ken Loach's 1967 movie ¨Poor Cow¨ which featured Stamp as a young thief named Wilson along with Carol White . Main cast is frankly well and it's given sterling support cast . Terence Stamp gives a nice acting as an ex-con , fresh out of prison , goes to L. A. to try to learn who murdered his daughter . While Peter Fonda is fine as a mobster who has an obvious fondness for young girls . They're well accompanied by good secondaries with plenty of familiar faces , such as : Lesley Ann Warren , Luis Guzmán , Barry Newman , Joe Dallesandro , Nicky Katt , Amelia Heinle , Melissa George , William Lucking , among others.

The picture was well photographed by cameraman Edward Lachman and competently directed by Steven Soderbergh , the result is a strong entry for thriller buffs . Soderbergh's customary playfulness with the narrative deftly underlines his ordinary trademarks. Soderbergh made such films as Kafka (1991), King of the Hill (1993), The Underneath (1995) and Gray's Anatomy (1996), which many believed to be disappointments. In 1998, Soderbergh made Out of sight (1998) , his most critically and commercially successful film since Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989). Then, in 2000, Soderbergh directed two major motion pictures that are now his most successful films to date : Erin Brockovich (2000) and Traffic (2000). These films were both nominated for Best Picture Oscars at the 2001 Academy Awards and gave him the first twin director Oscar nomination in almost 60 years and the first ever win. He won the Oscar for Best Director for Traffic (2000) at the 2001 Oscars . Rating : 6.5/10 . Notable , better than average , well worth watching.

Low-key thriller/drama about an ex-con seeking revenge on the man that caused his daughters death. That's the surface of this very interesting and fascinating movie from director Soederbergh. There's more than meets the eye, and the patient viewer will be highly rewarded.

This is, in my point of view, a film about all our efforts to review our own lives - i.e. trying to make memories of our past fit in with the reality of today. To try to understand all sides of an event between two people; how actions we take, and decisions we make, makes a difference in the long run in our lives.

Wonderfully directed and edited, this movie is really alive, and shines with various tricks and treats of pure movie magic. The score is perfect, and the acting is great (Stamp in the lead is amazing). The way the film makers intertwine dialogue and voice over is fascinating, and reminds me of the films by French movie makers in the sixties (the French "New Wave").

Obviously not in everyone's taste since this movie is quite demanding in attention and pace, this is still one of the best films ever from director Soederbergh. Rating: 9/10.

When I see Londoners portrayed in Hollywood I almost want to apologise . Being a Londoner myself I cringe when characters speak to Americans in the local London dialect . It's wouldn't happen and we don't all speak like that anyway!

Terrance Stamp plays one of those extremely volatile and dangerous Cockneys who goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for for his daughter's death .

Despite the over exaggerating accent I really liked this . Stamp's character is certainly unhinged and you definitely feel he has nothing to lose . He's out for revenge and nothing is going to stop him

I love the way we see flashbacks to when he was a young man . The flashbacks are taken from Ken Loach's first ever film - Poor Cow and because it's actually stamp as a man in his twenties, it's about as genuine as you are ever going to get .

This is one of Steven Soderbergh's lesser known films and while it's not perfect , it certainly doesn't look out of place with his back catalogue.

Soderbergh is a really odd director. His movies have run the gamut from the wacky, self indulgent surrealism of 'Schizopolis' to the pandering, sell-out mediocrity of 'Ellen Brockovich'. He's really hard to get a handle on. 'Out Of Sight' was stylish with an outstanding cast but left me cold. 'Traffic' featured a handful of great performances, most notably Benicio Del Toro's, but was overall simplistic, unconvincing and cliched. For my money his strongest achievements to date have been his overlooked noir-ish 'Underneath', and this, his involving revenge drama 'The Limey'.

Terrence Stamp, a fine actor who has appeared in more than his fair share of bad movies, really takes this role and runs with it. He radiates dignity and power as Wilson, the English career criminal out to avenge the death of his estranged daughter. My only problem with his performance, and the movie as a whole, is his Cockney accent, which borders on caricature. If you can get over that hurdle you'll be impressed by the depth of his performance.

Peter Fonda, who has never impressed me much as an actor in the past (not even his much lauded role in the overrated 'Ulee's Gold'), is also fine as the sleazy record producer who Wilson suspects of wrongdoing. Stamp and Fonda obviously relish playing these characters, and their chemistry together is the cornerstone of the movie. Both actors are supported by an impressive array of old and new faces - including a surprisingly effective Lesley Anne Warren (her best since 'Cop'), the always watchable Luis Guzman ('Boogie Nights', 'Carlito's Way', etc.), blasts from the pasts Barry Newman (cult classic 'Vanishing Point') and Joe Dallessandro (former Warhol superstar), and future star in the making Nicky Katt ('Strange Days', 'SubUrbia').

Soderbergh cleverly uses footage from Ken Loach's kitchen sink drama 'Poor Cow' for flashbacks, and plays upon Stamp and Fonda's 60s screen personas, but the film is no exercise in mere nostalgia. 'The Limey' is a rarity in Hollywood these days - an intelligent, thoughtful, well crafted and acted adult movie. I liked it a lot.