The Limey – 1999
Posted by Scott on 10 Nov 2008 at 04:23 am | Tagged as: Overlooked Films
I’ve had this blog for about ten months so it’s about time I express my admiration for Steven Soderbergh. Sex, Lies and Videotape is one of my favorite films. It’s a major reason why I decided to attend film school. Soderbergh’s meteoric rise from indie it-kid to A-list Director has been nothing short of extraordinary. He doesn’t always hit a homerun but he constantly swings for the fences. King of the Hill, Out of Sight, Traffic and Ocean’s 11 all cleared the center-field fences while Kafka, Full-Frontal, Solaris and Bubble were three-pitch strikeouts. The beauty of Soderbergh is his willingness to vacillate between smaller, experimental projects and high-profile studio gigs. One of his lesser-known movies is The Limey, a compact vengeance drama conveyed in Soderbergh’s signature style.
After serving a nine year prison stint an old school British gangster named Wilson (Terence Stamp) travels to Los Angeles to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his daughter Jenny’s death. Aided by Eduardo, a reformed ex-con, Wilson’s inquiries lead to slick music producer Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), Jenny’s live-in boyfriend. Wilson wastes little time tracking down Valentine, but his advances are blocked by Valentine’s right-hand-man Avery, a shady fixer who will resort to anything to protect Valentine’s interests. Not deterred, Wilson declares war on Valentine until the score is settled.
As Wilson continues to probe Jenny’s life he meets Elaine, a Hollywood voice coach who helps fill in the gaps about Jenny’s last days. Wilson shares his memories of Jenny with Elaine and expresses regret for being an absentee father. Further complicating matters for Wilson are two wacko hitmen and a group of rouge DEA Agents. A nervous Valentine rounds up his cronies and heads for Big Sur to hideout at his beach house. Wilson, Eduardo and Elaine follow in close pursuit. Avery and his hired guns lie in wait anticipating Wilson’s arrival. Driven by vengeance, Wilson storms the house to confront Valentine.
Soderbergh is one of the true auteurs working in film today. He deftly applies flashbacks and flash-forwards to reveal backstory and plot-points. The inclusion of footage from the 1967 film Poor Cow, starring a young Terence Stamp, adds authentic flavor to Wilson’s criminal past. Wilson’s honest reflections on his wayward youth deepen his character and offer poignant insight into a troubled life. Soderbergh’s Directing skills are put on display, in particular his utilization of overlapping dialogue to bridge scenes together. This subtle technique smoothly advances the plot by tying together story arcs and relationships between characters. Sex, Lies and Videotape and Out of Sight both employ similar traits. Soderbergh didn’t invent this approach but it has become a staple in his methodology.
The cast of The Limey is a good one. Stamp is perfect playing an embittered rough-and-tumble bloke who won’t rest until his wrath is satisfied. Peter Fonda also stands out; his portrayal of the sleazy Valentine oozes desperation and cowardice. Solid additional support comes from Luis Guzman, Lesley Ann Warren, Barry Newman and Nicky Katt. Lem Dobbs’ tightly-written script never sways from the central theme. It’s a precise character study of a career criminal seeking not only vengeance but redemption. Wilson is a violent man, but he doesn’t hide from his mistakes and failures. The Limey was inexplicably released in only 100 theaters back in 1999. It deserved much, much better. If you’re a fan of the genre, pick it up on DVD.
The trailer for The Limey:
