Rating: 
Summary: "I have been known to redistribute wealth."
Review: Armed with a brief note and a newspaper clipping informing him about his daughter's seemingly accidental death, career criminal, Wilson (Terence Stamp) flies from London to Los Angeles to discover the truth. Wilson has had scanty contact with his daughter, Jenny, thanks to frequent jail sentences, so he operates from a degree of guilt mingled with a violent ability to make people see things his way. Wilson contacts his daughter's friend, Eduardo (Luis Guzman), and he discovers that Jenny's boyfriend, Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda) is mixed up with some very shady people. Operating on the theory that you shake the tree and see what falls out, Wilson contacts Valentine's business acquaintances. It becomes immediately very clear that Jenny's death was hardly an accident, and Wilson sets out to even the score. "The Limey" is an excellent, quality entry in the British gangster genre. It's a stylish film and uses flashback sequences to enter Wilson's mind, but at the same time, the film is not spoiled by an over-reliance on style. There is still a nice, tight plot here--with very few deviations. Terence Stamp is great as the Cockney British gangster who remains silent most of the time, and when he does open his mouth, no one understands him. He is the complete opposite of Valentine (Peter Fonda). It's impossible not to compare the two men as they are about the same age. Valentine seems like a powder puff next to the vengeful Wilson. Wilson's quirky character is revealed a little more every time he opens his mouth, and through flashback sequences, we are privvy to the past that still haunts Wilson. Some of the flashbacks, however, appear to be how Wilson would prefer to remember the past--and these memories include casting himself in a slightly better light as a father. Wilson's extensions of the truth parallel Valentine's version of his fanciful life in the 60s. If you enjoy "The Limey" then I also recommend "The Hit" directed by Stephen Frears. This film is another British gangster film also starring the highly talented Terence Stamp--displacedhuman
Rating: 
Summary: SMOOTH THRILLER
Review: "The Limey" is a lot like Soderberh's more recent film, "Traffic", in its looks and texture -- oodles of the sepia tone, same style of mosaic-clip cinematography, and the same relaxed, methodical pace that focuses more on character than on loud action, almost reminiscent of film noir. The theme is straightforward: a British ex-con arrives in LA to "investigate" his daughter's death. It is the manner in which he does it that the sheer class of this film pivots on. The cast, especially Terrance Stamp, are silently convincing. The action is understated, not your wham-bam if that's what you are after, and yes there IS a lot of action. If you care about a character-driven but intriguing murder mystery, take this for a fling. Great stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: "You tell him, you tell him I'm coming."
Review: Is there anything stronger than a father's love for his daughter? Steven Soderbergh's "The Limey" is a film that argues that a father would go to extraordinary lengths for the sake of his daughter - even going so far as embarking on a destructive and chaotic rampage in order to track down and punish her killer. A man named Wilson (Terence Stamp) is released from a prison and immediately heads for Los Angeles after learning that his daughter has been killed. The prime suspect in the murder is a record producer named Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda). It turns out all of the trouble Valentine finds himself in with Wilson is due to an ill-advised business dealing with a man named Jim Avery (Barry Newman) involving illegal drugs. Avery and Valentine do their best to eliminate Wilson but the vengeful father won't be denied his revenge. Terence Stamp has long been an underappreciated actor and "The Limey" is one of those vehicles that showcases just how talented an actor he is. The story is a simple revenge fable but Stamp's gritty and intense performance combined with Soderbergh's stylistic direction gives this film an identity all its own. This film was made before Soderbergh did his more high profile projects but it has his stamp of quality all over it. Take a look at it if you're in the mood for a small but potent film.
Rating:
Summary: a fast 'n' loose crime thriller
Review: I always thought that this was a slightly darker companion piece to Soderbergh's Out of Sight but where that film was more in a classic Hollywood style, The Limey is a jump cutting mood piece that is closer to the independent scene. Every so often, Soderbergh likes to shake things up by doing one of these quick, down 'n' dirty indie films between big budget films. Terence Stamp has never been better as the hard as nails Wilson. With that steely glare and fierce determination you really begin to pity anybody who crosses his path. This is a really fascinating tale of revenge and, ultimately, redemption. I would have never thought of casting Peter Fonda as the heavy but he's quite good as the morally bankrupt baddie. He's almost overshadowed by the criminally underrated Barry Newman who plays his no-nonsense right hand man. Throw in Leslie Ann Warren and the always entertaining Luis Guzman (who gets some great lines in this film -- esp. during the party scene at Fonda's house), and you've got one helluva film. This DVD is particularly worth checking out for the rousing commentary with Soderbergh and the film's screenwriter Lem Dobbs. These guys get into quite the heated argument during the film that is quite entertaining to listen to! It's certainly something you don't hear every day. If you're a fan of Soderbergh's films but only know him from the high profile projects like Erin Brockovich or Ocean's Eleven, then check this little gem out. They don't make crime films any better than this bad boy.
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Summary: Stylish Character Study
Review: "The Limey" was directed by Steven Soderbergh right after "Out of Sight," and was another step in his comeback before he triumphed with films such as "Traffic" and "Ocean's 11." It's a small film, with a fairly conventional plot. What sets it apart is the stylish direction and the presence of the enigmatic Terence Stamp in the title role as a two-bit Brit criminal. The movie tells of the death of Stamp's daughter, and his quest for revenge. It reminded me a bit of the recent Ben Kingsley film, "Sexy Beast." The story is told in a jump-cut, fragmented manner that makes it a bit confusing at times but sets it apart from similar movies. It also features quite a few flashbacks, some of which are from one of Stamp's 1960s movies, "Poor Cow." These flashbacks give the film a great deal of texture, which helps the rather generic story. The resolution is a bit too pat, but does pack a much needed emotional wallop. Overall, a pretty good movie that will likely appeal to Soderbergh fans.
Rating:
Summary: A Haunted Man
Review: Terence Stamp is Wilson, a 'limey' ex-convict drawn to the United States in search of the truth behind his daughter's (Jenny) death. He finishes his prison sentence only to learn the news that his daughter has died ... under less than acceptable circumstances. Stamp plays Wilson with palpable memories of a haunted past. It's as if pain of seeking revenge has become the only driving force in the man's life, and you can see every ounce of emotion behind every wince in his eyes. Lesley Ann Warren winningly serves as back-up to Stamp's lead -- one of Jenny's only true friends in the facade that is crime-laden southern California. And Luis Guzman -- long-serving supporting roles in standard television fare -- emerges brilliantly to the forefront as Jenny's former acting classmate; he accompanies Wilson on this violent journey of discovery, and he provides a sense of morality to the ex-con in a few key sequences in the film. LIMEY's editing may not be to everyone's liking. Dialogue is time-lapsed and out-of-sequence throughout significant portions of the film, and, similar to the manner of PULP FICTION, events don't always unfold in typical chronological fashion. However, time is all Wilson has left in his life, and what unfolds before his eyes turns out to be almost as frightening to him as the loss of his only child. As well, the film boasts what is probably one of the truest portraits of undercover federal drug-enforcement policy on film. On all counts, THE LIMEY emerges as a triumphant picture about the deep dark places to which only one man bent on knowing the truth will go.
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Summary: Great Scenery, Dry Humor, and Panache
Review: This movie is a winner. It has some moments of humor and a poignant message in the end. It is an obvious throwback to 60's thrillers and has many references to the 60s. However, it does have some innovative filming techniques. Unfortunately, the director overdoes it in the beginning of the film with the constant flashbacks and flashforwards to the point of agony, but then once you reach the 15 minute mark things settle down and it becomes a very watcheable and entertaining vehicle. The visuals of the Southern California lanscape are breathtaking and make me want to travel there. The scenes where Wilson head-butts the security guard and where he shoots up the warehouse are brilliant and hilarious because they are so understated. This film is stylistically smart and also contains a message at the end about revenge and grief that is very touching.
Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian effort from Soderbergh
Review: Not one of Soderbergh's best, this. This is a bit of a disappointment. All the techniques he uses to such a great effect in movies like Traffic (8mm clips) come across here as pointless exercise in arty filmmaking. It seems as though The Limey was for Soderbergh just a practice run for Traffic. The docu-style camera work for the action scenes does not work. There is simply no tension. Another mistake in my opinion was to cast Terence Stamp for the lead role. He's a great British actor and has notched up some great performances since the 60s, but he's maturing in years and doesn't quite have the edge. There's nothing wrong with the story, British hardened ex-con flies to LA to get revenge on the killers of his daughter. I would venture to say that in the hands of another director and casting expert, the Limey has the makings of a first-class thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Modern Noir At It's Best
Review: Dig this, one year after Steven Soderbergh made it back onto Hollywood's A-list of directors with "Out of Sight", and one year before he became Hollywood's It-boy with "Erin Brokovich" and "Traffic", he made "The Limey", a nifty little crime thiller that plays as much as an homage to 60's icons as it does a revenge drama. The plot is simple, an aging Brit named Wilson(the Brilliant Terrence Stamp), has just been released from prison and arrives in L.A. upon hearing about is daughter's death. Everyone says that she died in a car wreck, but Wilson suspects something more sinister afoot. His investigation eventually leads him to his daughter's older boyfriend, Valentine(Peter Fonda), a sleazeball music producer who has been up to no good, and then the quest for revenge starts. Okay, it's definately style over substance, but what style it has. With Soderbergh's masterful directing, the inventive flash-foward/flash-backward editing style, Cliff Martinez's excellent musical score, and the wonderful perfomances by Terrence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Luis Guzman, and Nicky Katt, "The Limey" is a masterfully constructed mystery that is a must own for any fan of the film noir genre. Thanks for reading my review.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, Superstar-Quality Performance by Terence Stamp
Review: Terence Stamp is not a superstar, but you would not be able to tell that from this film. From the moment before the opening credits with a completely black screen we hear his character Wilson utter passionately, "Tell me! Tell me about Jenny!" until the moment late in the film when he repeats those words, Stamp completely and utterly dominates this film. The fact is, however, that Stamp could easily, with only a few changes in his early career, have been as big a superstar as anyone to come out of England in the past forty years. His early selectivity in roles in the sixties, when he was one of the icons of the decade, was legendary, as was his having taken off nearly a decade to go to India to study spirituality. As the opening credits come up, The Who's "The Seeker" plays, and the song could be applied as much to Stamp as to the role Stamp is playing. (Stamp's brother, by the way, Chris Stamp, was the executive producer of many of The Who's best albums in the 1960s and early 1970s.) The plot of the film is extremely simple: a British con is released from prison, and travels immediately to Los Angeles to investigates his daughter's Jenny's death. In most regards, this is a fairly average film, but two things make is a minor masterpiece. First, this is one of the most brilliantly edited films one can ever hope to see. It is a travesty that Sarah Flack not only didn't win an Oscar for best editing but didn't even receive a nomination. This is one of those films where the editing tells a disproportionate amount of the story. Not only that, but a five second straight on shot might feature two or three splices, giving the film a nervy, disorienting feel at times, to wonderful effect. The second reason the film is elevated to something special is Stamp's portrayal of Wilson. Stamp's voice has gotten progressively rawer over the years, and he really doesn't sound like anyone else in movies today, especially when he reverts to a Cockney accent, as he does in this one. He radiates danger, more like the Angel of Death than a person. I have read that Soderbergh contacted Stamp before seriously beginning work on the project, not wanting to go forward with the film until Stamp's involvement was guaranteed. In other words, this film was built around Stamp, and it shows. He owns this film like few actors can own a movie. That Stamp did not receive an Oscar nomination is another absurdity. One of the more interesting features in the film is the way that Wilson's memories of his daughter and his sense of failure as a father to her drives and motivates his behavior, sometimes in surprising and unexpected ways. One thing that helps make this more effect is the frequently noted use of footage from a film that Stamp made in the 1960s, POOR COW. Interestingly, POOR COW is the only other film that Stamp, an East Ender from London, has played a Cockney. Terence Stamp is not a superstar, but this film is dramatic proof that he coulda, shoulda been, if he had wanted to be one.
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