Rating: 
Summary: Turning pulp into art
Review: Almost all non-linear approaches of filmmaking have always been quite overated and some even deserved a cult following. Steven Soderbergh's "The Limey" is one of those unfortunate cases when a director is so eager of turning pulp into art that he becomes completely lost in his own pedantry, but the film has its moments and it's eloquent in its violence. With Terence Stamp as an ex-convict who just watched "Get Carter", Peter Fonda and Lesley Ann Warren.
Rating: 
Summary: Blimey!
Review: I am absolutely puzzled at all the good ratings this movie has garnered on this forum. I -- and the other three people who watched it with me -- felt this movie was complete hogwash and a total waste of time. The other three are still peeved at my insistence we watch it to the end; so am I for that matter. My personal preference for stylish, atmospheric and nonlinear movies (what my friends would term "boring") was not enough to sustain me through this piece of masturbatory, self-indulgent twaddle.From watching this, one might surmise that there would be a new Oscar category for "Most Flashbacks Per Minute" and Soderbergh wanted to be first in line for it. There was so little substance in this movie, one would have trouble stretching out the story for a five minute water cooler anecdote. The cut-ins from older movies starring Stamp and Fonda were interesting (but much less so than in something like "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid"). Indeed, from these observations, it would seem natural to postulate the development of the script thusly: "So, yeah, I was looking at these video clips from, like "Easy Rider" and some other 60's movie with Terence Stamp, and I was thinking (*toke*), that yeah, we could like take these clips and write the movie AROUND THEM. And we COULD do it, 'cause like Peter Fonda and Terence Stamp are still around. Dig?" "Yeah, man, we just fill in some of the extra details and the movie practically writes itself! (*pause*) Sorry, just had a flashback. Say, that gives me an idea: what if we were to make a movie totally composed of flashbacks? And didn't Fonda get wasted at the end of "Easy Rider", man? "No man, that was like, just in the movie. But yeah, I dig your flashback idea!" (*** snickering ensues, followed by the final ten minutes of plot development ***) Terence Stamp did a passable job, but his character failed to be someone a viewer could care about: he's fairly two-dimensional. Similarly for Peter Fonda's character: one develops no feelings of any real substance for him; you just wish he would walk off the set before he grimaces his pearly whites at the camera one more time. The one thing I did like about the movie was the noirish camera angles and tricks, but even that was marred by the continual jumping around. I guess I should thank the makers of this movie for once again reminding me that I should reacquaint myself with the classics before playing "Russian movie roullette" again. Or maybe to do something useful like taking out the garbage... with this movie firmly inserted therein.
Rating: 
Summary: The longest possible route between two points...
Review:
The movie takes a very simple plot-line and drags it out for what easily seems like three hours when it's really only an hour and a half. By the end, one is left almost not caring about the the not-suprising plot semi-twist. By the time the end came around, I really didn't *care* whether "'e dun it" or not. In fact, by the second-half, I was forwarding through some of the inane conversations (thank goodness for DVD!). On the LONG drive up the beautiful highway, on the way to kill someone, do we really want to hear a long drawn out conversation about whether Wilson has any friends? Does it really matter? Does it tell us anything about him that the past hour of similarly inane conversations haven't already brutally driven home? "eeeeyea, I got some friends. (long pause) Sa-tur-doi night - down at da booZAH. Familiah faces and oll... (another long pause and a flash back to somewhere else never seen in the film) 'cep maybee some of dem ain't real friends and oll, doh." One line from the move itself speaks volumes. Speaking of Wilson (Patch) immediately after the "friends" conversation:
"Hey, do you ever understand half the ... this guy says?"
"No."
But they keep following 'im around anyway! So many references to "limey, bloke, and gov-nah" in the middle of Southern California make me ill - and I'm born and raised in England!! And then there is the time-line. What can you say about a movie that is still flashing BACK to it's opening IN the opening and all the way through the rest of the film, and flashing forward to it's ending in the middle? You're a day ahead, no back a day, no, right now, yesterday, wait... was that yesterday or tomorrow? Who cares? Just "done it" and roll the credits already! If you like a movie for pure surreal scenery alone, or for repetitive, three-piano-key, voiceless, flashback music, then by all means - this is the movie for you. But don't try to watch this film to follow a plot. Like Jenny's ashes, it was scattered all over the ocean.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Movie
Review: The box on this sleeper announces it's "The Perfect Thriller!" according to some well-known critic. I don't agree with him: it's not the perfect thriller. The audience knows who-dunnit long before the final climax, we know what's going to happen to the jerk who-dunnit, we just don't *quite* know how. What "The Limey" *is* is the perfect revenge movie. Terence Stamp plays Wilson, a career criminal from Britain out to avenge his daughter's death. Wilson is a tough, bad man, who I couldn't help liking. He befriends his daughter's friends, who are fairly two-dimensional characters, but are played but such good actors that they stand out in the movie as something more than they are. People who admire Peter Fonda's character from "Easy Rider" will detest the character he plays now-- a washed-up hack riding on the commercialization of the 60s. But again, Fonda plays him with panache. The real star of "The Limey" is the director-- Stephen Soderbergh. His style rings out louder than any chase scene, gun fight or siren. Listen closely for the clue in the score. Also, the flashback scenes are of an actual movie from the 60's ("Poor Cow") starring Stamp as a thief named Wilson. Stylized, interesting, and good.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting addition to the Soderbergh pantheon
Review: This movie appeared without much fanfare between two of Soderbergh's more commercial ventures--after "Out of Sight" but before "Erin Brockovich". Certainly, this is a less commercial movie, but it does have some of the classic Soderbergh touches. The first is a dedicated, perhaps even obsessed, protagonist in the form of Wilson, a parolee played by Terence Stamp (who has been long missing from the screen--check out the flashbacks of Wilson as a young man, which are recycled from an earier Stamp film) who is determined to find out the circumstances under which his daughter Jenny died. The color palette of this film resembles that of the Mexican scenes in "Traffic". Other interesting Soderbergh mannerisms include jittery jump cuts and showing Wilson's thoughts of what he wishes he could do--but doesn't. This isn't a particularly suspenseful movie--we know where we are going long before we get there--but it is filled with interesting characters (including Luis Guzman from "Traffic" playing a friend of Jenny's) and the pace never lulls. For Soderbergh fans, this is a must-see. For others, it may lack sufficient emotional payoff.
Rating:
Summary: A tough-guy movie with a twist
Review: This 1999 film directed by Steven Soderberg is a tough guy movie with a twist. Terrance Stamp plays Wilson, a British career criminal with a cockney accent who has just got out of jail. His daughter has been murdered in Los Angeles and he's going there to get revenge. He suspects that Peter Fonda, a high-living record producer who also deals in drugs, is responsible for the murder. What adds interest to the story is that the protagonists are all over 60 years old and trying to recapture their youth. Wilson is tough and angry and through some quick flashbacks we learn about his relationship with his daughter. He's also has a hard edged wisdom that is very appealing. And even though his physical ability in fights with younger and stronger guys seems a bit overdone, I couldn't help but get caught up in the story, which is not only fast paced, but adds just enough psychological insight into the characters to make them interesting. I found the video entertaining and absorbing and give it a modest recommendation, especially for people who like crime stories. I'm one of those people and I did enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great sound quality. Great video quality.
Review: My standard disclaimer applies. I am not reviewing the artistic merits of this release. I happen to like this film but that does not mean you will. I am reviewing the technical merits of this release. The anamorphic widescreen image is clear, bright, stable and free of decompression artifacts. Edge enhancement is on a par with uncompressed NTSC studio equipment. The Sony compression center did an excellent job on the video compression for this DVD. It looks spectacular. The extras are so-so. There are several trailers and teasers. The music score is isolated and you can just play the music. This seems like a neat option but I found it lost it's novelty quickly. The sound is superb. The dialogue is clean and clear. The music is clean and clear. The sound effects are clean and clear. All in all, this DVD is an excellent technical effort. If you liked this film I am sure you will like this DVD. It's extremely well done. I wish all DVDs were made with as much care and attention to detail.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant....A Masterpiece
Review: I first saw this film at a theatre pub in Portland, Oregon. I didn't expect much, but soon found this to be one of the most unique films I've ever seen. The storyline is weaved together from past and present, through various settings and emotions, to create a mood that lures in and captivates the viewer. Wilson is a brilliant character, one that you root for despite his past failures and his relentless, fiery confidence that drives him to find out exactly what happened to his daughter. Terrence Stamp does a nice job acting the part. The entire cast is wonderful, especially Ed Roel, played by the underrated Luis Guzman. In addition to the brilliant storyline, there are some humorous moments in the film as well. Witness the scenes where Wilson and Ed arrive at the party, and where Wilson meets with the DEA agent. The music/soundtrack to this film is terrific as well. You can't go wrong with "The Limey", it rates five stars across the board.
Rating:
Summary: Great, Gritty Film
Review: It is alot like "Get Carter", the protagonist is seeking revenge for the death of his daughter. It is a very dark film filled with excellent performances. Once I started watching it, I could'nt tear myself away until the very end.
Rating:
Summary: Soderburgh Is Solid
Review: After seeing "Traffic", which is a fantastic film, I wanted to see some of Steven Soderburgh's other films. So, whilst in the video store, I checked out "The Limey", and found that I really liked it. It was a highly entertaining film, that is as not structurally fulfilling as "Traffic", but is still an effective effort. Lots of action, mixed in with some humor, and really cool flashback sequences, this one is a film in its own category. Terrance Stamp is really great as an elderly ex-con, and a fish out of water, who will stop at nothing to find out how his daughter died, and who her killer is. I have to admit, the film did have a disappointing ending, but, upon futher inspection, the ending does sense. Fans of "Traffic" should check this one out. A soon to be classic film noir. Great for a boring Saturday afternoon.
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