Rating: 
Summary: Low-key revenge thriller
Review: "The Limey", directed bu Steven Soderberg, and featuring Terence Stamp in the title role of the Cockney gangster out for blood in L.A., is a revenge drama in a minor key. Stamp, whose dubious accent elicits the occasional snigger, plays a veteran London crook who arrives in America to avenge the mysterious death of his only daughter, which, he believes, occured at the hands of a wealthy entrepreneur. The plot is strictly production-line, with the odd ironic twist and risibly melodramatic performances. What partially redeems the film is the pace and skill of Soderberg's direction: each scene never exceeds the limit of a few minutes, thus giving the film the quality of abstraction. Overall, though, 2 and 1/2 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: A meaningful film about rough justice...
Review: Terence Stamp's performance as lovable Cockney rogue Wilson is admirable, as he portrays an ex-con recently released from prison. He's learned a few things since his reckless youth, yet his undying love for his only daughter has remained the same. So much so, he travels to L.A in search of the truth, acting upon a newspaper cutting and his instinct that something's wrong. He meets with one of Jenny's associates, who provides a lead to a shady warehouse. Here, in pursuit of justice for his daughter, he opens a can of worms. Although beaten up and thrown outside, he simply pulls out a gun, staggers back inside, and shoots them - save one. "Tell them I'm coming!" he rages after the lone survivor. At once, I knew this film was going to be a great story. Normally, I shun such films marred by extreme, unnecessary violence, but Wilson proves to be a much more sincere person with deeper feelings than any gangster is blessed with. He isn't even a gangster, come that, but more a father out to avenge his daughter. There's more a decent thrilling storyline than outright GBH. But the warehouse scene has got be one of the best parts of the film, where the audience had almost felt his bruises and cuts, and cheered him on to vengeance. It's also humourous in places: his East End accent and way with words confuses the American populace somewhat! Although I very much enjoyed the character, plot and action sequences of this film, it just doesn't quite rate five stars for some reason. Wilson's memories of Jenny are actually part of the story idea behind this film. Who is really to blame? And who has the right to exact vengeance? I'm really glad I hired this film out, to view it twice at least. Be warned: Wilson's coming! A superb Anglo-American drama thriller.
Rating:
Summary: The Visual World of Soderburgh
Review: I had to see this movie after seeing his previous entertainment masterpiece, "Out of Sight". Although it wasn't exactly what I had expected, the outcome was refreshing and stylish enough to make me want to see more of Soderburgh's movies. Terrence Stamp, whose acting in the '65 thriller "The Collector" amazed me, was perfect as an ex-con just out of prison looking for the truth behind his daughter's death. The monotonous but somehow intriguing main theme also enhanced the way this movie turned out; completely Soderburgh style(very stylish). The only thing I would have to say bad about this movie is the storyline which seemed too simple to me, but the acting and cinematography( one word: flashbacks) gave it enough depth to cover it all. A must-see for anyone who is looking for a slick, visually stunning movie that doesn't rely on special effects to create (subtle) tension and drama.
Rating: 
Summary: Most boring film of the year
Review: I had this movie on my recomendation list, so i walked to the rent shop to hire it. A complete waste of time and money. The story doesn't take you in, the dialogs are so boring, not any fun at all, the acting is so piontless you don't know what to do with the characters, and soderberg just drowns any moments of the story, where it could get interesting or thrilling in slow thoughtfull camera positions. if i would have seen this in the cinema, i would have fallen asleep or left before ending. Better forget about this movie and watch taxi driver instead.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I had passed over this movie several times in the video store, but someone told me that it wasn't what I thought it was....So, I tried it. They were right. It wasn't what I thought. A real treat in an era of predictable demographically-targeted entertainment!The non-linear story telling and slightly offset editing created an unsettling (but not uncomfortable) atmosphere. You aren't always sure that what you think you understand is true. That seemed a really appropriate way to tell this story. On it's face, it seems to be a simple case of a father's quest to avenge his daughters death...but is it so simple? Very memorable and worthy performances by all the well-casted characters ensure that you are drawn in for the ride.
Rating:
Summary: SUBSTANCE AND STYLE
Review: In fact, substance, as always in Steven Soderbergh's movies, is slightly disappearing behind the style of this american director. But, if you are careful enough, you can find in THE LIMEY some food for your movie lover's mind. Other viewers will be annoyed by the non-linear story, in time and space, that becomes the trademark of director Soderbergh. If I can dare a literary comparison, Soderbergh is the William Faulkner of today american cinema. Now comes the problem. To master the cinematographic grammar, to play with flashbacks, unconventional story tellings does that make you an important author-director ? I should say no and I sincerely hope that Steven Soderbergh will not have a - à la Godard- career, lost in a cinematographical dead end. Because the danger of a pure style-for-style effort is very close. Anyway, I liked THE LIMEY which could be compared to a classic sonata. Two instruments, Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda, two musical recurrent themes haunting the desperate search, in time and space, of Terence Stamp. One could read THE LIMEY as a huge metaphor of the english-american musical battle for supremacy that began with the arrival of the Beatles on U.S. ground. So the intellectual pleasure is here but you will scarcely find in THE LIMEY something that will move your heart. It's a desperately cold movie that rejects you in the back of your seat, alone with your thoughts. And I sincerely think that a masterpiece must touch your mind AND your heart. A Proustian DVD.
Rating:
Summary: TELL ME ABOUT JENNY!
Review: The opening line, voiced over a black screen, "Tell me about Jenny!" sets the tone for this tightly constructed psychological drama/thriller about a father's quest to find out what really happened on the night his daughter died, alegedly in a car accident, in Los Angeles. Terrence Stamp's performance as Wilson, the recently released career criminal, is a fascinating character. While he is determined to commit further crimes to find out what really happened to his daughter to whom he was, "like a ghost in her life," over the course of the film we learn the nature of Wilson's past crimes and come to respect that he is operating out of love for a child he barely knew and not out of sheer malice. The mystery is set in motion when Wilson recieves a letter from a casual friend of his daughter's, Ed, who sends a clipping on her death because he, "just thought soemone should know." Ed, an ex-con himself, isn't convinced that Jenny's death wasn't an accident but felt the father should be notified. Throughout, there are character studies of noble men and women who by act of circumstance are believed by society to be evil. Ed leads Wilson to a record producer named Valentine with whom Jenny was involved, romantically we think but it's never quite directly stated, at the time of her death. The psychology of this film is fascinating. What is good or evil, when does an act become criminal? (There's an awesome exchange of information between Wilson and the DEA who are already watching Valentine.) It's possible that Jenny was looking for a father she didn't have when she fell in with Valentine's crowd. She may also have been looking for a noble man with an bad streak when she became romantically involved with Valentine. Ultimately, we're left with a fundamental question of who is really responsible for Jenny's death. Wilson may come to regret his quest because he didn't find an answer with which he's comfortable. Non-linear movies are nothing new and in less skilled hands than Soderbergh they often become confusing. But in this case, each flashback effectively embellishes plot elements we've already known or gives a bit of information we need to know in a future scene without over foreshadowing and making the outcome obvious. A lot like "Sex, Lies and Videotape," Soderbergh's masterpiece in my opinion, this a a tightly crafted story about somewhat disturbed people doing very disturbing things, but almost always for very good reasons.
Rating:
Summary: S'cool Soderbergh Style
Review: The inevitable outcry of critics has finally touched director Steven Soderbergh. He started his career with the indie cult favorite, Sex, Lies and Videotape, but recently went on to commercial success with 1998's Out of Sight and his highest budget picture to date, Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts. Gus Van Sant and Sam Raimi recently went through a similar transformations with their big budget releases; artists who start with strong personal visions in their films and move on to higher budget and "name star" casting unavoidably become critically marginalized, for better or worse, when they move away from arthouse fare and to (hopefully) profitable mainstream cinema. In The Limey, Soderbergh proves that despite his move towards matinee filmmaking he retains integrity in his work and an exceptional sense of style. Terence Stamp plays a career criminal who comes to Los Angeles to examine his daughter Jenny's death. It is his attempt to make sense of her passing and come to terms with the nature of her life that was lived hidden from him. Reminding me of The Sweet Hereafter, it could be a companion piece to that film's undercurrent of a parent dealing with his daughter's drug addiction and eventual death. In it, Ian Holm plays a lawyer who descends upon a small town offering his services in the wake of a tragic school bus accident. What Hereafter does though is open up the multi-faceted nature of the man and documents his dealings with his junkie progeny. His own failings as a parent mingled with desperate attempts to help her and disappointment in the weakness of her will. Stamp's character shows that kind of introspection, but also the quiet strength and purpose of the legendary bad*ss. Released from prison shortly before Jenny's death he arrives with newspaper clippings of the event and the name of the man who sent them to him. That man turns out to be a friend of Jenny's named Eddie (played by the inimitable Soderbergh favorite Luis Guzmán) who she went to acting class with. An appropriate connection for disparate individuals living in L.A., including Jenny's record mogul boyfriend, Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), and her older friend Elaine, a voice coach. Speaking of disparate, the soundtrack is a fine amalgam of British rock and eerie compositions that mold to the atmosphere of the story precisely. The theme music is like two notes next to each other being played back and forth, but bent in pitch, bringing to mind the sound of a sonar display on a submarine. It subtly matches the ebb and flow of this brooding and moody film. The Limey is a rewarding film of multiple layers, but Soderbergh does use flashback and time play to a point that is maddening, the effect of using abstruse visual landmarks make it appear like the filmmaker intends to insure that you see the film more than once, just to understand all of it (not that a second viewing wouldn't be worthwhile). And you can't blame him considering the film is quite conventional without the style - it serves to juxtapose the ideas of narrative and deconstruct them by hearing a voiceover conversation while staring at blank faces and blending multiple conversations into one stream of congruence. It is a hyperstyle cousin to his work in Out of Sight and if he chooses to pursue this visuospatial design further I don't think it will be worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: "My Name's Wilson¿"
Review: Excellent movie. I enjoyed everything about it. Wonderful story with a poignant message. Acting was great. Although at times Peter Fonda seemed a bit off, but he was perfect for the character that he was playing. Terence Stamp was in rare form! The way they interspersed different scenes in the movie gave it this wonderful timeless quality. It deserves a 5 star review!
Rating:
Summary: General Zod vs. Captain America!
Review: Stamp and Fonda: two of the coolest cats of the '60s looking awfully good 30 years later; check out SPIRITS OF THE DEAD, if you can dig it (them?) up.
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