The Limey Review
by Jerry Saravia (faust667 AT aol DOT com)November 25th, 1999
I don't know about any of you but I can live without seeing another crime picture, especially in this post-Tarantino age. A story about a criminal avenging the death of his daughter from other criminals should not inspire much thought or excitement. But in the hands of the extraordinary director Steven Soderbergh ("Out of Sight," "Sex, Lies and Videotape"), "The Limey" transforms its paper-thin premise into pure excitement and examines it up close with an extraordinary actor at its center, Terence Stamp.
Stamp stars as the "limey" (slang for a British person, particularly a sailor) otherwise referred to as Wilson, a former criminal released from prison who comes to L.A. in search of his daughter, Jenny (introduced in Wilson's voice-over at the beginning). She is presumed to be dead, possibly killed by a former record producer named Valentine (Peter Fonda, thriving on his "Ulee's Gold" streak). Stamp is relentless in his pursuit, actively waging a war to find the truth. He is lean, mean and vicious...and apparently ignorant of modern society. There's a wonderfully sly scene where he discovers that the men outside of Valentine's grand palace are not bodyguards but valets.
"The Limey" could be a late-night movie of the week or an HBO drama at best if it were not for Soderbergh's flashy direction or Stamp's vulpine charms. He is the heart and soul of the film, supplying both subtle humor and crafty, suggestive mannerisms. Stamp has one great scene after another: whether he is smoothly speaking to an old flame, bashing heads at a factory, throwing people over balconies, or having flashbacks of his daughter, or trying to explain in a thick Cockney accent the turmoil of his life to a police investigator. There is nothing this man can't do - he makes the film eminently watchable.
As in "Out of Sight," Soderbergh cleverly and astutely flashes back and forth between one scene to the next, utilizing freeze-frames and different backdrops while whole conversations take place. This is not a new feat of cinematic interpretation - think back to Godard's wildly jump-cutting scene-shifting in the groundbreaking "Breathless." It is also an added plus to insert footage from Stamp's 1967 film "Poor Cow" throughout, not to mention allusions to Peter Fonda's "Easy Rider" by playing "Magic Carpet Ride." "The Limey" is all about allusions to the past, as we follow Wilson on his path to discover the truth of his daughter's possible demise.
"The Limey" also benefits from a great supporting cast, always a necessity in a L.A. noir story. There is the Lesley Ann Warren as the old flame, the terrifically funny Luis Guzman, and, aging like fine wine, Barry Newman as a corrupt aide to Valentine. With a stirring conclusion, wonderful compositions, and a full fledged character study at its center, "The Limey" stands along side "Jackie Brown" as an exemplary look at the seedy, laid-back lifestyles of Los Angeles.
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