This is an odd little film. From the opening scene to the closing credits, it’s difficult to tell exactly what you’re really watching. Is it a comedy? Is it an action movie? Is it a tragedy? Is it all of these wrapped up into one very squirmy little bundle? The answer is, “I don’t know, but it’s fun to watch.”
The Limey tells the story of Dave Wilson (Terence Stamp), an ex-con from London, England. He’s traveled to the United States to find out what happened to his daughter, who was supposedly killed in a car crash. Wilson is tipped off by a man named Ed (Luis Guzmán) that her boyfriend, record producer Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), may have had something to do with her death. The film tracks Wilson as he attempts to unravel the secrets of Los Angeles’ strange underbelly.
If The Limey were simply just a film about an older man seeking revenge for the death of his daughter, it would be interesting but not nearly as interesting as what this film turns into. Steven Soderbergh’s direction is dynamic and forces the viewer to pay attention to detail. A character can start a sentence in one scene, continue it in another and finish it in yet another scene, all while each of the three scenes contains more information about what’s going on. It’s an interesting style that takes a while to get used to, but ends up being quite enjoyable. The technique is also used to explore the possibility of a conflict in one scene to a lesser, but still interesting effect. Soderbergh also uses footage from Poor Cow, a 1967 movie that includes Terence Stamp playing a thief named Dave Wilson, to provide a back story for this movie.
Terence Stamp, who many may know as General Zod in Superman II or Chancellor Valorum in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, is wonderful here as Wilson. Speaking in a heavy British accent, he simultaneously charms and disarms Americans in the film with his English dialect. He’s instantly likable and a bit off-putting at the same time. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not quite up to Stamp’s speed. Only Nicky Katt, as a hired killer, approaches Stamp’s level of wit and poise.
Although the movie is good, it’s not flawless. Stamp’s performance, the great direction and the interesting depiction of an interesting character are high points. The low points are a weak story-line, the somewhat laid-back Peter Fonda, and a few confusing moments that leave you asking, “What was that all about?” For a night’s entertainment, though, one could do a lot worse than The Limey.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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