Movies
“The Limey” Brings With It A Sly Smile
That’s right, it isn’t James Bond—time to get back to random old movies while I figure out my next big rankings spananza.
“An extremely volatile and dangerous Englishman goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter’s death.”
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Lem Dobbs
Cast: Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán
Release Date: August 4, 1999
IMDB
That’s right, it isn’t James Bond—time to get back to random old movies while I figure out my next big rankings spananza.
The Limey (1999) is a violent dark comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring an ultimate “I Know That Guy,” Terence Stamp. Its story is simple enough: Wilson, played by Stamp, is a mysterious, dangerous father who has traveled to Los Angeles to find out who is responsible for his daughter’s death. It’s daddy revenge, with an accent.
Stamp is outstanding playing the part of an ultra-grizzled, bad-mouthed, ex-con badass. Wilson’s first outing with some ungentlemanly folk culminates with the blood-covered man screaming, “You tell him, you tell him I’m coming. Tell him I’m fucking coming!”. I had seen that line in countless YouTube compilations of “Most Badass Things” (paraphrasing), and one can’t describe how good it is to place a clip with the film finally.
Then there is two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda playing Valentine, the smooth, sleazy, stereotypical Californian. His nervous energy is camouflaged by grandeur and nostalgic rock star confidence, giving Valentine some of the movie’s best lines and facial reactions.
The Limey also has familiar faces Lesley Ann Warren and Luis Guzmán. Guzmán stands out in particular because he plays the part of Ed, AKA, the audience avatar. Wilson takes a liking to Ed, and they become attached at the hip, which means the viewer gets to see an average person react to all of Wilson’s crazy shit.
The different characters come together uniquely thanks to Soderbergh’s talents. The Limey has a vibe that takes some getting used to, but once the viewer’s tuning fork finds the right pitch, the movie sings a hell of a song. A vengeful father with a potty mouth doesn’t make for good award bait, but Soderbergh was in his bag at the turn of the millennium. The Limey comes out in 1999, and then the one-time Oscar winner rips off Erin Brockovich (2000), Traffic (2000), and Ocean’s 11 (2001). For those counting at home, that’s one of the best performances ever with Julia Roberts, Soderbergh’s Oscar award winner, and one of the best and easiest remake, team-up, heist films in three years. And shall we include Out Of Sight (1998), which launched Jennifer Lopez into a new stratosphere of movie star potential?
The Limey fits into a unique pigeonhole of movie viewing. Its plot has been done countless times, but how Soderbergh infuses his style and comedy makes it stick out. Stamp brings his A-game, getting to play the “good guy.” It’s like being a voyeur looking through binoculars at a man getting away with actions he most certainly shouldn’t and fist-pumping while doing it.
The Limey is not streaming anywhere as of early August 2024.
STANKO RATING: B+
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