The Limey (1999)

Wilson (Terrance Stamp) is a career criminal from the UK who is now coming to Los Angeles to find out about what happened to his daughter (Melissa George) who just tragically died in a car accident....or did she?  Her father suspects that she might have been murdered and he suspects that it might have been her wealthy, older record executive boyfriend Terry played by the late, great Peter Fonda.  Along the way, Wilson recruits help from two local actors (Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman) who were friends with his daughter and what results is a stylish, somewhat time-bending revenge thriller which received significant acclaim when it was first released twenty five years ago.  Directed by Oscar-winning legend Steven Soderbergh at the peak of his powers (right between Out of Sight and Erin Brockovich), just tell them that WILSON IS COMING!!!!

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

THE LIMEY – 1999

Directed by Stephen Soderbergh

Starring Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman, Peter Fonda, Barry Newman, Joe Dallesandro, Melissa George, Amelia Heinle, William Lucking, Matthew Kimbrough, John Robotham, Steve Heinze, Bill Duke, and Nicky Katt

Genre: Suspense Thriller (Audio clip)

If you're seeking Prime Soderbergh, then this is always a good rewatch - Terrance Stamp is just "acting" with every crack and crinkle on his weathered face and it's great! :) He plays Wilson, a grizzled British ex-con marauding around Los Angeles trying to get to the bottom of what happened to his estranged daughter who recently died in a mysterious late-night car accident in the Hollywood Hills. His quest leads him to meet all sorts of characters all leading to the apparent main villain behind her death, Terry Valentine played effectively with a smarmy toothy grin by Peter Fonda - Fonda plays him as more hapless than menacing but that helps nail the insular portrayal of Hollywood's wealthy and powerful which Soderbergh is clearly going for.

Along the way, Wilson befriends both Luis Guzman and Lesley Ann Warren who are both also really engaging as they try to help and communicate with this crusty old Brit explaining everything to them in a very Cockney accent which at times is almost comically indecipherable. :) We also have fun acid supporting turns from Barry Newman, Bill Duke, and especially Nicky Katt who pretty much steals the movie with just a couple of scenes and some very biting dialogue - it almost feels like it's out of a different movie but one highlight is when he's watching a film set and just starts riffing on everyone there.

The whole presentation of what initially on the surface seems like a standard revenge thriller is elevated by how all of this is shot and paced - the editing is very stylized as we constantly cut back to different moments from Wilson's POV as he recalls his daughter while piecing together all of the decisions that got him here. It's all highly entertaining as if Soderbergh (with writer Lem Dobs) was doing his own kind of '90's spin on Get Carter but it also becomes genuinely touching especially towards the end.

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

This film’s soundtrack is a mixture of a spare, moody, piano based score and a nice smattering of classic rock needle-drops at JUST the right points.  The score was composed by the Bronx-born electronic composing legend himself Cliff Martinez and it’s very well-used with one mainly one tense recurring theme occurring throughout the film, mainly during the more reflective scenes when we can see Wilson remembering his daughter and also piecing together what might have occurred to her…all silently of course. (Audio clip) 

But for me, the most effective piece of music was always the rocking needle-drop which kicks off the film playing over the opening credits as we watch Wilson travel across the pond…..it’s from the legendary rock band The Who and this came out RIGHT around the time they were having a bit of a nostalgic resurgence thanks to some of their bigger songs being featured on the soundtracks of movies like American Beauty and Summer of Sam this VERY year AND starting the following year, they would apparently become the official band of the CSI TV franchise.  Yeah right around the turn of the century you couldn’t avoid them in various pop culture, even using songs which were then almost thirty years old.  The song used here is just about the perfect kind of rousing, mid-tempo rocker you would expect to hear playing while our man Wilson begins his mission of revenge….it was released as a single by the band back in 1970. I LOVE this song especially the opening guitar riff…I’m referring to…”The Seeker.” (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

Right I DID mention that Bill Duke is in this right?  And I have mentioned in previous episodes that you can NEVER have enough Bill Duke….going back to the ‘80’s with memorable supporting turns in movies like American Gigolo and his shaving-cream free turn in Predator up to more recent scene-stealing appearances in Mandy and previous episode Soderbergh’s own High Flying Bird, he has always been one of my FAVORITE character actors.  He has literally ONE scene about 2/3 into this movie with Duke credited as “Head DEA Agent” – yeah he’s taken in Wilson and has brought him in for questioning…..only he doesn’t really ask any questions, he just lets Wilson talk then treating us to Stamp’s only real monologue in the movie.  So as we hear Wilson just going about in his cockney accent, we just see Duke’s character staring at him across his desk looking puzzled….and his reaction once that monologue’s over?  Well it’s just about the funniest moment in the movie….the point where I just wanted MORE Duke. (Audio clip)   

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

About 45 minutes into this revenge tale, we are treated to probably the only conventional action sequence.  What sets it off is a murderous stunt by Wilson at a party held at Fonda’s Terry Valentine’s hilltop mansion….which he and Guzman’s Ed have crashed….LITERALLY. (Audio clip) 

When one of Valentine’s bodyguards walks over to Wilson to remove him from the party, Wilson quietly throws him over the balcony….and then struts out confidently RIGHT past Valentine himself….before quickly attempting to flee with Ed.  Of course, it’s never that simple as Avery (who is Valentine’s head of security) then accosts them JUST as they are pulling out…. (Audio clip) 

And what results is a tense little chase through the Hollywood Hills as Avery takes a shortcut to cut them off as they’re driving downhill….AND he has a shotgun, uh-oh.  Needless to say, shots are fired but Wilson is able to escape by ramming his car into Avery’s pushing it off the hill….and Avery falling off a bit with it….but NOT before he hears Wilson’s name called out.   This whole exchange is short but sweet and well-shot with effective sound design.  Fun stuff! (Audio clip) 

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

Among several unique creative decisions involved in the making of this film, likely the most unusual one ALSO made by the director was to actually insert some footage from an older film - Ken Loach's "Poor Cow" - to show us a younger Terrance Stamp (from 1967) in his younger, more dashing days as a criminal. This could have been a gimmick but it's a very effective tool for visualizing the regret his character is feeling...and which at times he's unable or unwilling to express. Bottom line is that even though Stamp himself delivers an exemplary performance for which he SHOULD have received an Oscar nomination for….it’s the manner in which his performance is PRESENTED along with several others which puts this film over the top.  The Limey came out among Soderbergh's first hot streak of memorable films from the late '90's into early 2000's smack in between Out of Sight and Erin Brockovich – for directing one of his best movies, Stephen Soderberg is the MVP.

Final Rating: 5 stars out of 5 

Happy 25th Anniversary to what I consider to be one of the better graduates from the STERLING Class of 1999 - it’s a true gem!

Streaming on Prime Video

And that ends another CHEEKY review!