The Limey (1999)

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

Stars:

Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terence Stamp	...	Wilson
Lesley Ann Warren	...	Elaine
Luis Guzmán	...	Eduardo Roel (as Luis Guzman)
Barry Newman	...	Jim Avery
Joe Dallesandro	...	Uncle John (as Joe Dallessandro)
Nicky Katt	...	Stacy the Hitman
Peter Fonda	...	Terry Valentine
Amelia Heinle	...	Adhara
Melissa George	...	Jennifer 'Jenny' Wilson
William Lucking	...	Warehouse Foreman
Matthew Kimbrough	...	Tom Johannson
John Robotham	...	Rick (Valentine's Bodyguard)
Steve Heinze	...	Larry (Valentine's Bodyguard)
Nancy Lenehan	...	Lady on Plane
Wayne Pére	...	Pool Hall Creep (as Wayne Péré)

Storyline

An ex-con, fresh out of prison, goes to L.A. to try to learn who murdered his daughter. However, he quickly finds that he is completely out of place with no understanding of the culture he finds. His investigations are helped by another ex-con. Together they learn that his daughter had been having an affair with a record producer, who is presently having an affair with another young woman. An aging actress, who also knew his daughter, forces him to look at his own failures as a father. The movie does focus on the drama of the situation and the inter-relationships of the characters and seldom slips into an action piece.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | watching television | englishman | prison | record producer | 

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Taglines:

Vengeance knows no boundaries.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

Vengar la sangre

Filming Locations:

The Astral House, 2210 Astral Place, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$187,122, 10 October 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,193,102, 30 January 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During filming, Steven Soderbergh was unsure exactly which scenes from Poor Cow (1967) he wanted to use. So he asked Warner Bros. for permission to use the entire film so that he could choose the scenes later. But Warner Bros. refused. Soderbergh told the head of Warner Bros. that he would never make a film for him again. The executive relented and allowed Soderbergh to use any scenes from the film that he wished.

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Quotes

Wilson: [looking at view] Wow!
Ed: Yeah, if you can afford a house like this you buy a house like this, you know?
Wilson: [peering over railing] What are we standing on?
Ed: Trust?
[pause]
Ed: You know, you could see the sea out there, if you could see it.
Wilson: Could ya?

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Gotti (2019)

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Soundtracks

Spy
Written and Performed by Danny Saber
Published by One-Eyed Egyptian Music/EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)
Courtesy of Strict?

User Reviews

The Movie "Traffic" and "Out of Sight" Were Supposed to Be

Like its title and leading man (Terrance Stamp), "The Limey" surprises by what it is NOT. Stamp plays an aging hood, a "Limey," who has spent much of his life in prison. At first glance, Stamp appears a "loser," who is now throwing what remains of his life away on a questionable vendetta against an aging rock producer (Peter Fonda) who may or may not be responsible for the death of Stamp's daughter. However, director Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic," "Out of Sight," "Erin Brockavich"),skillfully intercuts scenes of past, present and future, nonsync dialogue, music, peripheral action and plotting to create an efficient, consistently surprising and highly effective movie. Just as the film is about to become routine and predictable, new key characters and plot information is revealed. To Soderbergh's credit, this never seems forced or contrived. Alas, Soderbergh's style tends to undercut the effectiveness of Leslie's Warren's role, and the climactic shoot out is disappointingly pat. Nevertheless,the payoff is terrific. Special note should be made of the performances of Luis Guizman, Barry Newman and, especially, Nicky Katt ("Boston Public").

Don't let the title fool you, "The Limey" is one terrific movie and Soderbergh, for once, deserves all the praise he can get.