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	...	Ed (as Luis Guzman)
Barry Newman	...	Avery
Joe Dallesandro	...	Uncle John (as Joe Dallessandro)
Nicky Katt	...	Stacy
Peter Fonda	...	Valentine
Amelia Heinle	...	Adhara
Melissa George	...	Jennifer
William Lucking	...	Warehouse Foreman
Matthew Kimbrough	...	Tom
John Robotham	...	Rick
Steve Heinze	...	Larry
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:

investigation | englishman abroad | death of daughter | nonlinear timeline | ex convict | 

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Taglines:

Tell Him I'm coming

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The lack of detail for many of the characters is Lem Dobbs' main bone of contention with what Steven Soderbergh did with his script. "When I read reviews that say 'style over substance' I blame you. I can't actually say they're wrong," says Dobbs. He does mention there are luckily few reviews that say this about the film. He does say the reviews that make him angry are those that blame him for the film being "underwritten". He then asks Soderbergh if he'd like to discuss his problem with human relationships. "Yeah, this is a great time and place," responds Soderbergh. The director explains how he sees The Limey as a genre film, how the "spine of the film" was about Wilson and his daughter, and how he didn't want to detour much away from that.

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Quotes

Stacy: Why don't they make shows about people's daily lives you'd be interested in watching? You know, like "Sick Old Man" or "Skinny Little Weakling." "Big Fat Guy." Wouldn't you watch a show called "Big Fat Guy"? I'd watch that fucking show.

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

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Soundtracks

Flosso Bosso
Written and Performed by Harry Garfield
Published by Coop Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Coop Music

User Reviews

A truly rewarding movie for the patient viewer.

Low-key thriller/drama about an ex-con seeking revenge on the man that caused his daughters death. That's the surface of this very interesting and fascinating movie from director Soederbergh. There's more than meets the eye, and the patient viewer will be highly rewarded.

This is, in my point of view, a film about all our efforts to review our own lives - i.e. trying to make memories of our past fit in with the reality of today. To try to understand all sides of an event between two people; how actions we take, and decisions we make, makes a difference in the long run in our lives.

Wonderfully directed and edited, this movie is really alive, and shines with various tricks and treats of pure movie magic. The score is perfect, and the acting is great (Stamp in the lead is amazing). The way the film makers intertwine dialogue and voice over is fascinating, and reminds me of the films by French movie makers in the sixties (the French "New Wave").

Obviously not in everyone's taste since this movie is quite demanding in attention and pace, this is still one of the best films ever from director Soederbergh. Rating: 9/10.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

The Limey

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$187,122, 10 October 1999

Gross USA:

$3,204,663

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,325,736

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1