The Limey ***1/2
rated R Artisan Entertainment 89 minutes starring Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman, Barry Newman, Joe Dallesandro, Nicky Katt, Amelia Heinle, Melissa George written by Lem Dobbs directed by Steven Soderbergh
Ever since he stormed on to the indie scene in 1989 with `Sex, Lies and Videotape', director Steven Soderbergh has made films that stray from the mainstream (`King Of The Hill' and `Gray's Anatomy' being two of his better efforts). Last year, `Out Of Sight', his critically acclaimed dark romantic comedy, tanked during a busy summer at the box office. It was his first studio film.
Probably because of his disappointment, he has returned to his roots with `The Limey', a strikingly stylish and elegant film noir fueled by a tour de force performance by Terence Stamp. `The Limey', shot at times on a handheld camera, is an excellent, expertly paced movie which entertains and enlightens.
Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda, two 60's icons from separate continents, play enemies caught in the midst of a deadly predicament. Wilson (Stamp) has just finished a nine-year jail term in England, and flies out to Los Angeles to avenge the death of his daughter, Jenny. She reportedly died in a car crash, but Wilson senses that his headstrong daughter would be too smart to fall asleep at the wheel.
He is helped by Jenny's two former friends (played by Luis Guzman and Lesley Ann Warren), and his search leads him to Terry Valentine (Fonda), a wealthy record exec (and former boyfriend of Jenny's) whose heart is still in the 60's.
As Wilson continues his odyssey, he dives more deeply into a life of crime and learns about the daughter he was never there for. Stamp's fiery performance conveys a yearning to start over, and to have another chance to bring up his neglected daughter. He will never get that chance, but he seeks vengeance for her sake.
Steven Soderbergh directs `The Limey' with the maturity of an Orson Welles. Refreshingly, `The Limey' doesn't waste time with inconsequential conversation or subplots. The story-telling is direct, from first frame to last.
Quick cuts and flashbacks are not used pretentiously, but rather to further the story. Two conversations may be going on at once, but each one is clear. The juxtapositions save several minutes of screen time. A predictable trick would have been to have a romantic subplot involving Stamp and Lesley Ann Warren, but conventionality is not part of Soderbergh's picture. This is the way films should be made.
Another reason `The Limey' works so well is the way it works the 60's motif into the action. The soundtrack, with songs like `Magic Carpet Ride' and The Who's `The Seeker', sounds cool and adds to the mood. Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda may have seemed past their time, but they end up making tenacious older men.
`The Limey' is not Elmore Leonard `Out Of Sight' material, because there are no pulp characters and because Lem Dobbs (`Dark City') gives the actors mature un-Tarantino dialogue. Stamp's Wilson is driven and mad, recalling many classic noir characters.
The film has more depth than the average thriller, yet the surface material itself is better than most. Like in Alexandre Dumas' `The Count of Monte Cristo', revenge is presented as a noble deed, despite the crimes involved.
In a bold move, Soderbergh has decided to use real scenes of a younger Stamp for the flashbacks. They are taken from `Poor Cow', a 1967 film best known for being the debut of acclaimed British filmmaker Ken Loach (`My Name Is Joe').
`The Limey' will not be patronized by a large audience (although Terence Stamp's performance may stir up some buzz), but it is a satisfying return to form for Steven Soderbergh. It is the kind of film that can be made only by a veteran, and it may be this director's finest accomplishment yet.
a review by Akiva Gottlieb akiva@excite.com http://cinemania.8m.com
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