The Limey (1999)

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer (WGA):

Lem Dobbs (written by)

Release Date:

4 August 1999 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Vengeance knows no boundaries.

Plot:

An extremely volatile and dangerous Englishman goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter's death.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Actress | Investigation | Cigarette Smoking | Teacher Student Relationship

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

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)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

Artisan Entertainment

Trivia:

The original screenplay envisioned the main character would be played by Michael Caine.

Quotes:

Terry Valentine: Did you ever dream about a place you never really recall being to before? A place that maybe only exists in your imagination? Some place far away, half remembered when you wake up. When you were there, though, you knew the language. You knew your way around. *That* was the sixties.
[pause]
Terry Valentine: No. It wasn't that either. It was just '66 and early '67. That's all there was.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Poor Cow (1967)

Soundtrack:

Sitar Song

Russian Montage gets an upgrade

I always thought the Russian Montage Theory was too outdated for modern cinema, but Steven Soderbergh had other ideas. The Limey had one of the more interesting editing styles I have ever seen, which is why it probably threw so many people in a loop. Its too bad we will never see another film like this from Soderbergh, considering he's probably going to keep making films like Oceans 11. Terence Stamp was especially good in this film, and Luis Guzman provided one of the best screen roles by a Mexican-American. What I especially enjoyed about this movie wasn't just the unique editing style, it was how it affected the emotional standpoint within the movie. You felt distanced, unsure how to look at this film due to the range of images passing before your eye. One of the more unappreciated films of 1999, especially when one looks at the amazing body of work which came out that year.