Review of The Limey (1999) by Mister C — 13 Feb 2005

A very overlooked film from Steven Soderbergh, [i]The Limey[/i] functions very well as both a revenge film, and a tribute to the two main characters. Terence Stamp as Wilson creates a very cerebral character, defying the revenge film stereotype. His meditations on how his actions affected his daughter (for whom he's seeking revenge) are geniunely touching. Peter Fonda brings the right amount of cool to the villain, and adds tension when needed.

The best aspect of the film is its style. The intuitive use of editing, flashback, and flash-forward adds a level of nuance to the characters that otherwise would not exist. My favorite use of editing is with the interpersonal dialogue; while we hear the characters, what we are seeing are their emotional response either before or after speaking. Footage from the 1967 Stamp movie [i]Poor Cow[/i] are used for the flashbacks to great emotional effect. Also enjoyable is the use of classic rock music, harkening back to a period when Fonda and Stamp were icons of film.