The Limey (1999)

92% of critics liked it
(79 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(10,302 ratings)

Two actors best known for their work in the late 1960s, Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda, star in The Limey, a drama in which a recently released felon contemplates the gulf between aging criminals like himself and their modern counterparts. Wilson (Stamp) is a British career criminal who has been… More Two actors best known for their work in the late 1960s, Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda, star in The Limey, a drama in which a recently released felon contemplates the gulf between aging criminals like himself and their modern counterparts. Wilson (Stamp) is a British career criminal who has been released after nine years in prison. He has learned that his daughter Jenny died under suspicious circumstances in Los Angeles, so he travels to America for the first time to find out what happened and who's responsible. With the help of an ex-con named Ed (Luis Guzman), Wilson discovers Jenny was romantically involved with Valentine (Fonda), a middle-aged record producer with a shady past and a fondness for young women. In hopes of getting the truth -- and getting to Valentine -- Wilson finds himself doing battle with some of the worst criminals to crawl from the underbelly of Los Angeles; along the way, he also meets Elaine (Lesley Ann Warren), an older actress who knew Jenny and reminds Wilson of how little he really did for his daughter while she was alive. Steven Soderbergh's first film after his commercial comeback with 1998's Out Of Sight, The Limey features, along with Stamp and Fonda, two other notable 60's actors in supporting roles, Barry Newman and Joe Dallesandro. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Written By: Lem Dobbs
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 8, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Feb 20, 2001
Studio: Artisan Pictures

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, Variety
The crimer suffers from a slim, underdeveloped script by Lem Dobbs (who also write Kafka), but benefits from Soderbergh's astute direction that posits two 1960s cinematic icons, Brit Terrence Stamp and American Peter Fonda as long-time enemies.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Those interested in more challenging work will find the film a unique meditation on the nature of Hollywood.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
An apparently simple movie that demands and rewards a deeper look.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
A first-rate crime thriller and further proof that director Stephen Soderbergh is one of our great contemporary film stylists.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
All of its style can't altogether conceal that director Steven Soderbergh doesn't have as much to work with here.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
The movie has lots of drive, and it keeps Stamp front and center almost continuously, even in flashbacks.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Assuredly Soderbergh's masterpiece
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Not your standard revenge movie, thanks to the inventive and stylish direction of Steven Soderbergh.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
A montagem, a interessante utilização de imagens de Poor Cow e, claro, a interpretação impecável de Stamp transformam um roteiro prosaico em uma experiência intrigante.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Soderbergh returns to the crime genre, but The Limey couldn't be more different than Out of Sight, except for the fact that it's just as good.
Louis-Jérôme Cloutier, Panorama
Bien que le scénario soit plutôt conventionnel, The Limey amène une bouffée de fraicheur au genre grâce à la touche bien particulière de Soderbergh.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
Soderbergh's brilliant non-linear storytelling keeps us asking questions about this gunslinging Brit right to the end.
Randall King, Jam! Movies
The movie belongs to Stamp and Fonda.
Louis B. Hobson, Jam! Movies
[Stamp] hasn't had a role like this since his heyday in the '60s and he shows he has been overlooked far too long.
Gabriel Shanks, Mixed Reviews
Stamp is the elder statesman of intelligent counterculture cinema, and his performance here makes what is otherwise a lackluster project come energetically alive.
Philip Strick, Sight and Sound
The film is subtly stolen by Amelia Heinle, joining such actresses as Andie MacDowell, Elisabeth Shue, Betsy Brantley and Jennifer Lopez as the latest in a line of Soderbergh's saving graces.
James Rocchi, Netflix
There's more to this crime-thriller than meets the eye.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Graham J

A minor work for Soderbergh but still a well crafted, entertaining one.
Anthony L

A very cool homage to the stylish thrillers of the late 60?s. Fonda and Stamp are great in it but for me Barry Newman stole the show with his car chase, a salute to his role in Vanishing Point. One of my more favourite Steven Soderbergh films.
E.J. B

Tell me...tell me...tell me about Jenny. That quote is the heart of this story. It's not just a simple revenge thriller. I also loved the discontinuous editing style that grabbed your attention right from the beginning.
Arash X

Not your typical revenge flick, I liked it specially its ending
Aaron N

Wilson: You tell him, you tell him I'm coming. Tell him I'm fucking coming! Very cool revenge movie, with a distinct editing style. Terence Stamp, best known as General Zod from Superman II, stars as Wilson, a career criminal, recently released from jail, and has come to… More
Wilson: You tell him, you tell him I'm coming. Tell him I'm fucking coming! Very cool revenge movie, with a distinct editing style. Terence Stamp, best known as General Zod from Superman II, stars as Wilson, a career criminal, recently released from jail, and has come to America to find out why his daughter has died, believing it to be more than an accident. Stamp is great as an old man who has done his share of things in the past and is gonna do some more things before his time is up. Wilson: Can't be too careful nowadays, y'know? Lot of "tea leaves" about, know what I mean? Warehouse Foreman: Excuse me? Wilson: Tea leaves... thieves. The film also plays up his cockney accent, which, to me, is all kinds of cool. Ed: Do you understand half the shit he says? Elaine: No, but I know what he means. Peter Fonda is also here as Stamp's opposite and it's fun to see his reactions to this situations. He and his business are not used to dealing with this kind of stuff, so their reactions all seem very natural and real. The film also stars Luis Guzman as a friend of Wilson's daughter, who helps Wilson out, Barry Newman as Fonda's security adviser, Leslie Ann Warren as another former friend of Wilson's daughter, and Nicky Katt as a hitman. I pointed out the editing earlier, and it really elevates a standard revenge plot into a more cinematically entertaining experience. Director Stephen Soderbergh once again tries to experiment with his film for the better. It can be too different for some, but once you get into it, you can really enjoy it more. The soundtrack is also very classy and cool, with some classic rock mixed with a dark instrumental beat. There are also flashback scenes, using footage from one of Terence Stamp's earlier movies that blend very well into this movie, and that's pretty neat. The story is also made better by both Stamp and Fonda being given a number of moments to reflect on their lives and how they have developed into what they are currently, based on better times they have had in the past. Its a simple story made better by its style and actors. Wilson: Bide your time. That's what prison teaches you, if nothing else. Bide your time, and everything becomes clear, and you can act accordingly.
Jens S

Terence Stamp as Brit coming to the USA to avenge his daughter's death. While some of the editing and music choices remind of Steven Soderbergh other movies this still feels somewhat different. At times it seems to mistake cool with indifferent and calm with not engaging enough.… More
Terence Stamp as Brit coming to the USA to avenge his daughter's death. While some of the editing and music choices remind of Steven Soderbergh other movies this still feels somewhat different. At times it seems to mistake cool with indifferent and calm with not engaging enough. That's not to say this thriller isn't interesting or not worth a look, it's simply not entirely en par with Out of Sight or Traffic and leaves the audience strangely indifferent. The ending is pretty good though.
Alexander W

Slow film, with a noveleque story which flows through a father and gansters life. Entertaining.
Michael S

One of Soderbergh's best. Stylish and cool, with a great performance from Terence Stamp.
Lady D

A little overdone on the cockney rhymming slang I think, maybe this would have happened if he was speaking with someone in London, but I think the film pushed it slightly a little too much. Having said that I think Terrance Stamp looked good as a villain and the point of the film as… More
A little overdone on the cockney rhymming slang I think, maybe this would have happened if he was speaking with someone in London, but I think the film pushed it slightly a little too much. Having said that I think Terrance Stamp looked good as a villain and the point of the film as a revenge plot was a great potential for a film, but found the film a bit of an anti-climax VERDICT: Watchable but not brillient
Stephen E

An exceptionally well-made revenge-thriller. The only thing better than its attractive performances is Soderbergh's fabulous direction. There is a great shot at the beginning where the camera pans to the right as a plane flies through the air and we come to stop on Terence Stamp… More
An exceptionally well-made revenge-thriller. The only thing better than its attractive performances is Soderbergh's fabulous direction. There is a great shot at the beginning where the camera pans to the right as a plane flies through the air and we come to stop on Terence Stamp walking to his motel room. It's a wonderful shot.
Nicolas K

This is the work of a fine craftsman and artist. Soderbergh delivers a cinematically outstanding film about revenge which notably includes a mesmerizing performance by Terence Stamp. Worth watching!
Lesley N

Another Mr Cool. TELL 'EM I'M COMIN' !!
William G

Stamp elevates otherwise unremarkable revenge drama.
Stephen E

An exceptionally well-made revenge-thriller. The only thing better than its attractive performances is Soderbergh's fabulous direction. There is a great shot at the beginning where the camera pans to the right as a plane flies through the air and we come to stop on Terence Stamp… More
An exceptionally well-made revenge-thriller. The only thing better than its attractive performances is Soderbergh's fabulous direction. There is a great shot at the beginning where the camera pans to the right as a plane flies through the air and we come to stop on Terence Stamp walking to his motel room. It's a wonderful shot.
Jim W

It's funny and the ending is really smart. But the main reason to see the movie is for Terence Stamp's kick-ass performance. Why the hell wasn't he nominated ???
matt s

One of my favorite Soderbergh films. Though it does display the artiness and pretentiousness I've come to loathe in his new films, The Limey also works as a great revenge tale. Using footage of Terrance Stamp's other performance in Poor Cow didn't hurt either. I… More
One of my favorite Soderbergh films. Though it does display the artiness and pretentiousness I've come to loathe in his new films, The Limey also works as a great revenge tale. Using footage of Terrance Stamp's other performance in Poor Cow didn't hurt either. I enjoyed this small tale buoyed by the great performance of Stamp. Kudos also to Cliff Martinez's haunting score.
Marcus W

An everyday tale of a vengeful father gets a decent jolt and rises above the norm due mainly in part to the wonderful direction and a strong performance by Stamp. Worth seeing.
Linda K

Soderbergh always seems to amaze me! From the quality of his film to the narrative, he knows how to surprise his audience. THE LIMEY is not at all like the Oceans trilogy, in fact, it is much better. The editing of the film, by playing with past and present events, gives a different… More
Soderbergh always seems to amaze me! From the quality of his film to the narrative, he knows how to surprise his audience. THE LIMEY is not at all like the Oceans trilogy, in fact, it is much better. The editing of the film, by playing with past and present events, gives a different aspect to the classical narrative editing. Plus, Terrence Stamp is always great to watch. If you like OUT OF SIGHT or TRAFFIC, you might also enjoy this film.
Robert F

Very cool movie - cool in the suave sense of the word. I really liked the dreamy world Soderbergh created, and you can definitely see that this film was a strong reference for the Buffy episode "Restless". The use of flashbacks and flashforwards was well executed, as was the… More
Very cool movie - cool in the suave sense of the word. I really liked the dreamy world Soderbergh created, and you can definitely see that this film was a strong reference for the Buffy episode "Restless". The use of flashbacks and flashforwards was well executed, as was the editing/placement of the dialogue and sound. I loved that they used footage from Poor Cow throughout the film - I thought that was really original. I want to make a film like this.
Sean L

A fascinating film that draws you in with it's crazy style and performances and never lets go. It's great.