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The element of simplicity is there: Wilson (Terence Stamp), an old criminal-type bloke from across the seas has come to America to avenge the death of his daughter. She (Melissa George) was killed in a car accident as her car flew off of Mulholland Drive while she was staying with a much older playboy-esque gent (Peter Fonda). Wilson doesn't believe it was an accidental death and is going to find out the truth first hand. Typical caper-fashioned movie, yes, we know Fonda's character is and/or was up to something, and will somehow be linked to her death. But despite all of this forehand knowledge, this obvious direction it is barreling down, there is never any payoff, during or at the end of the movie. The revelation --if you can consider it that-- is minute and non-substantial. (And the pathetic explanation and reason why is just silly; think of a telephone in hand.)

Even though I'd categorize it as a typical caper flick (where instead of money or a price-dictated collateral, it is for the memory of a loved one), it is still below some basic standards. The story and script is muddled and trite, lacking any type of a solid story at all. The ending as a separate entity only manages to be slightly interesting, which is pretty depressing when juxtaposed against the rest of the monotonous treatment everything else receives throughout. While watching "The Limey," I felt like I was trapped in a "Pulp Fiction"/"The Sweet Hereafter"-esque hell. (Although I liked those two movies, this is not the case with this.) The similarity is in how both of those films, the story is told to a certain extent out of order, the former doing so more than the latter, or later woven in to make more sense. (One of Atom Egoyan's signatures.) Quentin Tarantino and Egoyan are masters of time manipulation and take its usage as a serious technique in their films, but I never was led to believe that Soderbergh was using it in the same structural development.

Soderbergh's past efforts have always been stylized to some degree, whether it be "sex, lies and videotape," the period piece "King of the Hill" or the more recent "Out of Sight." I much preferred the former film, but the last entry here was by far the most visually ambient, causing it to stick out. Although it was "surgically" done so, it looked and felt "cool"; and I mean cool in two ways. The dominant cool was its emanation of naïveté, or an other-worldness of "cool," like the look-at-me cool. But it also reigned with a breezy cool --refreshing and relaxing-- composing the deco-clan and bright colors and highly contrasted design of production design. Yet still in the end, and in the hands of Soderbergh, "The Limey" ends on a emphasis of being stylistically challenged.

All the cool and in shots were thrown in, ranging from hand-held cameras, grainy film to 50 edits a minute. The constant and repetitious use of these gimmicks has quickly made it mundane and boring, and serves only to detract from the authenticity of the movies using them. I feel that when talented directors like Soderbergh do this, it is a strike against them. Their implementation of all this hodgepodge and excess removes the experience of absorbing the story, further withdrawing the viewer from the cinematic "show." As for the characters, they lacked a certain personality and individuality that should fully be forming them; the closest they get or feel like are screen-creations. We were just suddenly thrown into their lives without being given much either way --to or against the principal of the character. It could have been a cool movie --it certainly has capable talent, but it ends up a little less than regular.

With Luis Guzman.

Final Verdict: C+.

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originally posted: 04/15/01 12:39:44
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