This dark, dreamlike take on the action revenge thriller is waiting for you on Prime

Steven Soderbergh is the rare auteur who doesn’t act like an auteur. Though he’s a widely celebrated and influential visionary whose films are known for impeccable craft, Soderbergh isn’t tied to one style or theme. While most strict directors take extended breaks between projects, Soderbergh works prolifically, often releasing a film annually. Throughout his career, he has preferred to work in a genre form, elevating familiar material with his usual keen eye for set pieces and characters. In almost every case, he reinvents genres without deviating from their satisfying elementsSoderbergh’s flair for genre sampling and character-based films reached its peak in 1999 with The LimeySoderbergh’s dream take on an action-revenge thriller. Its unique non-linear structure and clever take on Hollywood history are something only Soderbergh could have imagined.

The Limey

An extremely unpredictable and dangerous Englishman travels to Los Angeles to find the man he blames for the death of his daughter.

Duration

89 minutes

director

Steven Soderbergh

Release date

October 8, 1999

Actor

Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzman, Barry Newman, Peter Fonda

Steven Soderbergh reinvents the crime thriller in “The Limey”

After a brilliant debut with the Golden Palm Sex, lies and videoSteven Soderbergh struggled to find his footing, making a series of films that attempted to recapture the indie magic of his first film. It was not until the late 90s and early 2000s, with the star vehicles and genre hybrids, Out of sight And Ocean’s Elevenhe confirmed to the public that he was one of the leading directors of his generation. In 2000, he was nominated twice for the Oscar for Best Director for Erin Brockovich And Trafficwith the latter winning. The Limeyabout the unpredictable British ex-convict Wilson (Terence Stamp), who starts a revenge tour against music mogul Terry Valentine in Los Angeles (Peter Fonda), the man he blames for the suspicious death of his daughter, distills all of Soderbergh’s interests (personal genre exercises, lone wolves fighting the system, cultural reflections) into an exciting, gripping and unsparing crime thriller.

In The LimeySoderbergh takes up revenge thrillers of the 60s and 70s, such as Point empty And Get Carter. In the former case Johannes Boormans neo-noir follows a crook, Walker (Lee Marvin) who is left for dead and seeks revenge on a vast criminal organization. Boorman uses the revenge plot to explore the psychological strain of this career criminal and his unquenchable thirst for retribution. Soderbergh’s film follows a similar formula. Wilson’s vigilante justice offers little closure, especially since he has no solid evidence to charge a suspect or co-conspirator in connection with his daughter’s death. As a career criminal, Wilson wreaks havoc because it’s in his blood. Even if his daughter were still alive, he would be destined to follow a path of anger. Stamp plays the character with a palpable intensity, so The audience realizes that Wilson’s soul seems to be in danger forever.

Categorize The Limey It would be a false claim to describe it as a classic revenge thriller. Narratively, the film moves in a familiar environment, but in the editing room The Limey crosses over into New Wave cinematography. To call the film’s structure “nonlinear” perhaps underestimates the virtuosity of the narrative flow, which jumps back and forth between vignettes from Wilson’s past and the ex-con inspecting Valentine’s estate. Soderbergh employs intuitive sound-mixing tricks throughout the film, particularly by transposing dialogue or sounds from one scene to another scene in a completely different setting and time. The film’s constant shifting of time within the story serves as more than just an homage to the frenetic editing style of the French Nouvelle Vague. Wilson is emotionally unstable despite his rough exterior. We sympathize with his personal loss, but the The dizzying nature of the nonlinear structure makes us weary of its morality. The aggressive editing style shows that we should not trust Wilson and, above all, not take what is shown on screen at face value.

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Why Lem Dobbs was upset about Steven Soderbergh’s direction of “The Limey”

For real film freaks, The LimeyThe legacy of remains as a DVD bonus feature. One of the most memorable commentary tracks states: Soderbergh argued with the film’s screenwriter, Lem Dobbs, over the director’s different creative choices. Dobbs chides Soderbergh for deconstructing his script and, he claims, unnecessarily framing the story from a non-linear perspective. Dobbs also disapproves of Soderbergh reducing the textual gravitas of the story and instead focusing on a more abstract narrative that undermines the characters’ explicit motivations and desires. In other words, Dobbs felt that Soderbergh viewed his script as a genre exercise, disregarding nuanced characterization in favor of conspicuous formalism. The comment, which goes beyond its superficial entertainment value, presents an insightful contrast between screenwriters and directors. Throughout the commentary, Dobbs is audibly frustrated with Soderbergh’s thought process behind certain scenes that deviate from the script. Soderbergh explains to Dobbs that scripts are changed on set for practical reasons – an unfortunate hindrance to the artistic process.

From a human perspective, Dobbs’ criticisms are reasonable. It’s a frustrating prospect when your vision on paper is misinterpreted by the director on screen. Since the medium is subjective, neither Soderbergh nor Dobbs is right or wrong in this discord. However, the author’s concerns about the subversive nature of the director’s vision crystallize the sheer brilliance of The LimeyThe film can be viewed several times and attentive viewers will surely to discover an ingenious cut or a sound signal that they have never noticed beforecreating a dynamic and immersive cinematic experience that serves the character and tone. As Soderbergh tends toward an opaque narrative, he gives the audience less opportunity to wholeheartedly sympathize with Wilson. This not only confronts the character’s violent streak, but it uses the mystery surrounding Wilson as a dramatic intrigue.

“The Limey” demonstrates Steven Soderbergh’s action talent

Although Soderbergh isn’t known for his set pieces, he can stage a nasty action sequence under the right circumstances. The hectic editing gives the film an unsettling tone that resonates throughout its running time. The extent of Wilson’s sociopathic streak is evident in every scene in which he is involved in a fight. Soderbergh creates these sequences with such fervor that they are initially intoxicating. Later, they become ruthlessly brutal, causing the audience to rebel against the violence. The balance between smoothness and roughness is what sets Soderbergh apart from the Pact. Furthermore, few directors would be as interested in commenting on Hollywood history as he is. The casting of Peter Fonda, the former New Hollywood rebel of Simple driveras an authority figure and with lavish fame, speaks for the nature of show business politics. A film like The Limeya familiar concept with a series of gripping scenes to round out the story could have been a satisfying, mediocre crime thriller. However, Steven Soderbergh has always strived to challenge audience expectations. Miraculously, he has somehow still managed to has succeeded in making an extremely worthwhile crime thriller while simultaneously reinventing the genre.

The Limey can be streamed on Prime Video in the US

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