The Limey (1999) ****1/2
Some films just stick with you. I'd seen The Limey (1999) at least twice before. But I hadn't watched it for a long time—since before 2005 (when I started a 'Films Watched' log). And yet as I rewatched it today—from the beautiful-looking new 4K UHD disc—I remembered it very distinctly, including many lines of dialogue.
Man, I love this superb little slow burn revenge flick. Director Steven Soderbergh and writer Lem Dobbs crafted a contemplative crime drama that references and has reverence for the late 60s (particularly late 60s cinema and music) but that also never feels bogged down by nostalgia. Soderbergh does that thing where he plays with time in the shots and the voice-over and it's never worked better than in this film.
Terence Stamp, when he's not amusingly spewing Cockney slang, spends a vast amount of the running time sitting around, reflecting, and there's few other films where it comes off so effectively (and affectively). Edward Lachman's—in the same year that he lensed The Virgin Suicides (review)—cinematography is simply stunning. The score by Cliff Martinez perfectly compliments the meditative quality of The Limey and the soundtrack features some classic choice cuts as well.
Recommended for fans of Get Carter (1971) (review), Point Blank (1967) (review), and Sexy Beast (2000).
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