LIMELIGHT (Billy Corben, U.S.). 101 minutes. Rating: NNN
Caught somewhere between a time capsule of Manhattan club-scene wackiness and a legal procedural, Limelight follows the ups and downs of Ontario-born nightclub impresario Peter Gatien, who ruled the night life in the 80s and early 90s before getting sidetracked by charges that he was of using his clubs – specifically the Limelight and the Tunnel – to sell ecstasy and cocaine, among other things.
Tarted up with cheesy disco-era visual gimmicks and wall-to-wall techno beats, Limelight is a stylistic mess that nonetheless offers an intriguing look at Giuliani-era New York City from an unlikely perspective. And if you get the feeling that the whole thing was produced in the service of Gatien’s image rehabilitation, well, you also get the feeling the guy might deserve the chance to clear his name.
