The Negotiator (1998)
Movie rating: 8/10
Billed as an action thriller, The Negotiator is unlike most action movies in that its best, most thrilling moments come through dialogue and great performances.
The film has an excellent hook. Lt Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) is a top hostage negotiator for the Chicago Police Department’s west precinct. After his partner Nate Roenick (Paul Guifoyle) tips him off about embezzlement involving the department’s disability fund and then winds up dead, Roman is blamed for both the embezzlement and murder. Internal Affairs director Terence Niebaum (J.T. Walsh) is assigned to investigate the murder, but Roman suspects he may be involved in the cover-up. When Roman storms into Niebaum’s office demanding to know who set him up and Niebaum refuses, Roman takes Niebaum and three others hostage. He demands that police locate the informant and Roenick’s killer, and that they assign east precinct negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) to speak to him.
A top hostage negotiator taking hostages to clear his name is a terrific high-concept idea for a movie, and Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect actor for the role. Yes, The Negotiator kicks into high gear once Jackson is allowed to yell and threaten people with a gun. We’ve all known since at least Pulp Fiction that he can do that like no other actor. But what takes his performance as Roman to the next level is how he’s always at least two steps ahead of the police attempting to stop him. He knows exactly what they’ll do and how they’ll try to talk him down. The scene where he toys with hapless would-be negotiator Farley (Stephen Lee) and calls him out on his poor negotiating skills is hilarious. But Jackson also has plenty of room to emote, because he’s not playing a villain here. Underlying his outward bravado is a desperation to get to the bottom of what’s happening and prove his innocence.
Kevin Spacey matches Jackson in terms of acting talent. Surprisingly, Sabian doesn’t appear on screen until past the 40-minute mark, after the film has established Roman’s bonafides as the ultimate hostage negotiator. Sabian is the first character who proves an effective foil for him, and the battle of wits between the two is tense, exciting, and wonderfully played by both actors. Putting aside Spacey’s personal and legal issues offscreen, he’s a great actor and his interactions with Jackson had me on the edge of my seat.
Outside of that, The Negotiator is a solid thriller. There’s the obligatory copaganda, and the climax of the film is pretty standard. The reveal of the conspiracy’s ringleader is fine, but there’s not really a central villain; the other cops involved in the conspiracy are nondescript. The main appeal of this movie are the fantastic performances by Jackson and Spacey, the tension maintained through most of the running time by director F. Gary Gray, and dialogue that brings out the best in the two leads.