The Negotiator

Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey deliver exceptional performances in a superb thriller. Danny Roman (Jackson), a top negotiator, has been framed for embezzling funds from the Chicago Police Department. He does the only natural thing in the situation and takes hostages to try to clear his name. I watched this film on the recommendation of friends as a ‘classic’ and it did not disappoint.

Despite a slightly predictable and mainly unbelievable plot, which I was happy to let go on account of the first scene, The Negotiator’s main attributes are the strengths of repartee between the characters (again at times unbelievable) and the acting of the two stars. I am a big fan of Kevin Spacey, who has the ability to change a character’s strength in a second into weakness and then revert to holding the initial power. Samuel L. is on top angry story-telling form, from first to last. The film is funny where it intends to be and keeps you hooked and interested right to the end.

One of my favourite scenes is when Spacey hangs the phone up on Samuel L.. If you haven't seen the film, this comes just after Samuel L. has shot at a police officer. It’s a fantastic way to shift the balance of power between the two and opens up the chance to talk properly, rather than Samuel L. getting to do all the talking. It’s classic Spacey, turning in a second from mild-mannered peacekeeper to the one who holds all the aces. The surprise and the humour add to the quality of the scene.

Perhaps the weakest part of the film is the power-hungry, disorganised and generally unintelligent police unit that are supposed to provide tension, but fail to do so in a credible way. As an audience member, you are left thinking how woefully stubborn the police are to see that they might be wrong.

Watching this after watching “The Straight Story” was the kind of change you would go through if you were sitting on a park bench watching the world go by when suddenly the ground opens up and you find yourself plummeting towards the earth’s core at light speed – except with less threat to your life. The change of pace did a couple of things for me. Firstly, it made me appreciate Lynch’s film a little more for the depth of character that he was able to develop and therefore my emotional involvement in the film. Secondly, it accelerated and added tension to all the action in The Negotiator making it feel like a relatively short film, even though it was over two hours long. This simply underlined to me that it’s great to watch a mix of films!

So how would I sum up The Negotiator? Overall, a gripping well-written watch with, as I said before, top class acting Samuel L. and Spacey.