The negotiator, 1998

The Negotiator, 1998
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse



Short synopsis: In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth


Preps: I have seen this piece one or two times. As one of better movies I have set my eyes on in this genre (negotiations in perticular) - one of the better ones is for sure The phone booth, for instance, or Die Hard trilogy - well, I wanted to see this again.

Stage: Home TV, regular choice of a Friday evening :)

Reality: Again, I find new things about this movie I admire. Samuel L. Jackson is brilliant on his side - there is something that can make his facial expression violent and all seems he can act a true villain if he wants to. It is a masterpiece to create a violent person that the audience loves and this piece, the Negotiator, creates precisely that. We all understand that there was no option than violence in this perticular case, although I would bet that most of the viewers are pacifists by their personal claim.

On the other hand, Spacey act is remarkable, on his own side, a true reconstruction of what a negotiator should do, make, think, act, .. I just adore the dialogue these two have. Filled with black humour, participation from one side or the other, filled with trauma and subconscious thoughts. Also a vivid recreation of what a cop/governmental institution follows, and even though sometimes you believe it's the negotiator that runs the business in such cases, there are often political dilemmas involved and orders from above, that can solve such cases, but with some corps to go along.



My personal rating: 8,0 (A good piece, worth seeing. HIghly recommended. Also, you see the softer side of Jackson, which is also worth your time.)


Negotiator on IMDB