THE NEGOTIATOR
RATING: 7 / 10 --> Good movie
Review Date:
August 2, 1998
Director:
F. Gary Gray
Writer:
James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox
Producers:
David Hoberman and Arnon Milchan
Actors:
Samuel L. Jackson as Danny
Roman
Kevin Spacey as Chris Sabian
J.T. Walsh as Inspector Niebaum
Genre:
Thriller
Year of Release: 1998
Oscar veterans Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin
Spacey star in yet another hostage film that rakes the coals over
last year's dismal MAD CITY, while getting close to the
nail-biting ambience of the 70's classic DOG DAY AFTERNOON
(8/10).
PLOT:
Hostage negotiator extraordinaire Danny Roman (Jackson) suddenly
becomes suspect number one in a fellow cop's murder. Sensing a
setup, Danny decides to take matters into his own hands, and
holds a couple of hostages of his own. Enter negotiator number
two, named Sabian (Spacey), who climbs into the picture to talk
our man Danny and the hostages down safely from their plight. The
tension builds...and there's your movie.
CRITIQUE:
Entertaining thriller that grabbed me from its first few minutes,
generated some genuine interest despite its lengthy runtime, and
continued to accentuate the incredible charismatic acting
abilities of one Samuel L. Jackson. Now this positive review
comes despite the fact that this film's plot line seemed to have
been completely given away by its "morons for hire"
marketed movie trailer. So even though I pretty much knew what to
expect going into this movie, I must say that the tension and
thrills were still there for me, so kudos go out to the director
and the notable actors in that regard.
This movie always seemed to keep me interested in its direction,
and despite a couple of slower moments in its midst, the "I
wonder what's gonna happen next?" vibe never left my back
pocket. It reminded me a lot of the walkie-talkie conversations
that Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJohnson had in the original DIE
HARD (8/10) movie, but on a much larger scale, with more tension
and less action. Having said that, I must admit that some of the
plot points did escape me in this one, but matter not, since the
film as a whole worked on the tray that it was prepared, which
was a fun, action thriller.
Points to Pig Vomit from Howard Stern's PRIVATE PARTS (7/10),
Paul Giamatti, for scoring nicely as the comic relief in this
thrilling tale, as well as a posthumous tip of the cap to J.T.
Walsh who delivered icicles as the implicated internal affairs
rep. But for the most part, I think that it's the continuing
great work by Sam Jackson that makes this film stand out as much
as it does! I mean, the plot doesn't necessarily revive the genre
by any stretch of the imagination, but Sammy always seems to keep
us interested in his character, and curious as to his next
outcome or action. Mr. Jackson's genuine aura oozes from the
screen and into your psyche, as he continues to staple himself as
one of the most gifted, and watcheable actors of this generation.
Overall, this film delivers great acting, consistent thrills, a
mediocre plot line, and a solid nacho-muncher of a good time at
the movies.
Little Known Facts:
This film was dedicated to actor J.T. Walsh,
who passed away at the age of 53, after the production of this
film was completed. He died on the 27th of February, 1998 of an
apparent heart attack while on a holiday. He received further
posthumous recognition when Jack Nicholson dedicated his Best Actor Oscar for AS GOOD AS
IT GETS (7.5/10) to him.
Sam Jackson played one of Eddie Murphy's uncles in RAW (7/10), and Stacks Edwards
in Martin
Scorsese's masterpiece of the
mob GOODFELLAS (9/10). Sam's middle name is Leroy, and he was an
admitted drug user until he completed drug rehab two weeks before
playing a drug addict in Spike Lee's
JUNGLE FEVER (7/10).
Kevin Spacey's real name is Kevin Fowler.
(c) 1998 Berge Garabedian
Movie Reviews by Berge Garabedian