The Negotiator opens to hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L Jackson) successfully retrieving a young girl from the hands of her gun-crazed father resulting in him receiving great praise from both the media and the police. However, things go horribly wrong when his long-term partner, who has evidence of embezzlement throughout the police department, is murdered. Due to Danny being on the scene only moments later, he becomes the prime suspect in the murder. In order to prove his innocence, Danny turns from hostage saver to hostage taker, requesting the impartial hostage negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) to look over his case. Will Danny be able to prove he has been falsely accused?
The Negotiator is captivating from the outset. It's a film centred around the subtleties of language, what to say and what not to say in a certain situation, with Kevin Spacey and Samuel L Jackson having a solid war of words. Both Spacey and Jackson play good, family men, who are experts in the art of persuasion, not surprising when you consider how well they deliver dialogue. The film uses a lot of close ups of the two fighting it out to be in control, yet this does not make the film overly heavy in dialogue due to quick pace and emphasis put into each line from the two leading men. Spacey and Jackson definitely allow this thriller to stand out from others that have come before it.
Adding to the great acting is the screenplay by James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox which is intelligent and fascinating, with clear research going into the skill of negotiation. My favourite example of this is in a scene when Jackson gives one of his classic speeches in reference to eye language. Director F. Gary Gray creates a film that simply flows, establishing tension during the first scene and then never letting it go, and due to this, you can forgive the use of some obvious clichés.
A strong thriller that won't disappoint.
J.Henderson
7.5/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment