The Negotiator

Rating: *** 1/2
Date Seen: 1999-01-16

Two sentences: Samuel L. Jackson is a damn fine actor. Kevin Spacey is a damn fine actor. But we already knew that, right? If not, this movie proves it for certain. And what a great venue for it. This movie is intense!

Samuel L. Jackson plays an expert hostage negotiator who is framed for the murder of his partner. He believes the reason his partner was murdered, and the reason he is being set up, is other corrupt officers trying to cover up their misdeeds. In a desperate move, he storms into the office of a person he suspects is involved, pulls out a gun, and lands himself on the other side of the negotiating table.

What makes this particularly interesting is that he knows all the tricks of the other side. He knows how they think, what they will try to do, and how they will try to talk him down, and manipulates the situation perfectly. He demands a particular negotiator to talk to, and that's when things really heat up.

That thing actors call chemistry is present in abundance here. The story, the stunts, and all the supporting cast are great, but the dialog between Spacey and Jackson is what really carries this movie above and beyond. My heart never stopped pounding from the time the situation began until the end of the movie. This one exceeded my expectations. It's edge-of-your-seat excitement to the max.