Outwit and Outplay. Or Else...

Author's product rating: 9 stars

The Negotiator - rated by infinitiwellt

Advantages: very good storyline, no boring moments, excellent performances from the cast, superb direction

Disadvantages: none so far

Recommend to potential buyers: yes

FULL REVIEW
THE NEGOTIATOR

STARRING
* Samuel L. Jackson - Lt Danny Roman
* Kevin Spacey - Lt Chris Sabian
* Regina Taylor - Karen Roman
* David Morse - Cmdr. Adam Beck
* John Spencer - Chief Al Travis
* Ron Rifkin - Grant Frost
* Paul Guilfoyle - Nathan "Nate" Roenick
* J.T. Walsh - Insp Terrence Neibum
* Siobhan Fallon - Maggie
* Paul Giamatti - Rudy Timmons

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
New life, happy family and successful career was in stored for Lt Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) after his wedding. He is a top notched hostage negotiator of the Chicago Police. Everything was going smooth for Danny. Loving and understanding wife, nice friends, excellent career, nothing to ask for. But one RELIABLE TIP would change Danny's perception to people he considered his friends and to police force he served with all his life.

It is a story of controversy, corruption, conspiracy and lies. And the fight of one man who puts into his own hands the power of JUSTICE, LAW and ORDER. The Negotiator is a thriller/drama directed by F. Gary Gray

PLOT
Danny and Nate (Paul Guilfoyle) were long time partners, they are one of the best hostage negotiators in Chicago. Trusting each other's life in every engagements they were into. They were more than partners, they considered each other as brothers. Everything seems to be fine for Danny, he just got married to his wife Karen (Regina Taylor), he's the hot shot officer in the department, the man of the hour they say. But all hell breaks loose when Nate approached him regarding the investigation Nate's doing. The retirement fund of the department was gone. Nate believes that someone in their department stole their money with the help of someone in the Internal Affairs Division. They decided to dig deeper in the controversy, but Nate was murdered and Danny was framed up to his death.

Now facing for a possible maximum penalty, Danny was also been framed up to be the perpetrator of the lost funds. And what makes it more painful is that everybody believed including the people he considered as his friends, especially Cmdr. Adam Beck (David Morse).

Chief Al Travis (John Spencer) then immediately put him under preventive suspension, taking his badge and his gun. Danny decided to talk to Insp Neibum (J.T. Walsh) of the IAD regarding Nate's investigation. But tensions rose, and Danny has no options left, he has to hold Neibum and two other persons Maggie (Siobhan Fallon) and Rudy (Paul Giamatti) as hostages to find the truth.

Within minutes, several numbers of SWAT Tactical Teams were in position, including their surveillance cameras. But Danny knows the drill. He knows the system and the procedure. He knows everything. He's been in that situation a hundred times in his 20 more years in the police service.

Danny now made a demand. He would not talk to anybody except for Lt. Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey), also a top notched negotiator from the Westside of Chicago, Sabian has a record of ZERO fatality in his entire career as negotiator. He has a record of 55 straight hours of negotiation. Both Danny and Chris believed that FULL BREACH is the last or maybe the worse option in hostage negotiation.

Two of Chicago's best negotiator tried to talked down one another. The needs the truth and the other for his surrender.
A no boring scene movie, every minute is detailed and your heart pounds. Wait until you saw the ending.

MY REACTION
Positive: I saw this movie more than 5 years ago, but when I'm checking my DVD's, I saw this film and decided to watch it again, though I saw it already, I am still thrilled on every scenes, on every dialogues. Samuel L. Jackson is truly remarkable here, he looks so confident during his negotiation scenes like he's a real negotiator. I love how he deliver his lines. He has authority in his voice. Kevin Spacey in the other hand, I love his portrayal as an equally talented negotiator, he has the charisma of a real police officer. He also looks so knowledgeable in that film. Director F. Gary Gray, honestly I never heard of him, it's just today that I knew his the director of the film. I thought it's one of Ridley Scott's movie because of its quality and entertainment. But He really make me say "WOW" to him, this might be his BEST movie ever, no question.

What I really like about the film is that when Roman and Sabian tried to talked each other down. Each of them tried to outwit and to outplay each other, they used all they skills in negotiations and its very entertaining to watch.

Negative: There might have some scenes which I think is very impossible to happen but the story and the delivery of the actors made it to be unnoticed.

OVER-ALL RATING:
9 out of 10 stars - Excellent

RECOMMENDATION
A nice Drama/Thriller film, good for Daddys and Big Brothers in the house.

DIRECTED BY:
F. Gary Gray

DISTRIBUTED BY:
Warner Bros.

RELEASED ON:
July 29, 1998

RUNNING TIME:
2 hrs 19 mins