# Negotiator, The (1998)

### reviewed by
David Nusair

    The Negotiator

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, J.T. Walsh

"The Negotiator" is the best movie, alongside "The Truman Show", I have seen this summer. It is intelligent and well-acted and does not feature any comets or asteroids or lizards, just a expertly crafted storyline and some of the best acting you're likely to see in any action movie.

The movie is about an expert hostage negotiator (played by Samuel L. Jackson) who finds himself being framed for murder by an unknown source. He thinks he can find some answers in the office of an Internal Affairs officer (very nicely played by J.T. Walsh) and ends up taking the place hostage. Being a hotage negotiator, he "knows the rules of engagement" and, as his first demand, requests a negotiator of his own choosing (Kevin Spacey). Much of the remainder of the film involves Spacey and Jackson talking to each other on the phone, trying to work the situation out.

Now, from my description, this movie may sound like a standard hostage taking plot, along the lines of "Dog Day Afternoon", but it's not. It's really so much more. For one thing, there's the brilliant performances of Jackson and Spacey, two actors at the top of their game. Jackson hits just the right note as a man who's innocent, but not afraid to do whatever it takes to clear his name. Spacey plays an imperfect hero, if he can be called that, who constantly finds himself trying to assert his authority over cops and FBI agents who want to end the situation quickly, but violently.

Without a good script, the performances would have been worthless. That is not the case here. The dialogue comes off as realistic and, more importantly, not just as words the screenwriter might have thought would "sound good". For example, there is a scene early on in the film in which Jackson and his partner are sitting in a parked car talking, and a fellow police officer interrupts them. The following exchange between the three of them felt real, and not just like something a writer might have throught police officers sound like. Sure, it's a small thing, but it's also very important.

The ending is a bit of a letdown, though. I won't spoil it, but let's just say that everything is wrapped up a little too nicely. The revelations that come during the final few minutes all arrive in a way that seemed, to me, way too conveniant. It's as if the writer had painted himself into a corner, and couldn't think of an original way to get out.

The real surprise of the film is J.T. Walsh, in a complex role that a lesser actor would likely have been unable to pull off. He gives such a subtle performance as the internal affairs officer who may or may not know more than he lets on. He is able to say with merely a glance what most actors can't say with a whole page of dialogue. Sadly, this is his last film. He died last year of a heart attack. He was a profound talent, and this film is a fitting showcase for his talent.

    ***1/2 out of ****

    Dave "Loopy" Nusair                                    dnusair@chat.carleton.ca; "The Artist Formally Known As Prince is now going by just The Artist.    ;
    :  Despite this, I will still refer to him as The Fruit."                  :
    ;                                                -Norm MacDonald            ;Dept. of Good Vibes,                   Come visit my Reel Film Reviews site
    Carleton University                   at "http://chat.carleton.ca/~dnusair"

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