Review of The Negotiator (1998) by Timothy S — 16 Dec 2011

In a summer, like most summers, filled with loud, brainless action flicks, "The Negotiator" stood out because of its intelligence, pacing and strong acting. It's a movie that stresses story and characters over big, mind-numbing set pieces, and you learn to appreciate that after a while.

With just a few films, F. Gary Gray has distinguished himself as a director to watch, making the jump from music videos to mostly quality feature films more nimbly than most. This is a sleek, good-looking picture that is long and story-driven but never talky or boring. Things get deeper as the drama and twists and turns intensify, almost of the point where it threatened to lose me in all of the plot development, but that never quite happens. Once again, most action films do not get this involved.

The film also features a couple of stand-out performances holding it all together. Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey have never worked together before, but they're a terrific pair of actors who work perfectly in sync with one another. Spacey's calm thoughtfulness perfectly balances Jackson's controlled rage and injustice, and it's electrifying to watch them work. They are surrounded as well by fine actors in supporting roles, most notably the late great J.T. Walsh and a young Paul Giamatti showing at a young age the makings of the reliable character actor he would become.

The story is somewhat implausible, but the cast sells it and even the final twist has a realistic and satisfying feel. "The Negotiator" isn't your typical action flick, and most people who see a lot of action flicks will appreciate that. It's captivating and engrossing with only a few explosions and very little mayhem, and that is not an easy feat.