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September 1999

The Negotiator

In The Negotiator, Samuel L. Jackson plays a cop who negotiates hostage situations.

The Negotiator*** Trust no one In The Negotiator, Chicago police negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) spends his days staring down gun barrels while diffusing hostage situations. As a master of psychological gamesmanship, he knows how to break down a criminal’s defenses and win his trust through poker-faced deception. But even he gets nervous as his partner tells him about a fraud investigation involving their police pension fund. After his partner is murdered, Danny finds himself framed for both the fraud and the murder. To prove his innocence, Danny takes hostages at police headquarters. Among them is the slick-talking chief (J. T. Walsh, in his final role) who Danny believes is involved in both crimes. Throughout the seige, Danny refuses to speak to anyone except for a Manhattan negotiator he’s never met (Kevin Spacey), who works to mediate the volatile situation between Danny, the police and the conspirators. At first it seems director F. Gary Gray (Set It Off) has fashioned a cheap imitation of Dog Day Afternoon but the compelling performances of Jackson and Spacey set it apart from the typical action fare. In the lead role Jackson shows a greater range of emotion than in the past. Spacey does nothing to tarnish his image as the quintessential Teflon man, radiating a calm intensity reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart. The chemistry between two of America’s hottest actors will captivate you. <<<

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