Tense Negotiations
Jackson and Spacey Deliver Killer Performances

Watching The Negotiator is almost as nerve-racking as the real thing. At least, it would be if you didn't already know the outcome. A script like this demands one thing, that the ending be a complete and total surprise. Unfortunately, it was anything but surprising.

Samuel L. Jackson plays Danny Roman, a hostage negotiator for the Chicago police department. From the very beginning, we are assured that Danny is wonderful at what he does. He has a loving wife, a good partner, and friends all over the police force. There is no doubt in our minds that Danny is a good guy.

So when Danny's partner is killed and evidence for the murder and embezzlement points to him, we know he is being framed. Every moment that passes he is losing more of his life: his partner, his badge, his reputation, and very possibly his freedom. In a moment of anger, he confronts Inspector Niebaum (J.T. Walsh), the head of Internal Affairs and suspected ring-leader of the conspiracy. When the situation gets out of control, Danny snaps and begins taking hostages. (Note the irony...)

Because Danny cannot trust anyone in his precinct, he asks for Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) to handle the hostage negotiations. Danny figures that since Chris is from the west side, he isn't involved with the conspiracy against him. And, of course, Chris is one of the good guys too. They might as well be wearing white hats, it's so obvious.

What could have been an interesting psychological thriller involving hostages and their taker turns into a watered-down script involving numerous clichés. Danny's wife (played by Regina Taylor) is relegated to a role of hysterical sobbing. David Morse, who plays the head of the extraction team, plays his role with menacing mystery. Even Walsh (appearing in his final role before his heart attack last year) is a tight-lipped heavy seemingly taken from the actors' manual (Chapter 7: "How to be a Bad Guy -- And Show It!")

The whole movie would be lost if not for two outstanding performances by Jackson and Spacey. While this film won't be the highlight of either one's career, it's worth seeing it just to watch two high-caliber actors tackle their two-dimensional roles and still breath some life into them. Because the dialogue is often stilted, the way these actors use their body language is at least as noteworthy as what they say.

I think The Negotiator would have been more dramatic if the audience had been given some doubts in the beginning of the movie regarding Danny's character. If something -- anything -- had led us to believe he was capable of murder the rest of the movie would have kept us guessing. Instead, this is just one more movie to be filed away under F for "Fun, but Forgettable."

The Negotiator is rated R for profanity and violence.

MY RATING: 5 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 140 min.