El mediador

I do not know what it is about Samuel L. Jackson. No picture, and I have seen many: Freedomland, Shaft, Die Hard with a Vengeance, A Time to Kill, Pulp Fiction, and on and on, fails to excite, and this one is no exception. His interaction with another top negotiator, Keven Spacey, incredible as usual, after he framed by other officers for stealing from the policemen's disability fund, is brilliant. As he goes crazy-like-a-fox berserk in order to prove his innocence, he and Spacey play cat and mouse to solve the crisis. A wild ending and a super supporting cast, especially David Morse, John Spencer, J.T. Walsh, Paul Giamatti, and Paul Guilfoyle

Samuel L. Jackson is probably one of the most awesome actors that ever lived, and his pure uncut awesomeness is captured perfectly in this well thought-out thriller. He's angry. He's looking for justice. Don't get in his way. The plot moves at a breakneck pace, and the length of the running time will probably go completely unnoticed because the direction looks so compact. This movie is over two hours long? I really have a hard time believing that. It just flies by, even though most of it happens in and around one location. With a build-up this exciting, the conclusion is usually a disappointment, but even that's not the case here. This is a rush of adrenaline captured on celluloid.

In terms of plot and story development, The Negotiator offers little that is new. It's a very conventional film. However, it gets a much needed injection from its cast, especially the two leads Jackson and Spacey, whose verbal exchanges are exciting and dynamic.

The far-fetched yarn introduces us to Chicago hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson). Roman's partner Nate (Paul Guilfoyle) is brutally murdered just as he is about to expose a bunch of cops who have been stealing from the Disability Fund. All the clues at the scene of Nate's murder point to Roman being the guilty one. Danny is arrested for the killing, but he remains determined to prove his innocence. He violently besieges the Internal Affairs division of the Chicago P.D, taking several hostages at gunpoint, and proceeds to demand that his name be cleared. Hostage negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) arrives on the scene to talk Roman into surrendering his hostages.

The ease with which Jackson's character is framed for a crime he didn't commit is hard to believe, and his subsequent decision to take hostages in order to clear himself stretches credibility to the limit. The solution to the mystery - with the revelation of the real killer coming right at the end - isn't especially believable either. However, improbabilities aside, The Negotiator is an entertaining work. As mentioned, Jackson and Spacey's confrontations are quite dynamic and help to make the film compulsively watchable. Siege thrillers by their very definition are exciting, and this one is no exception. Granted, The Negotiator is totally conventional fare, but within its limitations it remains a well-crafted, absorbing and agreeable offering.

Just when you think he's cornered, he thinks of a new strategy. Samuel L. Jackson portrays Lieutenant Danny Roman, police hostage negotiator. When he's framed for a crime he didn't commit, against his fellow police officers no less, he knows that the only way out is to bring in an equally tough negotiator, Lieutenant Chris Sabian played by Kevin Spacey, who's from another precinct and who therefore could not have been contaminated by the bad elements within his own force, which buys him the necessary time to bluff and blindside while he finds the clues he needs to prove he's innocent. Chicago is taken hostage along with the few people he retains as bargaining chips, and we are taken along for the ride. This was a masterful job of film-making from beginning to end. The characters and story were flawlessly developed. We don't precisely know who's guilty or who's innocent. Roman conducts his interrogation and trial while he negotiates with the police outside, some of whom are working overtime to eliminate Roman before he figures it all out. This all occurs right under the noses of the FBI who are in way over their heads and don't have a clue who's guilty or innocent, just like the rest of us watching. Along the way, we get to witness Roman lecture his underlings about the finer points of negotiations while he himself has just become a hostage taker. "Never say no!" he barks with effective zeal. And he tests his bewildered pupils continuously, who fail continuously. Only Sabian is smart enough to understand what's going on in Roman's mind. The strategy is shared by two men who think alike, who are under stress, and have an innate instinct for lie detection. The screenplay was terrific. The cinematography was effective. The acting of Jackson and Spacey exceptional. And the supporting cast, particularly bad-guy-turned-good-guy Paul Giamatti who provides great comic relief, was outstanding. If you're in the mood for an intelligent, taut thriller, The Negotiator delivers... 9/10.

Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) is a top negotiator for the city of Chicago but all things changes for the worse. When his best friend (Paul Guilfoyle) got murder by a mysterious shooter. Now Danny is accused of murder and for embezzlement as well. His best friend knew that some of his colleagues are corrupted police officers, he was going to tell Danny what was going on before he got killed. Danny has no other choice to take some hostages on a federal building including Internal Affairs officer Inspector Niebaum (The late J.T. Walsh), who might be involved with the death of his best friend. The only person that Danny could trust is another negotiator by the name of Chris Sabian (Two-Time Oscar Winner:Kevin Spacey). Chris might be the only man, who could save Danny's life and clear his name.

Directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job "2003", Set It Off) made an entertaining, suspenseful, action-thriller with sharp performances by Jackson and Spacey. The director certainly has an eye for suspense and creating good action sequences. The movie has an strong supporting cast like David Morse, Ron Rifkin and the late John Spencer. The picture was well received by the film critics but it got lost, when it was released in the summer of 1998. "The Negotiator" was an box office disappointment but it did found an audiences on Video and TV.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has two featurettes, production notes, the original theatrical trailer and four trailers from the two lead actors. "The Negotiator" is certainly better than most action-thrillers has to offers these days. This movie truly does focus on character development as well. "The Negotiator" is certainly one of the most underrated movies of the 1990's. Paul Giamatti steals the show in his supporting role as a ex-thief turned informant. Super 35. (****/*****).