Warner Bros. | 1998 | 139 mins. | Rated R
I’m not sure why, but I’d never seen The Negotiator until I received a review copy a few weeks back. Perhaps when it was released in 1998, I simply dismissed it as yet another cop drama, and moved along. However, after watching it, I would recommend The Negotiator to anyone that might have done the same thing, to give The Negotiator a look. Directed by F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job), and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey and David Morse, the film offers up plenty of excitement and an interesting take on the well worn cops-and-robbers theme.
Jackson plays Lieutenant Danny Roman, one of Chicago’s best hostage negotiators. While he’s very good at his job, he’s also a bit of a loose cannon, preferring to do things his own way to get the job done. For that reason, his fellow cops don’t trust him, despite his abilities.
Fairly quickly we learn the crux of the story: somebody’s stolen over $2 million from the police department’s disability fund. According to Roman’s partner (Paul Guilfoyle) whose been secretly investigating the crime, it’s people within the police force who are committing the thefts. But Roman’s partner can’t go to Internal Affairs about it because he doesn’t trust them. He hints to Roman about his suspicions one evening and says he’ll explain all he knows about the situation the next day. But the next day somebody murders him, and the killer appears to frame Roman for the murder.
Overnight, Roman finds his friends and colleagues turning against him. The evidence is really stacked against him; so much so, that when the police come to get Roman, his own lawyer doesn’t believe in his own innocence. Being a veteran cop, Danny quickly comes to realize that he is going to have to save himself. To that end, he does what he knows: storms the offices of Internal Affairs Inspector Niebaum (J.T. Walsh), takes four people hostage at gunpoint, and locks them all in the room. He demands the police find his ex-partner’s real killer within eight hours, or he’ll start shooting hostages.
Roman demands that the police bring in the city’s other top hostage negotiator, Lt. Chris Sabian (Spacey), to work with him. Why Sabian? Because Sabian doesn’t operate out of Roman’s precinct, and Roman doesn’t know him except by reputation; therefore, Sabian is one of the few people in the city Roman figures he can trust. Of course, the question then becomes can Roman really trust Sabian, as the situation becomes a cat-and-game between Chicago police force, and the FBI, who have now entered the fray.
Jackson and Spacey are both excellent here, and it’s great fun to watch the two talents go head-to-head. The supporting cast is top-notch as well. Playing Roman’s hostages are Ron Rifkin as Commander Grant Frost, Roman’s old boss; J.T. Walsh as Inspector Niebaum, the head of Internal Affairs; Siobhan Fallon as Maggie, Niebaum’s assistant; and Paul Giamatti as Rudy Timmons, a former thief, now an informant working for the police. Outside the hostage room, is the forever under rated David Morse as Commander Beck, a toughby-the-book cop; John Spencer as Chief Al Travis, another of Roman’s bosses; and Regina Taylor as Karen Roman, Danny’s devoted wife.
While I wouldn’t put The Negotiator up there with the great cop dramas in movie history, or recommend it as highly as Heat, starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, the films exciting pace and fine performances make The Negotiator worth a look.
The Negotiator comes to Blu-ray with a solid 1080p/VC-1 transfer. Russell Carpenter’s palette tends to favor murky browns and chilly grays, but Warner’s presentation still manages to inject stark reds, suitably resolved blacks, and natural skintones into the proceedings. Fine textures are revealing (particularly during close-ups), edges are crisp and clean, and overall clarity striking. Soft shots pop up on occasion, but each one should be attributed to the film’s original print, not the studio’s technical transfer. I didn’t catch any significant ringing, artifacting, source noise, or banding. In fact, a faint veneer of grain frequents the image, granting the presentation a faithful, filmic appearance.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is fairly impressive. There’s solid dynamic impact, a wide range, and an excellent use of the surrounds. You’ll find not only a pleasant musical-ambient bloom in the rear and side speakers but explosions, fires, and gunshots ring with authority, and, of course, there are the helicopters.
The disc includes English, French, Spanish, and Italian spoken languages; French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
There are only two special features:
• The 11th Hour: Stories from a Real Life Negotiator (SD, 7 minutes) gives LAPD Negotiator Todd Rheingold an opportunity to discuss the unique challenges he’s faced over the course of his career.
• On Location: Why Chicago (SD, 17 minutes) reveals the reasons the filmmakers chose the Windy City.
• A theatrical trailer (SD, 2 minutes)
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