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The Negotiator (1998)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
29 July 1998 (USA)
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Tagline:
Chicago's two top negotiators must face each other. One of them is holding hostages. The other is demanding surrender. And everyone's holding their breath. more
Plot:
In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Negotiator
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Police
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Hostage
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Murder
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Corruption
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Awards:
2 wins
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6 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(25 articles)
Review: Law Abiding Citizen
(From HeyUGuys. 22 November 2009, 4:01 PM, PST)
Paul Giamatti: 'I'm clearly not Brad Pitt'
(From The Guardian - Film News. 12 November 2009, 1:27 AM, PST)
(From HeyUGuys. 22 November 2009, 4:01 PM, PST)
Paul Giamatti: 'I'm clearly not Brad Pitt'
(From The Guardian - Film News. 12 November 2009, 1:27 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Conventional siege thriller, made better than expected by its actors.
more (248 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Samuel L. Jackson | ... | Lt. Danny Roman | |
| Kevin Spacey | ... | Lt. Chris Sabian | |
| David Morse | ... | Cmdr. Adam Beck | |
| Ron Rifkin | ... | Cmdr. Grant Frost | |
| John Spencer | ... | Chief Al Travis | |
| J.T. Walsh | ... | Insp. Terence Niebaum | |
| Siobhan Fallon | ... | Maggie | |
| Paul Giamatti | ... | Rudy Timmons | |
| Regina Taylor | ... | Karen Roman | |
| Bruce Beatty | ... | Markus | |
| Michael Cudlitz | ... | Palermo | |
| Carlos Gómez | ... | Eagle | |
| Tim Kelleher | ... | Argento | |
| Dean Norris | ... | Scott | |
| Nestor Serrano | ... | Hellman |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Verhandlungssache (Germany)
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MPAA:
Rated R for violence and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
139 min
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:12 |
Iceland:16 (video rating) |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) |
Canada:AA (Ontario) |
USA:R (certificate #36071) |
Netherlands:12 (re-rating) |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:MA |
Belgium:KT |
Denmark:15 |
Finland:K-16 |
France:U |
Germany:16 (w) |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Italy:T |
Netherlands:16 (original rating) |
Norway:15 |
Peru:14 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Singapore:NC-16 |
South Korea:15 |
Spain:13 |
Sweden:15 |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In part based on the events surrounding The St. Louis pension fund scandal of the mid to late 1980's.
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Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Danny and his partner first talk in the car outside the party, there is no rear view mirror in the car. Though this is obviously not impossible, it is illegal and most police would have one properly in place.
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Quotes:
Lieutenant Chris Sabian:
You think killing a man gives you the right to negotiate with me?
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Soundtrack:
Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (248 total)
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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.