Cinema: The Negotiator

Danny Roman, a hostage negotiator for the Chicago police (Samuel L. Jackson), is falsely accused of corruption and murder. He becomes a hostage taker, hoping to put pressure on his bosses to clear his name. He’ll talk only with his one equal in this dangerous line of work, Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey). Two strong actors in a strong situation: a recipe for a taut, tense, smart movie. And for a while The Negotiator is just that, with a genuinely puzzling mystery built in (if Roman isn’t the killer, who is?). But Hollywood doesn’t trust talk, particularly in summer. So eventually the running around and explosions commence. As usual, the main things lost in the hubbub are wit and logic.

–By Richard Schickel