
Just as Heat tossed De Niro and Pacino together in a tense psychological face-off, so The Negotiator pitches gung-ho Samuel L Jackson against hard-nut Kevin Spacey. But while Michael Mann charted a traditional crime story of good guy versus bad guy, director Gray relies on an off-centre narrative of good versus good. What gives this confrontation a compelling slant is that Jackson's betrayed cop frees hostages for a living. And, as one of Chicago's finest negotiators, he's in the unique position of knowing all the procedures his colleagues will use to flush him out.
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