Caught in the crossfires of civil war, CIA operatives must send a former U.S. diplomat to negotiate for the life of a friend he left behind. Read more …
The Negotiator is a decidedly old-school thriller: specific in scope, limited in action, grounded in political realities and conventional in resolution.
Despite possessing unusually detailed context for a thriller, it’s a bit like diplomatic efforts in the region: the same old story.
Hamm is so watchable he helps the film transcend its many eye-rolling clichés.
Kudos to Anderson and Gilroy for making a low-action, dialogue-heavy geopolitical thriller in this day and age. But aside from finally giving its star some strong material to work with, it doesn’t live up to its promise.
General release. Check local listings for show times.