'The Negotiator' review: 70's-style political thriller is something durly missed

Tony Gilroy's 'The Negotiator' reminds us how dialogue-heavy, solidly-written political-thrillers are missed in today's industry based on big-budget action spectacle and 'pure' escapism

Jon Hamm/Rosamund Pike/Dean Norris in 'The Negotiator' (Allstar/Radar Pictures)

by Jack Linsdell

A couple of weeks ago saw the release of Tony Gilroy's latest film 'The Negotiator' (also known in America as 'Beirut') on DVD in the UK. The Jon Hamm-starring political-thriller was a film many missed during its theatrical release earlier this year, which is a shame but in line with the nature of the type of movie it is, but I'm hoping gets more viewership on home video. 

I'm a huge fan of Tony Gilroy and as a screenwriter myself, I think his scripts are some of the best in the industry and a really good person to study in terms of learning the craft. Typical of Gilroy is dialogue-heavy screenplays (but he writes some of the most sophisticated and entertaining dialogue out there) based around a complex political-thriller narrative, combing fictional events into the real world we live in. And, 'The Negotiator' is no different - Gilroy delivers a smart, sophisticated, intriguing and at many points gripping screenplay (especially significant considering he wrote it 30 years ago until it recently got found, had the dust brushed of it and was re-polished by him for production). The film is ever as good as its source material. And, here director Brad Anderson's style of filmmaking emphasises the real world, grittier, feel of 1980's Beirut whilst being reserved enough to allow the story and performances to take centre stage. Acting of Gilroy's material are some really strong performances by Jon Hamm ('Baby Driver') and Rosamund Pike ('Gone Girl', 'Jack Reacher') who really bring these characters to life in a compelling and emotionally-strong way. 

As someone who knows very little about middle-eastern conflict apart from the snippets seen on the news, the film acts as an education into the complexities of diplomatic and political work and the state of activist-lead/terrorist groups that all fight against the establishment but for slightly different purposes. I know the film received stick from many claiming it to promote a western-viewpoint of events or to not accurately detail Beirut and its residents - but, although I'm not qualified to argue against this, I know that Gilroy is an authentic writer who would have meticulously researched the topic (especially over those 30 years) and I'm willing to believe what the film depicts as being very near the truth. 

So, I would strongly urge anyone to check out 'The Negotiator' as its a very well-written, strongly-acted political-thriller that doesn't rely on action to entertain and teaches us about a corner of the world the majority of us (realistically) know very little about. 

But, the point I want to make is how the 1970's style dialogue-heavy, political-thrillers like the one Gilroy has made, are so rare in today's commercially-led film industry that its very commendable that firstly he has taken the time to write something like this, but more importantly that the studio has taken the project on despite knowing that it would have very little commercial success and face a high level of backlash. Indeed, in audiences today don't support these type of films because they want pure and simple escapism - based as far away from reality as possible - but with immense action spectacle or catchy musical numbers. And, as great as those type of films are, I think its also healthy for the industry to have a little more variety which is why I hope we see a resurgence of more flicks like the Jon-Hamm starring one.

One of the things that puts audiences off these type of movies is their complex narratives. Now, let me be clear. A complex narrative is not a complicated narrative. Complex means there are lots of sophisticated elements, plot lines, character motives etc. that all weave together to form a coherent and substantial narrative. Complicated is where the narrative doesn't work/make sense, even after the audience has gone home and researched it. So, political-thrillers like this Gilroy-penned one, have complex narratives which although may cause confusion/intrigue during the film, by the end of it the audience is very clear on what has happened. And, I'm sorry to say but complex narratives are a rarity in modern screenwriting, as is the notion of having a film lead by dialogue instead of action. Gilroy has shown he can find a middle ground between the two with the Bourne films, however 'The Negotiator' is an example of how much those 1970's-made political-thrillers are missed.

I urge action-thriller fans to check out the film and to support these types of films when you get the chance. Although we all love to see Tom Hardy kicking (his own?) ass in 'Venom', why not try a night in with Jon Hamm and experience the lovely tranquillity of 1980's Beirut. Just a suggestion.