Sabian, played with unencumbered charm and urgency by Kevin Spacey, is his equal from the West Side; we meet him as he is attempting to broker a deal between his daughter and wife before leaving for a ski trip. Aware that many of his friends and colleagues have their hands in the conspiracy, Danny knows he has a better chance with this outsider than the nest of vipers that surrounds him. Much of what ensues is a battle of wits, skills, and philosophies between Danny and Chris, nicely balanced with some flourishes of action, suspense, and high drama.
Gray, who began his career making music videos for Cypress Hill and Ice Cube, controls this material very well and keeps the pace rolling with few dull moments. The film works like a well-oiled machine, every piece of the production moving diligently with the others. The script, by James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox, blends a plethora of genres into the fold; it's at once a cop drama, a whodunit, a Western, and a courtroom thriller.
The problem then comes that it never defines itself outside of these well-coalesced genres and offers very little in terms of surprise along its twist-ridden path. It indulges, among other things, in the tired FBI vs. police feud and, near the ending, crams enough exposition about its uncovered villain's plot to satiate a James Bond nemesis. Certainly the 130-plus-minute runtime could have shed a few layers. Yet, even in its quieter moments, the script boasts an academic knowledge of police procedure, camaraderie, and dialogue that keeps the film invigorated and fascinating.
It helps that Gray has fitted the film with an exceptional cast. Paul Giamatti and Siobhan Fallon do some excellent work as the other two hostages while David Morse and John Spencer nicely fill out Danny's stable of colleagues. Regina Taylor does solid work as Danny's wife as well, but the stand-off between Jackson and Spacey is the film's big payoff. Both performing at the top of their game, they keep the film's conventional aspects and faults from consuming the film. The leads know they are playing a game, but every time one of them seems to treat it lightly, the other jolts him back into concentration. It all remains entertaining and engaging, which is a testament to the director's ability to balance the many elements of commercial filmmaking. The title of the film is an obvious gauntlet: Is Danny or Chris the superior talk-down artist? It's not until the film is over that you realize that Gray is the title character.
The Blu-ray disc includes two making-of featurettes.
