¨Today is the day when everything changes. One
way or another. ¨
Man on a Ledge is the latest thriller starring
Sam Worthington who has made a name for himself in several blockbuster action
films like Terminator Salvation, Avatar, and Wrath of the Titans. These films
have been box office hits, but he still hasn`t managed to make it among the
A-list actors in my opinion. This was a lower budget film and it had its flaws,
but it was still an interesting and entertaining thriller. Sam actually chose
this role because he liked the script and wanted to face his fear of heights
since most of the film takes place on the ledge of a 200 foot building. This is
Asger Leth`s first feature film, since he previously had only directed a
documentary, and Pablo Fenjves wrote this original script which is actually his
first screenplay as well since his previous work had been for television
movies. I was surprised these guys got so many talented actors on board for
this film, but I guess Sam`s presence helped. The script is interesting and it
has some good thrills, but there are several plot holes in the heist that takes
place, and many elements seemed borrowed from other famous thrillers we`ve seen
before. Man on a Ledge lacks some originality, but the film still manages to
entertain for most part. There is an interesting secondary cast and Worthington
does a decent job as the lead although he doesn’t have much space to work with.
Be warned this film could give you some goose bumps if you`re afraid of
heights.
The film opens with a man renting a Hotel room
under a fake name and then writing a suicide note before he opens the window
and climbs to the ledge of the 200 foot building in Manhattan. Someone spots
him from the street and calls the police. Soon the police arrive, and so do the
firefighters and SWAT team. There is a flashback where we see the same man in
prison. His real name is Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) and he is talking to
one of his visitors, his ex partner in the police force, Mike (Anthony Mackie)
who is telling him that the case seems lost and he will have to spend 25 more
years in prison. Nick claims to be innocent and escapes from prison when he is
allowed to attend his father`s funeral. He has a discussion with his younger
brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and when the police officers are distracted he
escapes. This is what takes us to the present event, but now Nick is on the
ledge of the building and asks for a high profile negotiator named Lydia Mercer
(Elizabeth Banks). As the movie goes on we begin to discover new things about
Nick and his case. There is more to the simple suicide attempt than meets the
eye; Nick is really trying to clear his name and prove his innocence while a
heist is going on across another building.
Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns, Kyra Sedgwick,
and Ed Harris are also among the talented cast. Rodriguez and Bell sort of have
the funnier and lighter dialogues although I didn’t think it worked out really
well. The film works thanks to a good performance from Worthington who always
has you feeling like if you were on the ledge with him. Banks is also good in
her role, while the rest of the cast really have no screen time. The heist
scene is very interesting at first, but it begins to have too many plot holes
and too many things have to go their way in order for it to really work. It
wasn`t very believable, but it still was entertaining and had me at the edge of
my seat at times. I really didn’t like how the end of the movie played out, but
I can`t judge the film entirely based on the ending. I have to admit I had a
good time during most of the movie so I can`t say this was a bad movie. If you
are into thrillers then you will probably like this film. Man on a Ledge isn’t memorable
or original, but it entertains and has some strong moments.
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