If your life was in jeopardy, just how far would you push things if all the evidence is stacked against you? That is the dilemma that Man on a Ledge’s Nick Cassidy faces. To me, the bigger question is: How far is too far? How often does anyone actually believe the man shouting from the rooftops (or sides of buildings for that matter)? These are the questions that should have been answered by Man on a Ledge. Unfortunately, the film only flirts with these thoughts, and tries way too hard to be a twist-a-minute thriller.
A warning before going any further: It is never easy to review film like this, with its tendency to slowly reveal to you the whos and whats of what the story is actually about. I will stay as far away as I can from spoilers that actually matter, but I do apologize in advance if I reveal more than you wish I had.
Sam Worthington is Cassidy, a former cop wrongly imprisoned for stealing a rather massive diamond from super-rich cliché David Englander (Ed Harris). His ex-partner Mike (Anthony Mackie) barely seems to trust him; his brother Joey (Jamie Bell) doesn’t visit. Left with no other options, he leverages a special pass to attend his father’s funeral as a way to break out of jail … and then walks out onto the ledge of a really tall building. Enter Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), the NYPD negotiator who can’t figure out why Cassidy requested her personally. Just for fun, toss in Titus Welliver and Ed Burns as cops who are either dirty or just plain bastards, in-your-face TV reporter Suzie Morales (Kyra Sedgwick) and Joey’s sassy but much-more-capable girlfriend Angie (Génesis Rodrígez), and you’ve got a surprisingly well-rounded cast.
At a plot level, there are several great misdirects and twists that add up to an interesting story. Unfortunately, the movie telegraphs where it is going all too often. This character isn’t who you think he is? Obviously, because they’ve cast a fairly recognizable and experienced actor. Is this cop dirty? No, just an asshole … but that maybe this cop is, and, this cop … well, you get the gist. I love a story that moves at the speed of light, and keeps you guessing as to where it’s headed next. Man on a Ledge, however, supplies road signs along the way to make sure you know what’s next.
Despite my frustration with the overall plot, the movie managed to be tense when it needed to be. Director Asger Leth has no previous feature experience, but it really doesn’t show. The movie looks pretty enough, and is also paced fairly well. The performances were solid across the board, but only Elizabeth Banks really stands out. That’s the theme of the entire movie: some good, some bad; but when you tally the score at the end, the best you can say is “just OK.”
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Jan 27, 2012 @ 00:01 EST5EDT
