MOVIE OF THE WEEK (1/27/12): MAN ON A LEDGE
KEY CAST MEMBERS:
WRITER(S): Pablo F. Fenjves
DIRECTOR: Paul Cameron
THE PLOT: A film that feels a bit reminiscent of Inside Man at times, Man On A Ledge stars Sam Worthington as Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop who checks into a fancy New York City hotel ... And after a good meal, promptly walks out on a ledge threatening to jump. Police detective Jack Doherty (Edward Burns) is the first to arrive on the scene with fellow cop Nathan Marcus (Titus Welliver), but before he can try and figure out what his suspect is doing up there, Nick requests Detective Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) by name.
Not well-liked in her own department, Lydia – who recently had a tragedy of her own – shows up on the scene. At first negotiating with Cassidy not knowing who he really is – he checked into the hotel under an assumed name – Lydia begins to suspect something is amiss given his demeanor. And she's right.
Nick's suicide attempt is really a clever ruse to distract the police from what's really going on: A clever plot to prove his innocence in a crime he is determined he did not commit: Stealing a $40 million diamond from real estate magnate David Englander (Ed Harris). That's why he broke out of jail and now has his brother Joel (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) working to prove his innocence. This is all troubling to Nick's ex-partner Mike Ackerman (Anthony Mackie), who has no idea what his ex partner is thinking.
But come hell or high water – in this case, in the form of a very tall building – everyone is about to find out.
THE TAKE: Man On A Ledge is not a bad movie by any means ... It's also not a great movie. It's just a summer popcorn movie ... That just so happens to be coming out in theaters during what is usually the coldest time of the year.
Worthington, who Hollywood is determined to prove is a leading man, plays the part efficiently enough as Nick Cassidy ... Although in essence he is not really asked to do much until the film's final 15-20 minutes or so. The action essentially is happening all around Worthington's character, whether it be Lydia trying to figure out what's really going on and keeping Nathan's team at bay, Mike trying to stop someone from making a costly mistake or watching Joel and Angie try to crack into Englander's fortress of a building to prove the diamond is still there.
With apologies to ESPN's Trent Dilfer, Nick (and Worthington) is more of a game manager than say a Tom Brady when it comes to his team's championship play and his role in it. While Rodriguez manages to stand out a bit from the pack balancing sexy, smart and sarcastic into an entertaining mix, the story is what drives Ledge more so than the characters. Luckily, the chemistry between Banks and Worthington is enough to keep things moving along.
Granted, the film (like pretty much films of its nature) has a few "Oh come on now!" realistic moments and there are probably a few sequences that, if picked through with a fine-toothed comb, might seem even more unlogical/impossible/nonsensical than they are in the moment. However, the way that director Paul Cameron handles them makes them enjoyable and less ludicrous than others (yes, I'm looking at YOU, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol!) to create a simple, entertaining mix.
Worthington, who Hollywood is determined to prove is a leading man, plays the part efficiently enough as Nick Cassidy ... Although in essence he is not really asked to do much until the film's final 15-20 minutes or so. The action essentially is happening all around Worthington's character, whether it be Lydia trying to figure out what's really going on and keeping Nathan's team at bay, Mike trying to stop someone from making a costly mistake or watching Joel and Angie try to crack into Englander's fortress of a building to prove the diamond is still there.
With apologies to ESPN's Trent Dilfer, Nick (and Worthington) is more of a game manager than say a Tom Brady when it comes to his team's championship play and his role in it. While Rodriguez manages to stand out a bit from the pack balancing sexy, smart and sarcastic into an entertaining mix, the story is what drives Ledge more so than the characters. Luckily, the chemistry between Banks and Worthington is enough to keep things moving along.
Granted, the film (like pretty much films of its nature) has a few "Oh come on now!" realistic moments and there are probably a few sequences that, if picked through with a fine-toothed comb, might seem even more unlogical/impossible/nonsensical than they are in the moment. However, the way that director Paul Cameron handles them makes them enjoyable and less ludicrous than others (yes, I'm looking at YOU, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol!) to create a simple, entertaining mix.
THE TAKE: A film that at times feels like a great made for TV movie cleaned up and polished for the big screen, Man On A Ledge is a pure audience pleaser that won't take you to the edge, but is entertaining enough to keep from jumping off a ledge for deciding to see it.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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