REVIEW: ‘Man on a Ledge’
Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), an ex-cop who claims that he was wrongly convicted of stealing a 40 million dollar diamond from wealthy developer David Englander (a menacing Ed Harris), escapes from prison and makes his way to New York City. After arriving in The Big Apple, Cassidy checks into the Roosevelt Hotel, where he climbs out of the 22nd story window and begins a vexing negotiation process with Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), a damaged police negotiator.
“I am an innocent man,” roars Cassidy to the crowd that gathers below in the street.
While Cassidy is putting on a show as a suicidal jumper, Cassidy’s brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez, who’s smokin’ in a wetsuit) rob Englander’s vault across the street, which holds the expensive diamond to prove Cassidy’s innocence. Will they be able prove his innocence or is Englander going to take him down once again and send Cassidy back to the slammer?
“Man on a Ledge” is simply a bad movie that you can let go and have a good time at. As a critic there’s a laundry list of things wrong with this movie: it’s implausibility, the dreadful dialogue that’s in “Avatar” territory (“If you keep putting your _ _ _ _ in the door, one of these days someone’s going to slam it”), its predictability and “been there, done that” feel (see “Phone Booth,” “Tower Heist”), and Sam Worthington’s American accent to name a few. But as a moviegoer, I had a good-fun time; it’s a entertaining enough, decent popcorn-flick that gives you a sense of fulfillment.
This film was slickly produced, with a cast loaded with familiar faces. Director Asger Leth (“Ghosts of Cite Soleil,” a terrific documentary), making his feature debut here, and cinematographer Paul Cameron (“Collateral” & “Man on Fire”) put forth their best efforts, but it’s Pablo F. Fenjves’s lackluster script that really sends this film over the ledge; it ends up being more of an unintentional comedy than it does a serious drama.
We have good actors present, especially Anthony Mackie, who plays Cassidy’s former partner and friend. Mackie and Edward Burns (“Saving Private Ryan”), who also plays a cop in the film, both give elegant performances but they are terribly underused in the film. Mackie is a great actor (see: “The Hurt Locker” or “Half Nelson”); he should be blowing up, but for some reason hasn’t.
My interview w/ Anthony Mackie
“Man on a Ledge” is ultimately another forgettable January release; it’s the type of movie you go get at the video store or at a Redbox on a rainy Sunday afternoon when you have the flu. Is it good enough to kill 2 hours if you really want to go to the movies? Sure, if you can handle the absurdity of it (the laws of physics don’t really apply here), and leave your critic’s eye at home. But do you need to rush out and see it in the theater? Nah, you can wait until video. Go see “The Grey” instead.
