Plot
Having been wrongly imprisoned, ex-cop Nick Cassidy (Worthington) escapes to clear his name by posing as a suicide jumper on the 21st floor of a mid-town hotel. While crowds gather and police negotiator Lydia Mercer (Banks) tries to figure out what’s going on, Nick’s brother (Bell) tries to clear his name…
Review
Despite joining the infamous likes of Snakes On A Plane with regards to its what-you-see-is-what-you-get title, Man On A Ledge isn’t actually two hours of, well, a man on a ledge. After quite literally positioning itself in the same minimalistic concept arena as Phone Box (a man’s life is at stake in public, crowds amass to watch, a media circus ensues), the second half surprisingly veers into something of a heist movie. In itself, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but whilst better than expected overall, what should have been a psychological suspense-fest ends up as an average, run-of-the-mill thriller.
In truth, the heist sequences are occasionally tense and watchable (particularly when the sizzling Genesis Rodriguez strips down to her undies), but there’s not nearly enough thrills or peril when it comes to the titular ledge. More crowded and twisty than it is inventive or clever, the finale contains several ‘twists’ which are fairly contrived and easy to predict, although one could argue that they provide a certain amount of popcorn satisfaction. Still, while there’s a few clunky lines (suicide negotiator Elizabeth Banks tells Sam Worthington’s possible-jumper: “If you’re lying about any of this I’ll push you myself!”), director Asger Leth has amassed a rather decent cast, which includes the likes of Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Ed Burns and Anthony Mackie.
Verdict
Although slightly better than expected, the obviously-titled Man On A Ledge isn’t the suspenseful thriller one might have hoped for.
