{"id":1819,"date":"2012-02-02T13:42:33","date_gmt":"2012-02-02T13:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1819"},"modified":"2012-02-02T13:42:33","modified_gmt":"2012-02-02T13:42:33","slug":"man-on-a-ledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/action\/man-on-a-ledge\/","title":{"rendered":"Man On A Ledge ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Expect the unexpected with Man On A Ledge<\/em><\/a>, Ghosts of Cit\u00e9 Soleil<\/a><\/em> documentary filmmaker Asger Leth<\/a>\u2019s first feature film that offers an ever varying, well-paced and highly enjoyable crime thriller scenario. In fact, Leth might well have succeeded where other directors have failed; casting Sam Worthington<\/a> in a comfortable role for once, an action-man niche for his ‘reserved’ \u2013\u00a0some might argue \u2018wooden\u2019 \u2013 acting personality.<\/p>\n

Ex-cop Nick Cassidy (Worthington) has been convicted and jailed for stealing a $40 million dollar diamond from unscrupulous Manhattan property tycoon David Englander (Ed Harris<\/a>). After being released for the day to attend his father\u2019s funeral, Cassidy escapes then ends up checking into upmarket Manhattan hotel, the famous Roosevelt Hotel, and climbing onto his hotel room window ledge, 21 stories up, in what looks like an attempted suicide bid brought on by grief. But nothing is as it seems, and everything is for a reason.<\/p>\n

Think ‘Noughties Phone Booth<\/a><\/em> meets Ocean’s Eleven<\/a><\/em>‘, with a touch of Statham<\/a> rough-and-ready flung in from Worthington. Apart from the nicely stimulated tension and intrigue as to where the whole narrative is heading, one of the main reasons Leth\u2019s film works is we like Worthington\u2019s Cassidy for no apparent reason from the start, other than we have a \u2018cop\u2019s hunch\u2019 that he\u2019s a guy who has taken a fall and must be allowed to restore justice \u2013 by any means. Like a Statham character \u2013 albeit minus the slick action moves, Cassidy isn\u2019t squeaky clean, but he fights his corner and has values that we can relate to. It\u2019s certainly a time-honoured premise that allows us to feel the world isn\u2019t such a bad place after all, full of latter-day, flawed \u2018heroes\u2019.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, while some parts are amusingly far-fetched \u2013 as in one gravity-defying fall at the end, another obvious reason Leth\u2019s film is a potential hit is the attractive cast. Aside from Worthington, Elizabeth Banks<\/a> is a cop negotiator playing on borrowed career time who tries to coax Cassidy off the ledge then gets a lot more on her plate than she bargained for. An athletic-looking Jamie Bell<\/a> also plays Cassidy\u2019s kid brother, Joey, teamed up with equally toned and sultry Genesis Rodriguez<\/a> as his high-maintenance girlfriend, Angie. Coupled with the eye-popping gymnastics and outfits, the pair also creates a foolish comedy repartee that keeps things interesting while the tension mounts all around.<\/p>\n

In times of austerity, Harris as Englander symbolises the latter-day folk devil \u2013 the greedy, corrupt businessman we all love to hate \u2013 and is faultless in the part. In fact, Leth\u2019s fictional story is almost a self-serving diversion from his gritty documentary making, in that \u2018the wronged\u2019 and deserved triumphs \u2013\u00a0even if it ends with a groan-inducing slap-on-the-back for honest Irish roots and integrity.<\/p>\n

Leth also cloaks a lot of the characters\u2019 responses in a healthy dollop of dirty cop cynicism, which permeates proceedings and takes the edge off delivering a more polished and serious crime affair. Indeed, the film\u2019s minor flaws, subtle self-mockery and irony work in its favour, bolstering the detailed observations and its characters\u2019 complexed anxieties. Nobody is privy to how things will pan out, and there is a nice little twist at the end in an action flick where the sexes get to play equal in driving proceedings to fruition.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

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