Man on a Ledge

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Films - MAN ON A LEDGE

Man on a Ledge

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An ex-cop turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The NYPD dispatch a female police psychologist to talk him down. However, unbeknownst to the police on the scene, the suicide attempt is cover for the biggest diamond heist ever pulled. The psychologist and the con find themselves romantically attracted and might just end up partners in crime.

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In the cinematic desert that is the January-February movie-release schedule, one gains a greater appreciation for mere competence. And that's precisely what you'll get with Man on a Ledge, a mid-budget thriller with modest aspirations and genuine popcorn appeal. Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) stars as Nick Cassidy, a former New York City cop wrongly convicted for the theft of a prized diamond. After exhausting all judicial avenues for exoneration, he takes the unusual and seemingly desperate next step of planting himself on a ledge outside the penthouse of midtown's Roosevelt Hotel and threatening to jump. An NYPD psychologist (Elizabeth Banks) is summoned to talk him down, unaware that Nick harbours an ulterior motive. From his perch above midtown, he is secretly orchestrating a scheme to take revenge against the corrupt corporate chieftain (Ed Harris) who engineered his demise and prove his innocence once and for all.

Director Asger Leth, making his U.S. feature-film debut with Man on a Ledge, keeps the pace brisk and never allows the tone to stray into self-seriousness, which is crucial for a movie whose premise is so devoutly ridiculous. The script, from Pablo F. Fenjves, provides enough feints and twists to keep us engaged. Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez aren't the most believable of couples, but there's a screwball charm to their comic routine as amateur thieves charged with aiding Nick's scheme. (Leth can't resist inserting an entirely superfluous - but nonetheless greatly appreciated - scene of the criminally gorgeous Rodriguez stripping down to a thong in the middle of a heist.) Worthington makes for a likable populist protagonist, even if his Australian accent betrays him on copious occasions, and Harris' disturbingly emaciated frame lends an added menace to his devious plutocrat villain.

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Cast:Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick, Ed Harris
Director:Asger Leth
Producer:Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian
Writer:Pablo F. Fenjves, Chris Gorak
Duration:102
Official Site:http://www.manonaledge.com
Release:In Cinemas Now
Genre:Suspense/Thriller
Distributor:Summit Entertainment