Rating: PG-13 (for strong language and violence)
Length: 102 minutes
Disbursement date: January 27, 2012
Directed by: Asger Leth
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Stars: 3 out of 5
“Man on the Ledge” is a film based around a convicted felon who escapes prison only to climb onto the narrow ledge of a Manhattan hotel rooftop and threaten to jump. The purpose is to prove his innocence law. Shortly after, New York’s besties arrive with a SWAT team and are later recruited by a female psychologist to speak. descending from the ledge. It turns out that a man on the sidewalk has been accused of stealing a diamond, but as the police try to investigate, what could be the biggest diamond heist in New York history is being discussed.
The man on the ledge is Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington, “Clash of the Titans,” “Avatar”), who gives a solid performance as a desperate man determined to prove his innocence. Worthington’s Australian accent sometimes betrays that he is not as American as his character is supposed to be. This does not take away from the effect, but now and then the surface of the accent and the moment can distract the viewer.
The film begins with Nick in New York’s Roosevelt Hotel, where he eats and chooses everything he touches before writing a note and climbs up to the narrow window ledge.
The inspector is then taken back to the month before Nick feels the need to step out on the ledge, where the inspector learns that Nick escaped from prison when officials allowed him to attend his father’s funeral. This is where it was also revealed that Hannibal was a cop.
Flashbacks often irritate viewers, but director Asger Leth (“Ghosts Cité Soleil”) uses the time change in a successful way. If the film started with Nick’s escape and followed a linear timeline, the viewer’s interest would quickly decrease. But the action begins at the motel where Nick’s strange actions pose a million questions, the audience wondering why he is there, what could make him so desperate, and why he would destroy everything before leaving and show himself anywhere. The setup with the flashback makes for an excellent hook.
After filling the viewer in on Nick’s history and answering a few relevant questions, the story returns to the present time. A huge crowd gathers below Nick’s pole, and several policemen try to address him and try to bring him off the ledge. But there’s only one person Nick wants to talk to, and that’s Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks, “The Hunger Games”). He stands his ground until the police find Mercer, who is a professional businessman who lost the respect of his law enforcement peers when he failed to talk to another cop on the bridge. Elizabeth Banks does a wonderful job as a beautiful interpreter, and viewers begin to hope that she and Nick have a connection.
As Lydia and Nick talk, viewers learn why Nick is in prison. He tells Lydia that he is innocent, that he has not committed a crime in prison. The diamond was stolen by a convicted thief, the powerful businessman David Angler (Ed Harris, “Appaloosa,” “Virginia”). Ed Harris clearly convinces the story that he wanted to destroy a contentious, light and annoying rich innocent life. Lydia is hesitant about Nick’s story at first, but the more she talks about it, the more she believes she might be telling the truth.
While Nick is talking to Lydia, his brother Joey (Jamie Bell, “King Kong” “Jane Eyre”) is across the street. with his girlfriend Angie (Gen. Rodriguez, “Etourage”), where the two try to break into England to steal the diamond and prove that she never stole it, which in turn would prove Nick’s innocence.
The chemistry between Bell and Rodriguez is palpable, making the scenes electric. It also adds some fun to an otherwise dark story. Their comedians fight with England’s elaborate security system to get hot in the movies. A breathless scene where Joey and Angie run out of time and have to clean up evidence of their presence and hide the viewers on the edge of their seats.
While the trailer gives the impression of a steady, nail-biting tease, “Man on the Brink” isn’t exactly intense. It’s edgy and gritty, but not as fast as the marketing leads viewers to believe. However, the interesting presentation and performances of the stars from the film make it worth the price of admission.
Report:
- movieroomreviews.com/sam-worthington
- movieroomreviews.com/elizabeth-banks
- movies.yahoo.com/movie/man-on -a-crepi/
