Movie review: Man on a Ledge

Man on a Ledge will rarely have you on the edge of your seat.

If there was ever a movie that represented the weird world of moviemaking, it’s Man on a Ledge. It’s a film that’s fronted by two men you’ve never heard of, unless you’re a big fan of the obscure 2006 documentary Ghost of Cite Soleil, director Asger Leth’s only previous directorial effort, or the multiple TV movies written by screenwriter Pablo Fenjves. And yet these two relative nobodies not only managed to convince somebody to let them make a multi-million dollar theatrical release, but also persuaded big name stars like Sam Worthington, Ed Harris, and Elizabeth Banks to come along for the ride.

There’s not much to the plot of Man on a Ledge – Nick (Worthington) is a former cop who was convicted of stealing a really valuable diamond from Manhattan real estate tycoon David Englander (Harris). Nick, naturally, claims he didn’t do it and hatches a scheme to prove it, part of which involves him perching himself on the ledge of a Manhattan hotel. Lydia Mercer (Banks) is the shaken police negotiator called in to try and stop Nick from jumping, having no idea that Nick’s position is merely a device used to divert attention from a nearby building, where Nick’s cohorts are trying to actually steal the diamond – for the first time.

The biggest surprise that Man on a Ledge has in store isn’t any of the plot twists that you can see coming a mile away; it’s that it manages to entertain despite such a lack of originality. Leth and Fenjves accomplish this by infusing the proceedings with liberal amounts of levity, perhaps to make up for the fact that there’s almost no suspense to be had in the film. And while it’s a cheap and easy way to earn an audience’s loyalty, having the bad guy be a greedy New York businessman is still a winner in these downtrodden economic times.

Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks in Man on a Ledge

Points can also be given for the giving the audience the you-are-there thrill of actually placing Worthington on the ledge of a hotel, in this case, the Roosevelt Hotel on the corner of 45th Street and Madison Avenue. Using computer effects just wouldn’t cut it if you wanted an audience to invest in the story, minimal as it is. While not quite on par with Tom Cruise climbing up the side of the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, it still gives the film an authenticity that makes it seem better than it actually is.

The actors also help to elevate matters. Worthington has seen his fame rise quickly since starring in both Terminator Salvation and Avatar in 2009, and so even if this appears to be a step down for him personally, his presence makes the film respectable. The same can be said for Harris, Banks, Kyra Sedgwick, Jamie Bell, and Edward Burns, all of whom have a certain cachet in the film world.

Man on a Ledge is certainly no blockbuster and will never be mistaken for great filmmaking. But it’s more than good enough to get us by the January doldrums until the studios deign to deliver actual quality movies.

For showtimes for Man on a Ledge, click here.