Man on a Ledge

                How do you make a movie about a man standing on a ledge for two hours entertaining?  First step, fill it with some good acting and second, don’t make most of the movie about the man actually standing on the ledge.

                Nick Cassidy(Sam Worthington) is pushed to the edge literally.  Set up for a crime he didn’t commit, Nick steps out of a Hotel window and on to a ledge to prove his innocence and clear his name.  Lydia Mercer(Elizabeth Banks), a disgraced police officer, is called into try and talk him down.  Meanwhile Nick’s brother Joey(Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie(Genesis Rodriquez) have an agenda of their own. To say anymore would give away half the fun of watching the movie.

                Since his breakout performance in Avatar, Sam Worthington has been playing the likable hero that everyone can get behind.  There is a reason for that, because he is good at it.  As Nick, Worthington doesn’t break any new ground, but he doesn’t need to.  He handles the action with ease and the drama parts he plays with a brooding silence.  The real stars of the movie are Jamie Bell and new comer Genesis Rodriguez as Joey and Angie. They bring a lot of the action and most of the fun humor to the film.  They have great chemistry together and brought a good sense of realism to a task that is otherwise unbelievable as average joes.   Elizabeth Banks as Lydia is probably the hardest to believe.  It is easy to see Banks as the understanding psychologist that is willing to help Nick out.  The hard part comes in believing she is a cop.  Banks is just too much of the girl next door and just not gritty enough. 

                The story is fun with plenty of twists and turns throughout.  It is a nice mix of crime thriller and heist movie in one.  One of the nicest touches comes in a small shout out to a similar film, Dog Day Afternoon.  If you are a fan of that film the small reference will make you smile.  

                Man on a Ledge doesn’t offer anything new to the crime and heist genre, but if you are a fan of these types of films you will most likely enjoy this film. Also, if you like Sam Worthington then this is another decent one from him.  Fans of The Town or Ocean’s Eleven will find this film enjoyable. 

3 out of 5