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Mike Wilder brings you movie reviews. Each week a Selection of reviews for new releases and older films plus movie comparisons.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Review of Man on a Ledge (2012) by Mike

Title: Man on a Ledge (2012)

Original UK Release Date: 3rd February 2012

Original US Release Date: 27th January 2012

UK Rating: 12

US Rating: PG-13

Director: Asger Leth

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Plot: A former police officer is convicted of a diamond theft. Maintaining his innocence he escapes and threatens to jump from a ledge high up on the side of a Manhattan hotel. A police psychologist tries to talk him down while his family try to prove his innocence.

Mike's Review

I didn’t know much about this film prior to seeing it. I saw a trailer a while ago but didn’t really remember much about it. It stars Sam Worthington who, since Avatar (2009) came out, seems to be the man of the moment.

The film starts with former cop Nick Cassidy in prison and his final appeal is turned down. When an opportunity presents itself he escapes, checks in to a hotel and climbs out of the window and stands on the ledge. A crowd soon grows in the street below waiting to see if he will jump. However this is soon revealed to be a distraction for his family to find a way to prove his innocence in a diamond theft.

The film is a lot better than the premise. This is mainly due to the great job done by the cast which includes Sam Worthington, Anthony Mackie, Jamie Bell, Genesis Rodriguez, Titus Welliver, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris & William Sadler. Each plays their respective roles perfectly. Ed Harris is great as the villain and Jamie Bell & Genesis Rodriguez add a perfect amount of humour to the film. Jamie Bell has come a long way since his debut role as Billy Elliot, the dancing teenager in the 2000 film of the same name. In this he shines as Joey Cassidy, the brother of Sam Worthington’s character, easily the stand out role of the movie.

The film is really well made. The exterior shots look great on the big screen giving you a vertigo inducing feel when looking down from the ledge. Nothing seems too farfetched and the tension builds slowly during the film giving you an edge of the seat feel during the climax. You know good will always prevail in the end, but there are plenty of moments when you forget this and feel the peril of the characters.

This is a movie well worth just over 100 minutes of your time. Time that doesn’t feel wasted and, after not expecting much, turns out to be a highly enjoyable movie.

8 out of 10

Additional Information

Stand out performance: Jamie Bell as Joey Cassidy

Trailer

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