Review of Man on a Ledge (2012) by Walter M — 29 Jun 2013

In "Man on a Ledge," Nick Cassidy(Sam Worthington), a disgraced NYPD detective, takes the opportunity of a fight with his brother Joey(Jamie Bell) at their father's funeral to escape from custody. Nick's next move is to check into a swanky midtown hotel, order an expensive room service meal and then go stand out on the ledge. Detective Jack Dougherty(Ed Burns) is the first on the scene but it is Detective Lydia Mercer(Elizabeth Banks) that he really wants to talk to, threatening that if she does not show up in thirty minutes he will jump. Which might be a little tricky considering the hangover she is currently nursing. And this is all before Nick starts hearing voices...

To be fair, "Man on the Ledge" is far from perfect, as it should have kept Nick's identity hidden for longer. That's not to mention a grievously miscast Elizabeth Banks in a key role when Maria Bello would have been an inspired choice instead. Admittedly, I have a weakness for movies like this which start with a single incident leading to something much larger and at least this is honest enough to reference better movies that might have inspired it. Plus, it keeps things relatively moving, fun and contained, cleaning up any stray details it might have otherwise left behind while having a couple of things to stay about the class struggle in New York City and how the police might fit in.