Man on a Ledge

Plot synopsis:
In New York City, Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) checks into the Roosevelt Hotel under the false name of Walker, goes to his hotel room on the 21st floor, and climbs on the ledge, ready to commit suicide. The crowd below calls the police, with Dante Marcus (Titus Welliver) controlling the crowd, while Jack Dougherty (Edward Burns) tries to talk with Nick. However, Nick will only speak to negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), who is on a leave of absence, after failing to save a suicidal policeman. Lydia arrives at the hotel room and manages to acquire Nick's fingerprints from a cigarette they share. Dougherty has them analyzed and discovers that Nick is an ex-policeman, arrested for stealing the $40 million Monarch diamond from businessman David Englander (Ed Harris). Nick was given a 25-year sentence but escaped from the Sing Sing Correctional Facility one month earlier, after being allowed to attend his father's funeral. Nick, however, maintains his innocence and accuses Englander of framing him for the theft of the diamond, as Englander lost his fortune and was too proud to sell the diamond.
Unknown to the police, Nick is merely distracting them while his brother, Joey (Jamie Bell), and Joey's girlfriend, Angie (Génesis Rodríguez), break into Englander's vault across the street, to steal the diamond and prove Nick's innocence. Meanwhile, Dougherty informs Marcus of Nick's identity, and Marcus orders the jewelry store's security to check the vault. Joey and Angie are able to evade them but do not find the diamond. They set off the alarms, tricking Englander into retrieving the diamond and ambush him, stealing the diamond at gunpoint. Meanwhile, Nick's ex-partner, Mike Ackerman (Anthony Mackie), arrives at the hotel with evidence that Nick is planning something and demands to be allowed into the hotel room. Lydia does not trust him, and Dougherty backs her up. Ackerman claims he has found bomb schematics in a storage unit Nick rented and is convinced that he will detonate an explosive somewhere. While the crowd is evacuated by the bomb squad, Lydia, believing in Nick's innocence, calls Internal Affairs and discovers that three of the cops employed by Englander were suspected of being corrupt: Ackerman, Marcus and a deceased officer called Walker.
Joey and Angie enter the hotel and hand the bag containing the diamond to the hotel concierge (William Sadler). The concierge pockets the diamond. Englander calls Marcus, one of the men who helped him frame Nick, and has him capture Joey and Angie. Nick begins to make his escape through the hotel, at one point being aided by the concierge who tells him "everyone is rooting for you, kid," while handing him a disguise (and the diamond). Marcus chases Nick to the roof, where he has Lydia arrested for obstruction. Englander brings Joey and Angie, threatening to throw Joey off the roof, if Nick does not give him the diamond. Nick turns it over, and Englander leaves. Meanwhile, Lydia escapes custody and rushes back to the roof. Marcus attempts to force Nick to jump off the roof, but Ackerman arrives and shoots Marcus, who wounds Ackerman. Nick rushes to Ackerman's side, who apologizes and reveals that he had no idea that Englander would frame Nick for stealing the diamond. Marcus survives, as he is wearing a bulletproof vest, and is preparing to kill Nick, when Lydia shoots him, but does not kill him. Nick jumps from the roof onto an airbag set up earlier by the police, catches up to Englander, beats him and pulls the diamond he had only just recently given him from his jacket, proving Nick's innocence in front of both the police and public, resulting in Englander being arrested.
Later, Nick is cleared of all charges and released from custody and meets Joey, Angie, and Lydia at a bar. There it is revealed that the hotel concierge is in fact Nick and Joey's father, Frank Cassidy, who had faked his own death in order to help Nick break out of prison and prove his innocence. Joey proposes to Angie with a diamond ring presumably stolen from Englander's vault. She accepts and they all celebrate together.

Tags: revenge, suspenseful, comedy, flashback

Review:
Just starting as a literal man on a ledge, we see subtle layers added until we get this full on crescendo of diamond heists, negotiators, cops, convicts, bad guys, good guys all happening on in a single block in New York.
Ed Harris looks emaciated but equally sinister as the villain and there are a host other minor NY characters.I can hear the Hollywood pitch for the movie in my head, "it's like The Negotiator combined with The Italian Job but happens in NY and instead of a hostage situation we have a jumper." And, essentially it's just that – a movie that heavily recalls other movies from the past except perhaps for the man on ledge.
Lydia believes that Nick is honest or lunatic and decides to investigate his information."Man on a Ledge" is an entertaining action-thriller with a great cast.
There is one really good action scene/stunt in the movie which is difficult to describe without ticking the "spoiler" box so I will leave you to discover what was for me the best jaw-dropping moment of the film.And just in case anyone reading this review has already watched the movie and was wondering, Genesis Rodriguez stripping down to her underwear was my second best jaw-dropper scene (sad, I know!)Not an epic but a nevertheless entertaining movie that is well worth watching, and there is even a nice little twist towards the end..
Man on the Ledge is a suspense filled thriller that will keep you on edge for the truth of this twisted tale.This movie has a good story with not too much violence or profanity.
'MAN ON A LEDGE': Three Stars (Out of Five) Sam Worthington stars in this action thriller about an ex-cop turned escaped con threatening to commit suicide by jumping from a Manhattan hotel room while a diamond heist is going on in the building next door.
The film costars Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Edward Burns, Anthony Mackie, Kyra Sedgwick and the gorgeous Genesis Rodriguez (also seen recently in the Will Ferrell comedy 'CASA DE MI PADRE').
Despite a good cast the film is just mediocre entertainment; it has an interesting premise but does little with it.Worthington plays Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop framed for a crime he didn't commit; stealing a diamond from David Englander (Harris).
As Mercer tries to talk Cassidy down a diamond heist is being conducted in the building next door by Nick's brother Joey Cassidy (Bell).The movie is interesting at first but how it plays out is a little less than thrilling.
The film is forgettable but a little more than mildly entertaining.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://youtu.be/UUizoy5DkRo. I expected seeing a good movie ending seeing a great movie.
Man on a Ledge is a very exciting and refreshing movie.It is set in a very good scene, and has a really interesting story.
Some things could have gone deeper, and other things could have been more developed.I gave it 7 out of 10, because it is not a movie that will be known throughout time, it has it qualities but in some ways it is not original enough for people to cherish it on a higher level.If you've been watching bad movies recently, you would love this one since it is a good addition to any movie collection, even though it could have been better..
I think it's cute that it badly wants to be taken as a smart, edgy, heist action with unexpected twists and turns but once that juice runs out, as soon as the creativity hits the wall, everything about this movie falls apart..Somebody needs to tell Sam Worthington to either get an acting coach or fire the one he already has because not only does his terrible American accent keeps going on and off, the man practically has the same expression and presence in all his movies, at least since Avatar, which is probably the first time that general American audiences were exposed to Worthington.
Other better-staged heist films would see MAN ON A LEDGE and laugh their ass off.MAN ON A LEDGE is essentially is a man who tries to prove his innocence, there's a plot within a plot, he makes the world think one situation while another related situation is happening at the same time.
I was pleasantly surprised.Not a classic, but certainly good enough to entertain (although you may have to suspend your disbelief to fully appreciate it - there were parts that may not quite have happened that way in real life - the heroes were pretty lucky in places, but isn't that why we watch films?).http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/.
You usually don't expect to see fine acting in "action" movies but she gives a great performance as a tough, ballsy woman in a man's job who is tormented by a tragedy she couldn't prevent.
While it's no great Academy Award winning effort, it most certainly isn't "awful" or "garbage".Ledge is a nice, interesting thriller with a good plot and some great action sequences (and a silly name).
It's a solid basic suspense story with a few twists, lots of clichés (but they work in movies like this!), the inevitable forgivable plot-holes and a happy ending for most of the characters.
it's kind of weird, because I've seen other movies with Edward Burns, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Sam Worthington, that made me relie on their capabilities, but on "Man on a ledge", the acting is a complete flaw.I hated the argument, that plot never goes in a known direction (you got SWAT, idyllic Hollywood style witnesses of the "suicidal" event, lawyers and negotiators going around with no clear intentions and poor plot development)I hated the directing so much, that I'd better stop watching this boring, little clichéed stuff.
When New York City's finest arrive on the scene to try to talk him down, he insists on only talking to a disgraced alcoholic police negotiator named Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks, whose troubled character appears to be a nursing a hang-over) - because Nick believes that they both have something in common with each other, in that they both know what it's like to have the whole world turn its back on them just when they needed help the most.That's just the first of many whoppers in a movie that has many and never really ceases to surprise as far as "white-knuckle" Hollywood thrillers go, and "Man on a Ledge," in its own uniquely preposterous way, earns the title of a genuine "white-knuckle" thriller that keeps you watching - no matter how preposterous things may seem - and thoroughly on the edge of your seat.Nick's plan isn't just a mere spectacle to garner media attention to help prove his innocence, but it's also doubling as a carefully orchestrated heist of a $40 million diamond belonging to corrupt hotel mogul David Englander (Ed Harris) that also involves his younger brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and Joey's cheeky main squeeze Angela (Genesis Rodriguez).
And as the movie progresses, Lydia and her skeptical former partner Jack Doughtery (Edward Burns) begin seeing for themselves the holes in the official story regarding Nick's presumed guilt by the courts and soon find themselves fighting on his side along with him, as well."Man on a Ledge" does have a bit of contemporary relevance going on during its proceedings, with its script that was expertly authored by Pablo F.
People on the street clamor around Nick because they believe that could be any of us up there threatening to jump - for whatever reason that they may have to be up there in the first place.Sam Worthington was the main reason I saw this movie, even though the film's many sub-plots and Big Reveals can sometimes take away from his star-power.
This last part is especially why he's one of my favorite performers of the moment - despite any bad raps he gets for his acting performances."Man on a Ledge" is a movie that no matter how ridiculous its many plot twists and Big Reveals may seem, is a movie that kept this viewer thoroughly on the edge of his seat.
Fortunately, the man on the edifice's outer ridge in this thriller isn't wearing a homemade costume.Escaping from police custody, while attending his father's funeral, cop-turned-con Nick (Sam Worthington) checks into a hotel and steps out onto the structure's outer shelf.After attracting both a crowd and police presence (Edward Burns, Titus Welliver), Nick demands to speak with an infamous negotiator (Elizabeth Banks).Across the street, Nick's brother (Jamie Bell) burglarizes a vault belonging to a businessman (Ed Harris) who has proof of Nick's innocence in his possession.While the story is more engaging than expected, the cardboard acting and stale plot twists are encouraged to jump.Incidentally, when leaping from a tall building, please try to land in, or around, a trash receptacle.
This plan includes a risky scheme to steal the attention of all New York while he stands precariously on the ledge of a hotel building while his brother sneaks around behind everyone's back.This movie has some great twists, great acting, and a great storyline.
The plot is basically about a man on a ledge and he is up there for some reason while a negotiator played by Elizabeth Banks is trying to help the guy.
But then as the story progressed I abruptly changed my mind.The film is full of overused clichés and is not unique or interesting in anyway, it is just another generic "wrongly accused good guy" story.The acting is poor for example the "slapstick banter" between Cassidy's brother and his "feisty street wise girlfriend" was inexcusable and the plot holes made me want to punch the television.
Stale attempts at humor and a weak performance by Genesis Rodriguez didn't help either.To sum up, the movie is pretty much a waste of time, and certainly not what you would want to watch if you're looking for good entertainment..
However, there isn't much action, and that which does take place is PG.The script was written brilliantly, and the audience is taken along the story with Banks' character as she tries to decipher the truth in Worthington's story, never revealing to the audience the actual truth until the final scenes of the film.
The story line was alright it kept you interested but there is more then its share of silly moments.This movie is about a man who one day crawls out on the ledge of a building and threatens to jump while a hoard on onlookers eagerly await seeing him splat.
A lot of people have slated this movie for its plot holes and 'unrealisticness' but isn't the whole point of a film, to entertain you?
Any film that can keep an audience watching a man stood on a ledge for an hour and a half must have a good storyline i'd say.
I don't know what's happening with reviewers these days, they are either too complacency or too strict, movies should be judged for their entertainment value not if they are believable or doable in real life.This movie started with a great premise, although somewhat clichéd but slowly but surely did everything in it's path to flow in the right way.The acting is solid, the script is perfectly well developed and although there are some parts that are pretty obvious, everything in this movie just works, even the overly exaggerated 'in your face' frontal breast of Genesis Rodriguez which distracted me more than i wanted to.Sam Worthington worked and did a nice couple with Banks, tension is what defines this movie, it goes in increment and have a perfectly climatic ending ala-battlefield 3 (I don't know but the ending sounded and felt just like the ending of that game).If you're fan of good movies with almost no stupid car-chasing scenes, perfectly written script and incredible fine tension, then, this movie is a must.I kid you not, it's been a Long time since I see a movie that handles tension so good as this one does.A solid 8 out of 10..
The filming is great and the acting is just fine.All in all, if you want to go to an entertaining film that's a fun watch you could do much worse that MOAL; it might be schlock but it knows it - it takes itself just seriously enough to be a good film, but never so seriously that you won't forgive it the usual caper like moves.
I think what I liked the most was that this was a different sort of story than I'd seen before, at least in the first 40 minutes.Sam Worthington plays Nick Cassidy a cop turned fugitive threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop.
As an NYPD psychologist works to talk him down she learns that he may have a hidden motive for taking his own life as the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion and things aren't what they seem.I'm one of those people who enjoys a movie where you have to figure stuff out and initially this is a huge guessing game as you have no clear idea what is going on or why 'Nick' is doing what he's doing.
If any January action film sums up the lackluster nature of the pre-Oscar releases, it's this one, a hodge-podge of lazy plot points and painful clichés.Man on a Ledge begins with Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), who we learn later is an ex-cop and a prison escapee, renting a room in a high-rise Manhattan hotel and promptly walking out onto the ledge (duh) 20+ stories up.
As it turns out, however, all of Nick's exploits are done with the intention of distracting the cops while his brother, Joey (Jamie Bell), and his girlfriend, Angie (Genesis Rodriguez), break into Englander's vault across the street to steal the item he was falsely accused of stealing in the first place.The most amazing thing about Man on a Ledge is that director Asger Leth was able to assemble such a large collection of quality actors for such a droll film.
You even have a homeless man who somehow brings more to the story than some of the main characters.Sam Worthington is the only other aspect of this movie that makes it enjoyable.
Fenjves and directed with an eye and an ear on tension by Asger Leth MAN ON A LEDGE provides on of the best suspense/caper heist/intrigue/good cop-bad cop movies to come out in a long time.
Taking its cue from the "Snakes on a Plane" school of bleedingly obvious film titles, we sure enough get Sam Worthington's ex-con ex-cop atop a downtown New York multi-storey hotel in an elaborate (that's putting it mildly) anti-heist plan involving his couldn't't-look-less-like-his-brother err...brother Jamie Bell and his feisty but of course sexy Latina girlfriend (cue token underwear shot of said señorita) to clear his name for a jewellery robbery committed on big-bad fat-cat Ed Harris a couple of years previously.The detective he calls up to act as his negotiator with the cops?
Man on a ledge is an average movie.My one main issue with this movie is that it did not come strong on the unpredictable and indispensable plot twist section of movies similar to it, that you invariably but eagerly expect.The plus side of the movie is definitely its fast pace and some ingenious bits of story in some genuinely good parts of the movie.
It's hard to have a good thriller when you know too much about the plot before the movie begins, but this film does a good job of filling in back story while the action is moving.
An especially fine performance by Elizabeth Banks as police psychologist Lydia Mercer.MAN on a LEDGE would have been enhanced by more in the way of character development, especially in the relationship(s) between Nick, Joey, and Angie.
Sam Worthington is the "Man on a Ledge" in this 2012 film also starring Ed Harris, Edward Burns, Anthony Meckle and Elizabeth Banks, and directed by Asger Leth.Worthington is Nick Cassidy, an escaped convict and former police officer who was found guilty of stealing an enormous diamond from a businessman (Harris).
"Man on a Ledge" is a Thriller set in New York based upon a former police officer, Nick Cassady (Sam Worthington) who is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn't commit and escapes from the prison to prove his innocence by actually stealing the diamond which he was supposed to stole in the first place.Cast wise, Pretty Good.
The movie is definitely bogged down a bit by Sam Worthington's unconvincing lead performance and loose ending.Overall, "Man on a Ledge" is worth watching, without giving a boring duration.
¨ Man on a Ledge is the latest thriller starring Sam Worthington who has made a name for himself in several blockbuster action films like Terminator Salvation, Avatar, and Wrath of the Titans.
The film works thanks to a good performance from Worthington who always has you feeling like if you were on the ledge with him.
It is a film without any compelling reason to be seen or even exist, and it fades so quickly from memory that I am struggling to remember even the basic points of its simple yet absurd plot only a few hours after watching it.Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington, whose post-Avatar career decline is becoming far steeper than most would have guessed), an ex-NYPD officer serving twenty-five years in prison for allegedly stealing the world's most expensive diamond from shady real estate developer David Englander (Ed Harris, in a phoned-in performance), escapes prison and then proceeds to stand on a ledge of the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown and threaten to jump in order to prove his innocence.
Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington was not much what I expected, which was a good thing.
Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is a man standing on the ledge of a building.