After recovering from my personal upset of The Grey, I decided to give Man on a Ledge a chance. The plot surrounds Nick Cassidy, ex-cop (Sam Worthington) turned fugitive after being set up by businessman and monarch diamond owner (Ed Harris). After escaping from prison, Cassidy checks into the Roosevelt hotel as “Walker” and climbs onto the ledge of the building, appearing to commit suicide.
The movie begins fast paced, and its pace accelerates as the movie progresses. The audience quickly learns that Cassidy spent his year as a fugitive planning how to steal the monarch diamond—for the first time, to prove his innocence. His apparent suicide serves as a distraction as the crowds accumulate while his brother and his brother’s girlfriend work across the street in Harris’ building to find the monarch diamond.
While the movie provides a small anxiety rush, I had a hard time fully convincing myself that any part of the movie was realistic—although the same could be said of any Hollywood product.
I did appreciate the many moments of humor in the movie, as it gave the film another dimension besides “edge of your seat.”
While the movie was good, and the ending pleasant, it all seemed a little too expected. I would never vote for the bad guy, but sometimes you need a little compromise to really connect and have closure with a film.
Spoiler alert—after successfully winning the trust and help of his suicide negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) in order for his plan to run smoothly, Cassidy’s brother successfully steals the diamond, Cassidy loses it back to Harris and paid-off cops, and escapes a tactical “fire at will” kill mission. After jumping off the top of the building (not just the ledge), Cassidy lands perfectly on the suicide inflatable and makes his way through crowds of cops (as a fugitive) to tackle Harris and show New York City the diamond—proving his innocence.
In true Hollywood fashion, the movie ends with more movie magic.
That very day, Cassidy is released from all charges and takes his negotiator out for dinner along with his brother, who proposes to his girlfriend with the enormous diamond ring he stole while in Harris’ vault that afternoon.
Even with its impossible plot scenarios, I enjoyed Man on a Ledge for its clever use of storytelling and its action-packed pace—much more than The Grey.
Man on a Ledge is worth seeing if you’re looking for a decent thriller on a Friday night.
