When Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is falsely jailed for stealing a diamond, he concocts a way for his brother Joey (Jamie Bell) to prove his innocence by stealing the diamond he was framed for stealing in the first place. Nick places himself on the ledge of a hotel building to distract attention from the diamond heist across the street. The final result is an amalgam of heist and action films.
If the premise hasn't already cued you in, "Man on a Ledge" has set itself up for a complicated and easily confusing plot. The idea that a hand full of average citizens can pull off an "Oceans 11" style heist is completely absurd, though it doesn't instantly doom the movie. What does kill this film is the abundance of plot holes. Characters practically teleport from one building to another to make the heist hang together, and don't expect an "Oceans 11" style reveal-all ending as several of these little mysteries remain unexplained.
Scattered throughout the story are subplots about each of the side characters. Most are interesting, but none get hashed out or have a real conclusion. They simply add to the complexity of the plot without successfully adding depth. For instance, Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) is chosen by Nick to talk him down from the ledge. She is reluctant because her last jumper didn't end well, but barely seems to blink before changing her mind and simply accepting Nick’s word that her instincts are solid.
Despite these problems, the movie does have several interesting aspects. The idea behind the movie is quite intriguing, if at times implausible, and actual heist is creatively staged. The climatic ending is well choreographed and has several thrilling moments, but these less mediocre moments are an ineffective salve to this gaping wound of a movie.
After first seeing "Man on a Ledge," I gave it an average rating. But the longer I’ve let the movie sink in, the more I realize what a mess it is. The redeeming aspects of this film are fleeting and the pitfalls are many.
One "Rare Diamond" out of Five
Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron
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