À Beira do Abismo

I had seen one preview for this film, and it didn't appeal to me at all. Even the title seemed completely unimaginative, like it was a shortened elevator pitch. However, I had a chance to see it as a sneak preview, and I thought, "Well, you can't go terribly wrong with Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, and Ed Harris, and I haven't seen Ed Burns in anything for awhile. Besides, it's free. What the heck?"

Well, the movie was, on occasion, kind of ridiculous, and it had a typically predictable ending. Also, Sam Worthington couldn't maintain his American accent; whenever he started yelling, he sounded very Australian. Still, the movie has more strengths than weaknesses, and I even had a couple of gasps and then relieved relaxes. Certainly not the best action movie I've seen, but far from the worst either. It's a decent popcorn flick, a good option if you want a movie that isn't completely mindless but doesn't make your brain hurt either.

Don't be put off by the rather boring title, this is a quirky little movie that works quite well and will give acrophobics a dizzying run for their money.

I have to say that I figured a movie in which the plot revolves around some guy on a ledge would be relatively slow paced. However the film is in fact surprisingly fast-paced with the viewer largely unaware of the underlying plot even as our man steps out on to his ledge.

The characters and their parts in the plot are revealed as we go, with plenty to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat as our disgraced ex-cop dangles precariously on his ledge.

The revelations come thick and fast, and at one point you may well be asking yourself whether there are actually any good cops in this movie (luckily for our "jumper", there are!).

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.

I'm not going to dance around and avoid spoiling so I'll keep it short. It was a good movie. It apparently has flaws in the plot line, but while you're enjoying the movie, IT WON'T MATTER. Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation, Avatar, Clash Of The Titans) is a bonafide action star (and better actor than Channing Tatum). The supporting cast was refreshing! I haven't seen Burnsy (Edward Burns) play a likable character in a while. Jamie Bell(Jumper, The Eagle) plays the scrawny little brother with perfection. Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Makes A Porno) seems to be cut from the cloth of a Tea Leone sans the raspy voice. Playing the down trodden detective who reluctantly has the task of talking down the jumper. And Ed Harris (The Rock, A History Of Violence) as the bad guy. What else do I need to say? Enjoy the movie!

Okay, I didn't know what to expect when I watched this. And, after about fifteen minutes, the jury was still out. A man, played by Sam Worthington, climbs out onto a hotel ledge and threatens to jump. We don't know why yet. Hopefully we will. So I watched on.

I guess the closest film like this was probably Phone Booth, i.e. it's primarily set in one, very public, location. However, Man on a Ledge is definitely different. Without giving too much away, the 'man' is on a mission and there are enough different locations in and around the building to hopefully not bore the viewer. There's action, conspiracies, baddies and everything you'd probably expect.

Basically, it's a thriller and not a bad one at that. I didn't expect to like it. I'm not a fan of Sam Worthington generally and I thought the 'on a ledge' idea was a bit gimmicky and couldn't see where they were going to go with it.

Now, on reflection, I'm glad I didn't know too much about the plot. 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?).

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'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'). It was directed by Asger Leth and written by Pablo F. Fenjves. 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). He breaks out of prison and flees to a Manhattan hotel where he threatens to commit suicide. Cassidy requests Detective Lydia Mercer (Banks), a police psychologist, to negotiate with. 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 directing is adequate at best and the screenplay is lacking involvement. Worthington, Banks, Bell and the rest do the best with their parts though and it's nice to see Worthington continue to branch out a little. The film is forgettable but a little more than mildly entertaining.

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