Worthington brilliant in this edge-of-your-seat thriller

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Mark Haskins

MOVIE: Man on a Ledge

STARRING: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Genesis Rodriguez and Ed Harris

DIRECTOR: Asger Leth

RATING: PG-13

EMC Entertainment - I'll admit my curiosity got the better of me. I couldn't imagine a guy threatening to throw himself off the ledge of a building. So I saw Man on a Ledge, and apparently you can make a whole film about a guy standing on the ledge of a building. As it turns out you can make a pretty good film.

Everyone thinks Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is a bad cop. He was convicted of stealing a prized diamond from real estate mogul David Englander (Ed Harris). While Nick is rotting in jail his father passes. Nick gets special permission to attend the funeral. He sees his brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his brother's girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez). Then when everyone least expects it he escapes.

Nick goes on the run only to turn up a month later standing on the ledge of a New York skyscraper. It isn't long before the police show up. They shut down the street, and send up the negotiator. The only problem is Nick doesn't want just any negotiator. He wants Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks).

Lydia has her own issues, but she shows up and starts doing her job. She tries to make a connection, but there's something going on. There's something not right. For Nick's part he has a plan to prove his innocence. It's an intricate and risky plan, but Nick has nothing left to lose at this point.

It was hard to imagine where Man on a Ledge was going to go so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned into a heist film. And not just any heist film, but an incredibly well written and intense heist film. It's a wild game of cat and mouse with one twist after another. The film quite successfully keeps you guessing right until the very end.

Sam Worthington is impressive as Nick Cassidy. Nick's a man who's at the end of his rope and yet he's in total control. He's planned everything down to the finest detail, but it would only take the smallest mistake to bring everything to ruin. Nick is on the edge in more ways than one and Worthington nails it.

Elizabeth Banks as Lydia Mercer goes from burned out cop, to crack negotiator, to kicking butt as smoothly as a fish swims through water. It's a fantastic character and a fantastic performance.

Joey Bell and Genesis Rodriguez play off each other beautifully. They have terrific chemistry that allows them to be hysterically funny when they need to be funny, or deadly serious when they need to be serious, and pull it all off beautifully.

When David Englander wants something he takes it. He is a man that exudes corruption and power, and Ed Harris plays the part like he's been buying off cops and stepping on little people all his life.

With my curiosity satisfied I'm pleasantly surprised to say Man on a Ledge is a brilliant film.

Mark Haskins' column is a regular feature of the EMC.