Man on a Ledge – review

The man is Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) – a former cop and wrongly convicted felon. The ledge is 21 floors up on a Manhattan high-rise, and it's where he's attempting to clear his name. The negotiator (Elizabeth Banks), a damaged cop who chows down asprin for breakfast, is on hand to tell him it "doesn't need to be this way". Beneath the ledge: a ludicrous subplot. Cassidy's brother (Jamie Bell) and brother's girlfriend (Genesis Rodriguez) are attempting to steal a diamond from jewellery tycoon David Englander (Ed Harris), who got Cassidy his jail time. It's tricksy stuff this. "We godda man ... on a ledge," barks one of New York City finest – just in case the dozy thriller's essence had evaded us. It ends with a chase and a betrayal and a hokey reveal. Banks hollers "dammit"; Rodriguez loses her togs. The ledge gives Worthington a run for his money. The giddy thrill of the story – perched high above the milling genre stereotypes – was grounded long ago.