Director: Asger Leth
Screenplay: Erich Hoeber / Jon Hoeber / Chris Gorak / Pablo F. Fenjves
Starring: Sam Worthington / Elizabeth Banks / Jamie Bell / Ed Harris / Anthony Mackie / Edward Burns / Titus Welliver / Genesis Rodriguez / Kiera Sutton
Genre: Crime / Thriller
Official Website: http://www.haohao66.com/Single/chuangtaishangdenanren/
Production Country/Region: USA
Language: English / Spanish
Release Date: January 27, 2012 (USA)
Runtime: 102 minutes
Alternative Titles: Edge of Nowhere (Taiwan) / Bottom Floor Rescue
**Synopsis of "Man on a Ledge":**
Former NYPD detective Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) is in jail for a minor theft crime and has also been on the run as a fugitive. Now, he enters the famous Roosevelt Hotel located at the intersection of 45th Street and Madison Avenue in New York City. He climbs out of a window in one of the top-floor rooms and stands precariously on the edge of the building’s facade. This not only endangers his own life but captures the attention of the entire city, with some fearing that a major secret might be exposed.
Nick's harrowing act perched on the ledge of a skyscraper draws intense media scrutiny and attracts an unorthodox negotiator, Detective Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), who must convince him to return to the room while dealing with difficult colleagues from the NYPD (Edward Burns).
Could this all be tied to a cleverly orchestrated plan? While Nick waits on the edge of the building for the right moment, his devious younger brother (Jamie Bell) and girlfriend are secretly carrying out something dangerous inside. Or perhaps Nick's close friend and partner from the police force (Anthony Mackie) is trying to talk him back into safety. Could it all be connected to the sinister activities of a powerful businessman (Ed Harris)? As Nick carries out his daring actions, more mysteries will be unraveled, and soon, this disgraced ex-detective's quest to prove his innocence will become the focal point of even greater revelations. Ultimately, the situation becomes increasingly perilous, no longer just about whether Nick might lose his balance and fall from the towering building.
I randomly picked this movie among the ones released recently, and surprisingly, it was pretty good. The plot was relatively tight, though the storyline was fairly standard and straightforward, which didn't detract from the viewing experience. It’s the kind of film you could watch on your computer, but the scene where he’s about to jump really had me on the edge of my seat—it was thrilling! If you have heart problems, you probably shouldn’t watch this. If Worthington were really jumping, Tom Cruise might have to take a backseat.
After watching for a while, I finally realized that the male lead is none other than Jake Sully from Avatar! No longer playing aliens, he's now the wrongly accused cop. Jamie Bell, who used to dance ballet, plays his brother, and there's also a sultry, mysterious female accomplice.
Prison Break – Escape – Plan – A single line leads to a rooftop stunt designed to draw everyone's attention, while another involves his brother and girlfriend breaking into a vault to retrieve diamonds. In the end, the older brother jumps off the building, catches the bad guy, and clears his name!
My favorite part was when the sexy girl fearlessly told the rich villain to "whatever,"—so cool!