So lets talk about Sam Worthington. He launched onto the big screen in 2009 with Terminator Salvation and Avatar after having a string of TV performances and then fell into 'expected' blockbuster Clash of the Titans which sadly seemed to have critics slating it from start to finish (although I loved it!). He followed this up with some meagre video game voice overs and movies that managed to avoid publicity and its taken three years for Worthington to make any form of sustainable comeback.
In my eyes, Man on a Ledge is a welcome return for Worthington and with a far better looking and deeper 'Titans 2' completed and 'Avatar 2' announced for 2016 I am hoping his return will be long lived as he's pleasure o watch on screen.
So, without further ado - lets talk about this movie.
Well, whats great about this movie is the plot. I loved it.
Escaped convict seeks revenge against the man who set him up and with his brother and subsequent girlfriend in tow seek to pursue a brilliant jewellery heist while the world watches a faked suicide attempt completely had me from the first 5 minutes.Worthington was never going to be the worlds greatest actor but in this, the relationship he builds with the negotiator cop, Lydia (Elizabeth Banks) as she tries to understand his motives is definitely one to watch. For the remainder, the behind the scenes plot mostly played out by Jamie Bell & Genesis Rodriguez really manages to captivate the audience on more than one level.
There are so many things going on. The dodgy relationship between Lydia as a 'hexed' negotiator after losing a suicide cop off a bridge and her senior colleagues now forced into working with her is brilliant. Match this with Bell and Rodriguez as the safe cracking couple where you constantly wonder how the once 'Billy Elliott' managed to bag such a 'hottie' makes you chuckle at their bickering while also managing to add some element of comedic interlude to the proceedings. Then there's the bell hop, who's way too familiar to just be a bell hop and that scenario all comes to light towards the end of the movie which is the main twist to the plot and one I'm not going to spoil.
There is nothing significantly 'stand out' about this movie but its definitely entertaining. Ed Harris plays a the ego-centrical villain with sheer class and you cant help but like every actor and the role they play.
I cant fault it. Yes its a little predictable but that's never a bad thing. If you want a righteous movie where truth prevails then you wont go far wrong with this one.
Well worth a punt.
