Man on a Ledge

★★

(2012)

First time feature director Asger Leth takes an old cops and robbers cliche and, apart from some short lived moments of vertigo, does precisely nothing with it. The man in question is near mute poe faced ex cop and escaped criminal Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) who chooses the outside of the 20th floor of a building to make a media frenzied claim of innocence.

All the while his younger brother (Jamie Bell) and his ample girlfriend (Genesis Rodriguez) attempt to steel a diamond from the real estate tycoon (Ed Harris) responsible for putting Nick in the clink. Throw in the disgraced negotiator Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) trying to figure out exactly how to get our man down, some shady cops and a few flash backs and you’ve got yourself Man on a Ledge.

It’s not particularly exciting, not tremendously witty or sharp and it’s attempts to link the ludicrous theme and ending by shaking it’s head at the financial crisis is laughable. It’s kind of like a dog grumbling while reading the economist.

Worthington barley raises his voice let alone any pulses on the action hero front and even Rodriguez’s obligatory change into slinky cat suit is a massively expected and embarrassing yawn. Bell is the sharpest tool in the box adding a few tiny laughs along the way but the sheer clumsiness of the film and it’s horrific patronising reveal will make you wish Cassidy had of jumped in first 5 minutes.