Man on a Ledge

Man on a Ledge reminds me a lot of Phone Booth. It’s about a guy who, at least on the surface, is ready to end his life, so he steps out onto the ledge of a high-rise in New York, causing chaos all the way down to 20th Avenue. But of course, not everything is as straightforward as it seems, and the movie turns out to be more than just about that ledge. Honestly, I found the film super entertaining. Most of the action takes place on that narrow ledge with Sam Worthington giving a tense performance, and the suspense was off the charts. I don't get why critics are so harsh on this one. I wasn’t expecting a groundbreaking story, but the tension, combined with performances that kept me engaged, really worked. Plus, Genesis Rodriguez? Let's be real, it’s hard not to notice her. Though I’m sure someone around here would disagree, because, well, people are unpredictable. (09.07.2012)

Fairly simple claptrap for omnivores. The story is the trailer and a couple of extra twists (+ cynical Ed Harris) that bring the movie up to three-star level. The screenplay is dumbly assembled and the whole plan in fact makes no sense. I liked the crowd’s realistic behavior at most times. A greedy flock of sheep shouting “Jump!" (11.05.2012)

Ocean’s Eleven (slyness, elegance, a team, a main boss supervillain in an expensive suit), Phone Booth (attempt at thrilling pace and tense dialogues), Inside Man (nothing is as it seems). It's a mix of a number of films without any real balls. Without Genesis Rodriguez (for her looks) and Ed Harris, it would be significantly weaker than the standard in this genre. Fortunately, the chemistry between Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks works pretty well. Worth watching once and putting it on the shelf, so it can gather dust. (08.07.2012)

Spike Lee’s Inside Man without a brain. This naive thriller wants to be thoughtful and one step ahead of the viewer, but it achieves the opposite effect – from the initial lapses in logic through the deluge of clichés to the unwittingly ridiculous climax that insults the viewer’s intelligence. It is not meant as a parody and tries to look clever and cool. The technical aspect is professional but the script lacks cohesion, and the director fails in guiding the actors - especially Elizabeth Banks, who seems completely clueless as to what she is supposed to be doing in any given scene. (01.02.2012)

I don't like it when stupid movies try to tell the viewer that they're not stupid, but they are not able to succeed in that... Man on a Ledge is one of those movies. The idea is not bad (for example, in one of those CSI TV series such an episode would be more than good, and I mean that without irony) and the cast is at least interesting. Well, what can you do? At least it didn't hurt too much. (20.09.2012)