RBR: Man on a Ledge

The subtitle for this review should be 'when good premises go bad'. This is one of those films that you best leave your thinking cap off because if you try to think about anything that is going on here, you'll just give yourself a headache. The setup is this - a man (Sam Worthington) wrongfully accussed of stealing a diamond escapes prison and then attempts suicide by jumping off a hotel in New York. This is no ordinary jump, though. It's all a big diversion as the accused man's brother attempts to clear his name. The cast is rounded out by a number of likeable actors including Elizabeth Banks, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Jamie Bell, Titus Welliver, and Kyra Sedgwick. Sadly, each of them is either underwritten as a character or gives a laughable performance thanks to the weak script. Not even Ed Harris can do much playing the slimly rich guy who framed the man on a ledge. The story moves along at a nice pace but nothing really works as the story is filled with contrivances and plot holes. Like the suicide attempt itself, the film serves only as a mere diversion. The audience is left watching, waiting for something exciting to happen but gets disappointed when nothing pans out as you would have liked. Rating: ** 1/2