Man on a Ledge

Last updated

Man on a Ledge
Man on a Ledge Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAsger Leth
Written by Pablo Fenjves
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Paul Cameron
Edited by Kevin Stitt
Music by Henry Jackman
Production
company
Distributed by Summit Entertainment [1] (through Lionsgate [2] )
Release date
  • January 27, 2012 (2012-01-27)
Running time
102 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$42 million [3]
Box office$47.6 million [2]

Man on a Ledge is a 2012 American action thriller film directed by Asger Leth, starring Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Elizabeth Banks, Edward Burns, Anthony Mackie, Genesis Rodriguez, and Ed Harris. Filming took place in New York City on top of the Roosevelt Hotel. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $47 million against its $42 million budget.

Contents

In the film, a man using an alias stages a suicide attempt and asks to speak with a specific police negotiator. He is himself a disgraced police officer who was convicted of a diamond theft, and seeks a way to clear his name. His associates try to prove that the diamond was never stolen, and that the "theft" was part of an insurance fraud scheme by the diamond's owner.

Plot

A man named Joe Walker checks into the Roosevelt Hotel, enters his hotel room on the 21st floor, and climbs on the ledge, apparently ready to commit suicide. The crowd below calls the police. Dante Marcus controls the crowd, while Jack Dougherty talks with Walker. Walker will only speak to negotiator Lydia Mercer, who is on a leave of absence after failing to save a suicidal policeman. Mercer arrives at the hotel room and acquires Walker's fingerprints from a shared cigarette. Dougherty has them analyzed and discovers that "Walker" is actually Nick Cassidy, an ex-policeman who was given a 25-year sentence for stealing the Monarch Diamond from businessman David Englander; Nick escaped one month earlier during his father's funeral with the help of his younger brother Joey. Nick maintains his innocence and claims that Englander has framed him as part of an insurance fraud scheme, as Englander lost his fortune in a bad business deal and was too proud to sell the diamond.

Nick distracts the police while Joey and his girlfriend, Angie, break into Englander's vault across the street to recover the diamond and prove his innocence. Cassidy must use double entendres to provide instructions to Joey and Angie through an earpiece while speaking to Mercer. Dougherty informs Marcus of Nick's identity, and Marcus orders the jewelry store's security to check the vault. Joey and Angie evade them but do not find the diamond. They deliberately set off an alarm, trick Englander into retrieving the diamond, and ambush him in his office, where they steal the diamond at gunpoint. Nick's ex-partner, Mike Ackerman, arrives at the hotel with evidence that Nick is planning something and demands to be allowed into the hotel room. Mercer distrusts him, and Dougherty backs her up. Ackerman claims he has found bomb schematics in a storage unit Nick rented and is convinced that he will detonate an explosive somewhere. While the crowd is evacuated by the bomb squad, Mercer, believing in Nick's innocence, calls internal affairs and discovers that three of the cops employed by Englander were suspected of being corrupt: Ackerman, Marcus, and the real (deceased) Joe Walker.

Joey and Angie enter the hotel and hand the bag containing the diamond to the hotel concierge. The concierge pockets the diamond while placing the bag onto the rack. Englander calls Marcus, one of the corrupt cops who helped him frame Nick, and has him capture Joey and Angie as they reach the street. Nick attempts to escape through the hotel, pursued by a tactical team. The concierge aids him by handing him a disguise containing the diamond. Marcus chases Nick to the roof, where he has Mercer arrested for obstruction to clear the roof. Englander brings Joey and Angie, threatening to kill Joey unless Nick gives him the diamond. Nick turns it over, and Englander leaves. Mercer escapes custody in an elevator and rushes back to the roof. Marcus demands Nick jump off the roof. Ackerman arrives, shoots Marcus, and is shot in return. Ackerman apologizes to Nick and claims he did not know Englander would frame him. Marcus' bulletproof vest saves him, but as he prepares to kill Nick, Mercer arrives and shoots him. Nick jumps from the roof onto an airbag set up earlier by the police, catches up to Englander, and pulls the diamond from Englander's jacket, publicly proving his innocence; Englander is then arrested for insurance fraud.

Nick is cleared of all charges and released from custody. He meets Joey, Angie, and Mercer at a bar owned by Nick's father, Frank Cassidy, who had faked his death and pretended to be the hotel concierge. Mercer asks Nick to "explain everything" to her as Joey proposes to Angie with a diamond ring, presumably stolen from Englander's vault. She accepts, and they all celebrate together.

Cast

Development

On September 3, 2010, it was confirmed that Jamie Bell had joined the cast. [4] Filming began on October 30 in New York City. On November 1, Ed Harris and Titus Welliver were confirmed to have joined the cast. [5]

The first image from the set was revealed on November 2, 2010. [6] The first teaser poster for the film was released on November 5, 2010. The first trailer was released by Summit Entertainment on September 22, 2011. [7] The film was distributed by Summit Entertainment and E1 Entertainment (UK).

During development, a large, on-rails prop was used to make the Roosevelt hotel seem taller, so that the hotel would remain consistent with the shots filmed in-studio instead of on the hotel itself. During the scenes where Nick is running along the sides of the hotel, extra floors were added during post-production to save the need for a second attachment. In post-production, crowds were edited in from other shots so that the crowds would appear consistent throughout the film. The lead actor, Sam Worthington, admitted during interviews that he had a fear of heights that he had to tackle during recording of the film.

Release

Box office

Man on a Ledge grossed $18.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $29 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $47.6 million. [2]

The film placed fifth in the box office with $8 million gross on its opening weekend, and made $4.4 million in its second, falling to ninth. [8]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 31% based on 162 reviews and an average score of 4.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Uninspired acting and preposterous plotlines defuse Man on a Ledge's mildly intriguing premise." [9] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100 based on reviews from 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [10] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [11]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said, "The movie cuts back and forth between two preposterous plot lines and uses the man on the ledge as a device to pump up the tension." According to Ebert, too much depends on Nick securing a leave from prison, escaping from two armed guards, reaching Manhattan, checking into the correct hotel room on the correct floor and not falling off prematurely. [12] Anna Smith felt that the film "embrace[d] its own lunacy readily enough", but criticized the "ridiculous ending". [13] Similarly, The New Zealand Herald considered the film "a missed opportunity" that doesn't live up to its potential", pointing at the "limited" location Sam Worthington had to work with, praising how he still appeared "suitably terrified". [14]

Home media

The DVD and Blu-ray Disc was released in the United States on May 29, 2012, after being absorbed by Lionsgate. [15]

The disc contains a 20-minute featurette, which shows behind-the-scenes footage, with an explanation of how various shots or effects were achieved. For instance, producer Lorenzo explains how shots of the crowd were composited onto a green chroma keying carpet, laid down underneath the fake ledge used for shots recorded in-studio. A version of the film with voiceover is included for the visually impaired.

The Steelbook version of the film does not have menus, so is missing the special features present in the DVD and Blu-ray releases.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray was released in April 2019.

Music

The soundtrack to Man on a Ledge was released on January 27, 2012. James Southall commented that while "there is occasionally some reasonably tense action music", he found most of the score "very tired-sounding". [16] [ unreliable source? ] Jørn Tillnes of Soundtrackgeek.com described it as "succeed[ing] in almost every way", but that he "would prefer more variation", as he found that "as a complete listening experience, you get bored with it". [17] [ unreliable source? ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strother Martin</span> American actor (1919–1980)

Strother Douglas Martin Jr. was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah.

<i>Fourteen Hours</i> 1951 film

Fourteen Hours is a 1951 American drama directed by Henry Hathaway that tells the story of a New York City police officer trying to stop a despondent man from jumping to his death from the 15th floor of a hotel.

<i>Point Blank</i> (1967 film) 1967 American crime film directed by John Boorman

Point Blank is a 1967 American crime film directed by John Boorman, starring Lee Marvin, co-starring Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn and Carroll O'Connor, and adapted from the 1963 crime noir pulp novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake, writing as Richard Stark. Boorman directed the film at Marvin's request and Marvin played a central role in the film's development. The film grossed over $9 million in theatrical rentals in 1967 and has since gone on to become a cult classic, eliciting praise from such critics as film historian David Thomson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legs Diamond</span> American gangster (1897–1931)

Jack "Legs" Diamond, also known as John Nolan and Gentleman Jack, was an Irish-American gangster in Philadelphia and New York City during the Prohibition era. A bootlegger and close associate of gambler Arnold Rothstein, Diamond survived a number of attempts on his life between 1916 and 1931, causing him to be known as the "clay pigeon of the underworld". In 1930, Diamond's nemesis Dutch Schultz remarked to his own gang, "Ain't there nobody that can shoot this guy so he don't bounce back?"

<i>The Return of the Pink Panther</i> 1975 detective comedy film by Blake Edwards

The Return of the Pink Panther is a 1975 comedy film and the fourth film in The Pink Panther series. The film stars Peter Sellers returning to the role of Inspector Clouseau for the first time since A Shot in the Dark (1964), after having declined to reprise the role in Inspector Clouseau (1968).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Dougherty</span> English professional golfer

Nicholas James Dougherty is an English former professional golfer and broadcaster.

<i>Nothing to Lose</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

Nothing to Lose is a 1997 American buddy action comedy film starring Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence. The film was written and directed by Steve Oedekerk, who also made a cameo appearance as a lip-synching security guard in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Worthington</span> Australian actor (born 1976)

Samuel Henry John Worthington is an Australian actor. He is known for playing Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise, Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, and Perseus in Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans.

<i>Reindeer Games</i> 2000 film by John Frankenheimer

Reindeer Games is a 2000 American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer in his final feature directorial outing before his 2002 death. It stars Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron, Dennis Farina, James Frain, Donal Logue, Danny Trejo, and Clarence Williams III. The film revolves around ex-convict Rudy Duncan, who is dragged into a situation against his will: he must help a group of thieves rob a casino in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, or he will be killed.

<i>Running Scared</i> (2006 film) 2006 action thriller film by Wayne Kramer

Running Scared is a 2004 neo-noir action thriller film directed and written by Wayne Kramer. The film stars Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, Vera Farmiga and Chazz Palminteri. Its plot follows a low-ranking mafioso who is ordered to get rid of a gun used to kill corrupt cops only to find himself in a race against time when the murder weapon falls into the wrong hands.

<i>Oceans Thirteen</i> 2007 film by Steven Soderbergh

Ocean's Thirteen is a 2007 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. It is the final installment in the Ocean's film trilogy and the sequel to Ocean's Twelve (2004). The film features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Qin Shaobo, Carl Reiner, and Elliott Gould.

<i>Gone Baby Gone</i> 2007 American film

Gone Baby Gone is a 2007 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Ben Affleck in his directorial debut. Affleck co-wrote the screenplay with Aaron Stockard based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The film stars Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan as two Boston private investigators hunting for a young girl abducted from her single mother's apartment in Dorchester. The supporting cast includes Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Amy Ryan. It was the final film to be released by The Ladd Company before its closure on December 19, 2007.

<i>The Flintstones: On the Rocks</i> 2001 television film

The Flintstones: On the Rocks is a 2001 American animated made-for-television comedy-drama film featuring characters from The Flintstones franchise. Co-directed by Chris Savino and David Smith, it was dedicated to Hoyt Curtin and William Hanna. It premiered on November 3, 2001 on Cartoon Network. In addition to the show's traditional animation style, the film also utilizes stop-motion animation.

<i>Bedevilled</i> (1955 film) 1955 film by Mitchell Leisen

Bedevilled is a 1955 American crime drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Anne Baxter, Steve Forrest and Simone Renant.

<i>Celebrity Ghost Stories</i> 2009 American TV series or program

Celebrity Ghost Stories is an American paranormal reality television series that debuted on October 3, 2009, with the pilot airing on September 26, 2009. Its first four seasons aired on The Biography Channel with the fifth airing on Lifetime Movie Network. In June 2019, A&E announced the revival of the series with the sixth-season premiere airing in the fall of the same year. Celebrity Ghost Stories interviews various celebrities who talk about paranormal events that have happened in their lives. A spin-off, The Haunting Of, features footage from the series and follows the celebrities as they go back to the places of their haunted experiences to find out the truth.

<i>Jennifer on My Mind</i> 1971 film by Noel Black

Jennifer on My Mind is a 1971 American comedy-drama film based on the 1968 novel Heir by Roger L. Simon. It was directed by Noel Black from a screenplay by Erich Segal, stars Michael Brandon and Tippy Walker, and features Robert De Niro in a minor role.

<i>Tracers</i> (film) 2015 American film

Tracers is a 2015 American action film directed by Daniel Benmayor with a screenplay by Matt Johnson and a story by Johnson, T. J. Scott, and Kevin Lund. The film stars Taylor Lautner, Marie Avgeropoulos, Adam Rayner, and Rafi Gavron. The film was released on March 20, 2015.

<i>Careful What You Wish For</i> (film) 2015 film by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum

Careful What You Wish For is a 2015 American erotic thriller film directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, and starring Nick Jonas, Isabel Lucas, Graham Rogers, and Dermot Mulroney. The film was released on June 10, 2016, by Starz Digital. Its plot is heavily inspired by the 1981 film Body Heat.

<i>The Texas Streak</i> 1926 film

The Texas Streak is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

<i>An Affair to Die For</i> 2019 film directed by Víctor Garcia

An Affair to Die For is a 2019 English-language Spanish-Italian thriller film directed by Víctor Garcia starring Claire Forlani, Jake Abel, and Titus Welliver. It was released on February 1, 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Man on a Ledge (2012)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Man on a Ledge (2012) - Box Office Mojo". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Movie Projector: 'Grey' leads 'Man on a Ledge,' 'One for the Money'". Los Angeles Times .
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 2, 2010). "Jamie Bell Joins Thriller 'Man On A Ledge'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  5. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 1, 2010). "'Man On A Ledge' Adds Ed Harris and Titus Welliver". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  6. ↑ "First Image of Sam Worthington as a MAN ON A LEDGE". Collider.com. October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  7. ↑ Good, Ben (2012-02-02). "Trailer Tuesday: Man on a Ledge" Archived 2012-04-09 at the Wayback Machine . Clapperboardblog.com. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  8. ↑ "Man on a Ledge". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Man on a Ledge". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Man on a Ledge Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  11. ↑ Finke, Nikki (January 29, 2012). "'The Grey' $20M Opening Shocks Showbiz, 'One For The Money' $11.7M, 'Man On A Ledge' $8.2M". Deadline Hollywood. And yet it received the best CinemaScore of the 3 openers: 'B+'. That's worse than what the studio expected.
  12. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 25, 2012). "Man on a Ledge". Chicago Sun-Times – via Rogerebert.com.
  13. ↑ "Man on a Ledge (2012), directed by Asger Leth - Film review". Timeout.com. November 4, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  14. ↑ Francesca Rudkin (May 17, 2012). "Movie review: Man on a Ledge (+trailer)". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Man on a Ledge". CompleteSeasonDVDs.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Man on a Ledge". Movie-wave.net. February 12, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Soundtrack Review: Man On A Ledge - Soundtrack Geek V2". Soundtrackgeek.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.