Man on a Ledge

Aside from the Ronseal job they've done on the title, Man on a Ledge doesn't really let a whole lot on from the outset. Instead, it favours a drip feed of loosely relevant information to keep viewers engaged, but not entirely clear on where they're headed. Sadly, unlike other similar examples, this movie doesn't necessarily add anything to the pretty established genre. Certainly, the plot is intricate enough, and well written enough to be capable of holding attention for the little over an hour and a half that it runs, but by the same token, it doesn't generate the kind of tension or excitement that is going to compel anyone to be discussing it around the water cooler tomorrow morning. The first half is especially guilty of this, falling particularly flat in it's reliance of the tired and overly predictable "clear in the nick of time" rigmarole to generate any pace whatsoever.

Just a smidgen too nonchalant for my liking...

Ultimately, the slowness up front isn't really helped by the constraints of the concept. It was always going to be a tricky feat to keep the action looking fresh when the only choice is whether to look up at the ledge from the street, or show how high he is from the ledge down. Sadly the small cutaway sequences don't quite do enough to restore balance, and the action begins to feel quite repetitive.

Despite struggling early on, Man on a Ledge does find its stride before too long. Unfortunately though, despite trying its best to keep you guessing throughout, the story soon unravels into an annoyingly predictable ending, which is precisely the opposite of what this type of film should deliver. It certainly does bring enough of it's own complexities to the plot, but if anything, it does become a little too reliant on viewer complacency not to ask too many questions, rather than delivering a truly labyrinthine story. As a result, it doesn't really move the needle in terms of 'wow factor', and lacks that pivotal moment of realisation when the audience are finally brought up to speed. Though watchable enough, equivalent titles like Inside Man might prove to be far more fruitful watches.