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Man on a Ledge with Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Edward Burns & Jamie Bell

Posted on June 16, 2012 Written by ripitup

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Man on a Ledge movie poster
Man on a Ledge movie poster with Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Edward Burns & Jamie Bell. Prison break? Check. Cool heist? Check. A female negotiator more invested in helping and solving than the protocol? Check. Image via sinemafilmler.net.

Ever watched a movie that made you feel like you were the spot-on target audience? A movie that makes me feel like that usually has these elements: an entertaining story, a genre that I love, actors that I like and some good humor.

Movies don’t have to be masterpieces or mind-blowingly creative attempts to entertain. I usually just want to have a good time – and Man on a Ledge can definitely show you that.

Here’s why:

1)      The Plot

We have the innocent convict Nick (Sam Worthington) who takes a day off for his father’s funeral to make his escape. He knows it is his only shot, and frankly, he’d rather die to go back to serve 20+ years of jail. An former cop, he makes sure he has enough time to set his plan in motion: he rents a room on one of the top floors of a luxury hotel, enjoys a “last” meal, leaves a “note”, wipes off his parents, steps on the ledge and makes his request when the cops (though not the ones who know who he is) arrive in the room: They’ve 30 minutes to get suicide-negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) to talk to him, or he jumps.

 

The cop who takes his request is Dougherty (Edward Burns), and neither he nor the cop in charge of “ground control” (Titus Welliver) are pleased about it.

 

But after a short while, Mercer seems to have formed a bond and Dougherty is becoming more convinced of her skills. Still she fears that he might jump, and is also suspecting he might be up to something. And he is. He’s gathering all the attention so that his brother (Jamie Bell) and brother’s girlfriend (Genesis Rodriguez) can break into the vault next door- so that they can steal the “supposedly stolen” diamond from the rich and powerful man (Ed Harris) who framed him.

 

But as resourceful as he is, he still has to race against time, help out his brother, dodge the cops who are after him while maintaining the Mercer’s trust. Will they be able to pull it off on time?

 

2)      The fun: the heist, Nick’s tactics to keep everyone busy, Dougherty’s reactions to Mercer’s unorthodox methods, and most of all- the fun one-liners between Joey and his girlfriend.

 

3)      The cast: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Edward Burns, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, William Sadler (Sheriff of Roswell and McGarrrett’s father in the new Hawaii Five-O) and Kyra Sedwick – who makes brief but entertaining appearances as the cheeky reporter.

 

4)      The predictable but highly enjoyable twists. There’re very few twists that get a movie addict shocked, or at least hasn’t seen coming. But I don’t watch a fun action movie for twists – surely you see them coming, but they are so entertaining as a whole that you just care if the way to the “twists” are fun.

 

5)      A protagonist to root for

 

6)      Interesting supporting characters

 

7)      A totally ruthless villain

 

 

Man on a Ledge is rated only at 6.6 on IMDB, and I think it should be higher – for its entertainment value. See it to enjoy it. It’s good entertainment- it doesn’t try to be anything more.

 

Directed by Asger Leth and written by Pablo F. Fenjves.

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Ed Harris, Edward Burns, Elizabeth Banks, genesis rodriguez, Jamie bell, Kyra Sedgwick, man on a ledge, man on a ledge 2012 movie, man on a ledge cast, man on a ledge dvd, man on a ledge movie, man on a ledge movie review, Sam Worthington, sam worthington man on a ledge, titus welliver, william sadler

Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender

Posted on July 13, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Jane Eyre starring Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell & Judi Dench
Jane Eyre starring Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell & Judi Dench. Image via daemonsmovies.com

Plot Summary

Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) has been brought up in a hostile, unloving environment, only to be sent to a even worse “charitable” school where she is treated very badly. She loses her only friend and lives a loveless life until she leaves the school for a governess position at 19.

She is to teach a young French girl at a house owned by Mr. Rochester, who is rarely ever home. She is happier here, even though she wishes for a more exciting life. And her life does get more exciting with the appearance of her boss Mr. Rochester. (Michael Fassbender)

Mr. Rochester is mysterious, unpredictable, charismatic and challenging. Yet he finds his match in Jane, who is quite clever, quick to retort and can give unique perspectives on everything. A bond forms between them, a bond that is filled with chemistry and attraction. Yet Jane is sure Rochester would rather marry a prettier girl with a different background. However Rochester is his own man, and he would rather follow his heart than conform to society.

But when Rochester’s secret comes out, will Jane be able to follow her heart, rejecting her own beliefs?

 

**

My Thoughts

Jane Eyre is a deliciously dark romantic/drama, staying true to the spirit of Brontë sisters. Jane Eyre is yet another adaptation of the famous novel (Jane Eyre), written by Charlotte Brontë.

Sure, at times it is slow and depressing. But the slow and depressing moments help us understand Jane, feel for and get in the mood of the film. Some parts at the Rochester house feels like we are in some gothic thriller, and a part of me wished this had been a looser adaptation where Rochester’s secret could be more supernatural.

 

I also wish some scenes were more intense. It is rated PG-13, and I wish it had pushed the limits a little further. The movie stayed true to Charlotte Brontë, and the spirit of period movies. Yet I believe that the mood set could make up for more daring scenes- and t could have been done without really betraying the book or the PG-13 limits.

 

Apart from the occasional slowness and the “romantic” limitations between the characters, I loved the movie. I have nothing against the current 7.8 user rating on IMDB. However, I rated it a 7. I need to be honest with you, as much as I loved the film, Michael Fassbender’s acting has a lot to do with it. I don’t think it would have been the same with another actor.

 

To me, Fassbender (Eric/Magneto from X-Men First Class) brings a raw intensity to his emotional scenes –in a similar fashion with the English actor Ralph Fiennes. Just as Fiennes was perfect as Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights, Fassbender is the right Rochester.

 

Should you see it?

Unless you have something against well-done period romantic dramas, you SHOULD NOT MISS this version. But I believe that men who don’t have a soft spot for classic romantic literature, and men who need to see an alluring actress in the leading role should so stay away from this film. After all, Jane is as plain as they come, with a ridiculous (albeit historically appropriate) hairstyle.

 

Trailer:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8PLpXvhtlc[/pro-player]

Cast Notes:

 

–          Mia Wasikowska did a wonderful job in the Oscar-nominated 2010 drama/comedy The Kids Are All Right. She played the teenage daughter of the lesbian couple, portrayed by Annette Bening & Julianne Moore. She also played Alice in Tim Burton’s 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland.

 

–          English actor Jamie Bell, who you might remember from Jumper and Billy Elliott, plays St John – the young man who finds Jane Eyre in the beginning of the movie.

 

–          In the upcoming period drama/thriller A Dangerous Method, Michael Fassbender plays Carl Jung- whose relationship with Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) doesn’t go smoothly when Jung starts being romantically involved with his patient (Keira Knightley).

 

–          Veteran actress Judi Dench plays the housekeeper in Jane Eyre.

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: charlotte brontë, drama, Jamie bell, Jane eyre, jane eyre 2011, jane eyre 2011 movie, judi dench, Mia Wasikowska, michael fassbender, movies, romance

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

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