Effects work 'frighteningly well' but 'premise is so devoutly ridiculous,' critics say.
By Kara Warner
Sam Worthington in "Man on a Ledge"
Photo: Summit
If your impressions about the new action thriller "Man on a Ledge" are based on the film's very-literal title, you're very likely correct in assuming to know a decent amount about the film before entering the theater. "Ledge" is the story of ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), whose seemingly obvious suicidal plan to jump off a building is slowly revealed to be something much more.
Thus far, the critical reception for the film is very different from initial audience reactions. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer has "Ledge" at a 22 percent fresh rating from critics, versus a 65 percent fresh audience rating.
Read on to see what has the two viewing bodies so divided as we sift through the "Man on a Ledge" reviews:
The Premise
"It's an arresting image,...
By Kara Warner
Sam Worthington in "Man on a Ledge"
Photo: Summit
If your impressions about the new action thriller "Man on a Ledge" are based on the film's very-literal title, you're very likely correct in assuming to know a decent amount about the film before entering the theater. "Ledge" is the story of ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), whose seemingly obvious suicidal plan to jump off a building is slowly revealed to be something much more.
Thus far, the critical reception for the film is very different from initial audience reactions. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer has "Ledge" at a 22 percent fresh rating from critics, versus a 65 percent fresh audience rating.
Read on to see what has the two viewing bodies so divided as we sift through the "Man on a Ledge" reviews:
The Premise
"It's an arresting image,...
- 1/27/2012
- MTV Movie News
Effects work 'frighteningly well' but 'premise is so devoutly ridiculous,' critics say.
By Kara Warner
Sam Worthington in "Man on a Ledge"
Photo: Summit
If your impressions about the new action thriller "Man on a Ledge" are based on the film's very-literal title, you're very likely correct in assuming to know a decent amount about the film before entering the theater. "Ledge" is the story of ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), whose seemingly obvious suicidal plan to jump off a building is slowly revealed to be something much more.
Thus far, the critical reception for the film is very different from initial audience reactions. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer has "Ledge" at a 22 percent fresh rating from critics, versus a 65 percent fresh audience rating.
Read on to see what has the two viewing bodies so divided as we sift through the "Man on a Ledge" reviews:
The Premise
"It's an arresting image,...
By Kara Warner
Sam Worthington in "Man on a Ledge"
Photo: Summit
If your impressions about the new action thriller "Man on a Ledge" are based on the film's very-literal title, you're very likely correct in assuming to know a decent amount about the film before entering the theater. "Ledge" is the story of ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), whose seemingly obvious suicidal plan to jump off a building is slowly revealed to be something much more.
Thus far, the critical reception for the film is very different from initial audience reactions. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer has "Ledge" at a 22 percent fresh rating from critics, versus a 65 percent fresh audience rating.
Read on to see what has the two viewing bodies so divided as we sift through the "Man on a Ledge" reviews:
The Premise
"It's an arresting image,...
- 1/27/2012
- MTV Music News
It's not difficult to see why James Cameron had Sam Worthington lead his 2009 film "Avatar"; after all, the Australian-born star looks like a real-life John Smith (barrel-chested and handsome, but not pretty), something that came in handy since Cameron's film was basically Pocahontas in space. Yet, at the time, the King of the World's choice was slightly risky: who was Sam Worthington? Three years and billions of dollars in worldwide grosses later, the answer is a bit more clear: Worthington has become the consummate action hero -- whether playing a Mossad agent in "The Debt" or a part of Greek mythology in "Clash of the Titans." His most recent role is in the Asger Leth ("Ghosts of Cité Soleil") directed "Man on a Ledge." Here, Worthington plays the titular edge-dweller, Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop who hopes to clear his name through the somewhat unorthodox method of an attempted suicide, while...
- 1/27/2012
- by Jessie Heyman
- Moviefone
A perfectly fine, perfectly average thriller, Man on a Ledge holds no surprises, except how easy it is to guess what's going to happen next. The pleasure, such as it is, is all in the performances, so if you're a hard-core fan of Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Genesis Rodriguez, William Sadler, and/or Kyra Sedgwick, you're in luck. The film, directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil), establishes early on that it's not terribly interested in realism, and almost immediately drops broad hints that all is not as it seems. With a casual, jocular tone set, the effectiveness of certain scenes later in the story, which are evidently intended to be dead serious, are undermined, ensuring...
- 1/27/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Though Man on a Ledge is certainly a shoo-in for the most unimaginatively to-the-point film title of 2012, this feature debut of Asger Leth invites certain expectations after his 2006 documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil proved to be an unexpected and hugely affecting treat. Disappointing it is, then, that this slick thriller is also an awkward, oddly lifeless one, directed with a surprising anonymity, which gives it the generic, homogenised feel of a bland yet overproduced TV show you might see on a network like Fox.
The film opens with a man, escaped convict Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), climbing out onto the ledge of his hotel room, apparently intent to jump if the police do not bring troubled negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) to the scene immediately. Protesting innocence for the crime he was put away for, it soon becomes clear that something else is afoot; his escapade...
Though Man on a Ledge is certainly a shoo-in for the most unimaginatively to-the-point film title of 2012, this feature debut of Asger Leth invites certain expectations after his 2006 documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil proved to be an unexpected and hugely affecting treat. Disappointing it is, then, that this slick thriller is also an awkward, oddly lifeless one, directed with a surprising anonymity, which gives it the generic, homogenised feel of a bland yet overproduced TV show you might see on a network like Fox.
The film opens with a man, escaped convict Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), climbing out onto the ledge of his hotel room, apparently intent to jump if the police do not bring troubled negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) to the scene immediately. Protesting innocence for the crime he was put away for, it soon becomes clear that something else is afoot; his escapade...
- 1/25/2012
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
The Grey, Man on a Ledge, One for the Money in this week's upcoming movies. Liam Neeson starrer The Grey will look for a howling good weekend at the box office via Open Road Films. The Joe Carnahan film opens in 2,700-3,000 venues with a cast including Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Dallas Roberts, James Badge Dale and Nonso Anonzie. Carnahan co-wrote the script alongside Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, based on Jeffers' short story called "Ghost Walker." This looks to be a solid, adrenalin-packed adventure thriller, produced by Mickey Liddell, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and Carnahan. Summit Entertainment's Man on a Ledge action thriller opens nationwide, and includes a strong cast frontlined by Sam Worthington, as well as Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns and William Sadler. Asger Leth, known for the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, helms from the writing by Pablo F. Fenjves...
- 1/23/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The Grey, Man on a Ledge, One for the Money in this week's upcoming movies. Liam Neeson starrer The Grey will look for a howling good weekend at the box office via Open Road Films. The Joe Carnahan film opens in 2,700-3,000 venues with a cast including Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Dallas Roberts, James Badge Dale and Nonso Anonzie. Carnahan co-wrote the script alongside Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, based on Jeffers' short story called "Ghost Walker." This looks to be a solid, adrenalin-packed adventure thriller, produced by Mickey Liddell, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and Carnahan. Summit Entertainment's Man on a Ledge action thriller opens nationwide, and includes a strong cast frontlined by Sam Worthington, as well as Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns and William Sadler. Asger Leth, known for the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, helms from the writing by Pablo F. Fenjves...
- 1/23/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The Grey, Man on a Ledge, One for the Money in this week's upcoming movies. Liam Neeson starrer The Grey will look for a howling good weekend at the box office via Open Road Films. The Joe Carnahan film opens in 2,700-3,000 venues with a cast including Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Dallas Roberts, James Badge Dale and Nonso Anonzie. Carnahan co-wrote the script alongside Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, based on Jeffers' short story called "Ghost Walker." This looks to be a solid, adrenalin-packed adventure thriller, produced by Mickey Liddell, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and Carnahan. Summit Entertainment's Man on a Ledge action thriller opens nationwide, and includes a strong cast frontlined by Sam Worthington, as well as Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns and William Sadler. Asger Leth, known for the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, helms from the writing by Pablo F. Fenjves...
- 1/23/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Third poster for Asget Leth's Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington! The Pablo F. Fenjves-written action thriller opens via Summit Entertainment on January 27th, with a strong cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns and William Sadler. Asger Leth's single other credit includes the critically-acclaimed Ghosts of Cité Soleil, so I'm curioius as to what his sophomore effort on an actioner will be like. An ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge...
- 1/19/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Third poster for Asget Leth's Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington! The Pablo F. Fenjves-written action thriller opens via Summit Entertainment on January 27th, with a strong cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns and William Sadler. Asger Leth's single other credit includes the critically-acclaimed Ghosts of Cité Soleil, so I'm curioius as to what his sophomore effort on an actioner will be like. An ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge...
- 1/19/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Third poster for Asget Leth's Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington! The Pablo F. Fenjves-written action thriller opens via Summit Entertainment on January 27th, with a strong cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns and William Sadler. Asger Leth's single other credit includes the critically-acclaimed Ghosts of Cité Soleil, so I'm curioius as to what his sophomore effort on an actioner will be like. An ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge...
- 1/19/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Summit Entertainment wants to ensure we know they are responsible for more than those annoying Twilight movies. Here’s a look at their 2012 release schedule although release dates are subject to change.
Summit Entertainment Presents
A di Bonaventura Pictures Production
Man On A Ledge
Directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts Of CITÉ Soleil)
Written by Pablo F. Fenjves
Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Red, Salt, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen) and Mark Vahradian (Transformers)
Starring Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash Of The Titans,
Terminator Salvation), Elizabeth Banks (The Next Three Days, W., The 40-year-old Virgin), Jamie Bell (King Kong, Billy Elliot), Anthony MacKie (The Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby, 8 Mile), Ed Burns (27 Dresses), Titus Welliver (The Town), Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick (TV’S The Closer) and Ed Harris (National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, A History Of Violence)
From the ledge of the 25th floor of a NYC skyscraper, where one wrong step means death,...
Summit Entertainment Presents
A di Bonaventura Pictures Production
Man On A Ledge
Directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts Of CITÉ Soleil)
Written by Pablo F. Fenjves
Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Red, Salt, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen) and Mark Vahradian (Transformers)
Starring Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash Of The Titans,
Terminator Salvation), Elizabeth Banks (The Next Three Days, W., The 40-year-old Virgin), Jamie Bell (King Kong, Billy Elliot), Anthony MacKie (The Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby, 8 Mile), Ed Burns (27 Dresses), Titus Welliver (The Town), Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick (TV’S The Closer) and Ed Harris (National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, A History Of Violence)
From the ledge of the 25th floor of a NYC skyscraper, where one wrong step means death,...
- 1/11/2012
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
After a trio of high-profile blockbuster movies in 2009 (Terminator Salvation and Avatar) and 2010 (Clash of the Titans), 2011 was something of a slow year for Australian actor Sam Worthington, with neither The Debt nor The Texas Killing Fields drawing much attention (or attendance). Worthington will most likely be back in blockbuster form in 2012 when the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans, opens in March, but before that he has one more indie project heading into select theaters, the Summit Entertainment thriller Man on a Ledge.
Directed by documentary filmmaker Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) from a script by Pablo F. Fenjves, Man on a Ledge sees Worthington playing a wrongly-accused disgraced cop who escapes from prison to steal the $30 million diamond he was originally convicted of stealing. What makes this different than your average run-of-the-mill heist movie? Worthington's character co-ordinates the heist while pretending that he...
Directed by documentary filmmaker Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) from a script by Pablo F. Fenjves, Man on a Ledge sees Worthington playing a wrongly-accused disgraced cop who escapes from prison to steal the $30 million diamond he was originally convicted of stealing. What makes this different than your average run-of-the-mill heist movie? Worthington's character co-ordinates the heist while pretending that he...
- 1/10/2012
- by BrentJS Sprecher
- Reelzchannel.com
Chase clip from Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington The Summit Entertainment action thriller opens January 27th, with a strong cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Titus Welliver, Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick and Ed Harris. Rated PG-13, the film is helmed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) from a script by Pablo F. Fenjves. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian produce. An ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, unbeknownst to the NYPD...
- 1/5/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Chase clip from Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington The Summit Entertainment action thriller opens January 27th, with a strong cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Titus Welliver, Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick and Ed Harris. Rated PG-13, the film is helmed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) from a script by Pablo F. Fenjves. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian produce. An ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, unbeknownst to the NYPD...
- 1/5/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Chase clip from Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington The Summit Entertainment action thriller opens January 27th, with a strong cast including Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Burns, Titus Welliver, Genesis Rodriguez, Kyra Sedgwick and Ed Harris. Rated PG-13, the film is helmed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) from a script by Pablo F. Fenjves. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian produce. An ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, unbeknownst to the NYPD...
- 1/5/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Summit Entertainment sent us the official movie trailer and synopsis for the upcoming film “Man On A Ledge” by directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts Of CITÉ Soleil), written by Pablo F. Fenjves, produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Red, Salt, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen) and Mark Vahradian (Transformers) and starring Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash Of The Titans,Terminator Salvation), Elizabeth Banks (The Next Three Days, W., The 40-year-old Virgin), Jamie Bell (King Kong, Billy Elliot), Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby, 8 Mile), Ed Burns (27 Dresses), Titus Welliver (The Town), Kyra Sedgwick (TV’S The Closer) and Ed Harris (National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, A History Of Violence). Synopsis:...
- 9/27/2011
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
We have added the new suspence loaded trailer for Summit Entertainment's upcoming thriller, "Man on a Ledge." Directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil), the film stars Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Elizabeth Banks, Genesis Rodriguez, Ed Harris, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Kyra Sedgwick, William Sadler and Joe Urban.Watch the trailer for "Man on a Ledge" below;"Man on a Ledge" is released across the Us from January 13th, 2012 and the UK from January 27th, 2012.An ex-cop and now wanted fugitive (Sam Worthington) stands on the ledge of a high-rise building while a hard-living New York Police Department hostage negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge, the more she realizes that he...
- 9/23/2011
- by Anthony Pearson
- Monsters and Critics
Not to be confused with the other man standing on the edge of a building movie "The Ledge" that opened earlier this year starring Charlie Hunnam, Terrence Howard and Liv Tyler, "Man On A Ledge" takes a similar premise but drops the religious angle and goes strictly for B-movie thrills. Directed by Danish filmmaker Asger Leth (who made the heralded 2006 documentary about Haiti, “Ghosts of Cité Soleil,” and is the son of Jørgen Leth), and starring Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris and a frequently underdressed Genesis Rodriguez, the story centers on an ex-cop turned…...
- 9/22/2011
- The Playlist
Poster for Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris and Genesis Rodriguez. Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) directs from the writing by Chris Gorak (upcoming The Darkest Hour), Erich and Jon Hoeber (Red) and Pablo F. Fenjves. The Summit Entertainment release opens on January 13th, 2012 and also stars Edward Burns and William Sadler. In Man on a Ledge, an ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, unbeknownst to the NYPD on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover up...
- 9/22/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Poster for Man on a Ledge, starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris and Genesis Rodriguez. Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil) directs from the writing by Chris Gorak (upcoming The Darkest Hour), Erich and Jon Hoeber (Red) and Pablo F. Fenjves. The Summit Entertainment release opens on January 13th, 2012 and also stars Edward Burns and William Sadler. In Man on a Ledge, an ex-cop framed turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with Fdny. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. However, unbeknownst to the NYPD on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover up...
- 9/22/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Despite the fact that he may have starred in the highest grossing film to date, Avatar star Sam Worthington really hasn't turned in a a truly great performance. Perhaps standing on the edge of a tall building in New York will bring out his talent in Man on a Ledge, a new thriller from Ghosts of Cité Soleil documentary director Asger Leth. The film follows an ex-cop (Worthington) threatening to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, but the potential suicide might be a front for something bigger. Now we have the first teaser poster for the thriller which might give you vertigo or a nosebleed. See it below! Here's the teaser poster for Asger Leth's thriller Man on a Ledge (courtesy of Imp Awards): Man on a Ledge, the first feature film from director Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil), follows an ex-cop (Sam ...
- 9/21/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Charles Ferguson has won the DGA Award for Best Director of a Documentary, Inside Job, which is also up for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category. Inside Job tells the ugly story behind the economic meltdown of 2008. Unlike the DGA-Oscar match-ups in the Narrative Feature category — all but eight* DGA winners have won Best Picture Oscars the same year — nearly all DGA documentary winners have failed to take home an Academy Award statuette. In fact, many DGA winners weren't even nominated for an Academy Award, e.g., Asger Leth's Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2007), Arunas Matelis' Before Flying Back to Earth (2006), Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man (2005), and Steve James' Hoop Dreams (1994). Last year, Louie Psihoyos' The Cove managed to win both the DGA Award and the Oscar. * See DGA Award vs. Academy Award Winners: From John Huston to Roman Polanski...
- 1/30/2011
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Machine Gun Preacher
Opens: 2011
Cast: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll, Kathy Baker
Director: Marc Forster
Summary: After finding God, drug-dealing biker Sam Childers renounces his outlaw ways and embarks on a spiritual path, becoming a crusader for hundreds of desperate and helpless children who were being forced to become soldiers in war-torn southern Sudan.
Analysis: Despite taking the freshly rejuvenated James Bond franchise and nearly destroying it with the very disappointing "Quantum of Solace", German-Swiss filmmaker Marc Forster still has a decent amount of good will left thanks to strong earlier efforts like "Monster's Ball," "Finding Neverland," "Stranger Than Fiction" and "The Kite Runner".
Now, in his first film since that Bond outing, Forster returns to serious drama with this true story tale of a biker who became a humanitarian crusader for children in the Sudan. The story itself is fascinating, the born again Sam Childers and...
Opens: 2011
Cast: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll, Kathy Baker
Director: Marc Forster
Summary: After finding God, drug-dealing biker Sam Childers renounces his outlaw ways and embarks on a spiritual path, becoming a crusader for hundreds of desperate and helpless children who were being forced to become soldiers in war-torn southern Sudan.
Analysis: Despite taking the freshly rejuvenated James Bond franchise and nearly destroying it with the very disappointing "Quantum of Solace", German-Swiss filmmaker Marc Forster still has a decent amount of good will left thanks to strong earlier efforts like "Monster's Ball," "Finding Neverland," "Stranger Than Fiction" and "The Kite Runner".
Now, in his first film since that Bond outing, Forster returns to serious drama with this true story tale of a biker who became a humanitarian crusader for children in the Sudan. The story itself is fascinating, the born again Sam Childers and...
- 1/17/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Joins A Strong Cast That Also Stars Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns Kyra Sedgwick has joined the excellent cast of the already-in-progress thriller, "Man On A Ledge" starring Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward "I think my films are dogshit" Burns and newcomer Genesis Rodriguez Directed by Danish filmmaker Asger Leth (who made the heralded 2006 documentary about Haiti, "Ghosts of Cité Soleil," and is the son of Jørgen Leth), the drama centers on an ex-cop turned con (Worthington) who threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The…...
- 11/5/2010
- The Playlist
In case you missed it, back when Sam Worthington was going to star opposite Chris Pine in McG's action comedy This Means War, the Aussie actor was also looking to star in Man on a Ledge. Though the former deal fell through, the latter is still very much happening and the thriller just gained two new cast members. Deadline reports Jamie Bell (Defiance, King Kong) has signed on while Variety reports Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) is negotiating to join the cast as well. The story follows an ex-cop threatening to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, but the potential suicide might be a front for something bigger. Summit Entertainment is developing the project and Asger Leth, of only the doc Ghosts of Cité Soleil, is making his feature directorial debut. The original script for Man on a Ledge was written by Pablo Fenjves (Trophy Wife...
- 9/3/2010
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Deadline is reporting that Tintin star Jamie Bell has been cast opposite Aussie and sometimes Na'vi Sam Worthington, as well as Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) in the crime drama Man On A Ledge from director Asger Leth (Ghosts Of CITÉ Soleil) who's making his Hollywood debut. Originally penned by Venezuelan television writer Pablo Fenjves and soon to be rewritten by Red scribes Erich and Jon Hoeber, Man On A Ledge focuses on Worthington who "plays a cop thrown in jail for a crime he...
- 9/3/2010
- by George Merchan
- JoBlo.com
Man On A Ledge
Scribes Erich and Jon Hoeber ("Red," "Whiteout," "Battleship") are in negotiations to rewrite the script for Summit Entertainment's cop thriller "Man On A Ledge" reports Heat Vision.
Asger Leth ("Ghosts of Cité Soleil") entered negotiations to direct the project the other week. Sam Worthington is committed to star while Lorenzo di Bonaventura will produce.
Untitled Aline Brosh McKenna Script
Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada") has been hired to pen an untitled romantic dramedy for "Star Trek" and "Transformers" scribes turned producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and their Dreamworks-based production company reports Variety.
McKenna's original script deals with the on-off love affairs and friendships among a close circle of friends over two decades.
Untitled Josh Zetumer Script
Warner Bros. Pictures has scored an original and untitled script from Josh Zetumer, the rising scribe who recently worked on a fourth "Bourne" and the "Dune" reboot script reports Heat Vision.
Scribes Erich and Jon Hoeber ("Red," "Whiteout," "Battleship") are in negotiations to rewrite the script for Summit Entertainment's cop thriller "Man On A Ledge" reports Heat Vision.
Asger Leth ("Ghosts of Cité Soleil") entered negotiations to direct the project the other week. Sam Worthington is committed to star while Lorenzo di Bonaventura will produce.
Untitled Aline Brosh McKenna Script
Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada") has been hired to pen an untitled romantic dramedy for "Star Trek" and "Transformers" scribes turned producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and their Dreamworks-based production company reports Variety.
McKenna's original script deals with the on-off love affairs and friendships among a close circle of friends over two decades.
Untitled Josh Zetumer Script
Warner Bros. Pictures has scored an original and untitled script from Josh Zetumer, the rising scribe who recently worked on a fourth "Bourne" and the "Dune" reboot script reports Heat Vision.
- 8/9/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Sam Worthington has been connected to tons of projects lately, ultimately passing on a fair percentage of them. One he seems to be sticking with - at least to this point - is Man on a Ledge, in which he would most likely play a former New York City cop threatening to jump to his death...but it's all a ruse.
Pablo Fenjves wrote the script, but it's reportedly getting a freshening up by Erich and Jon Hober, who adapted the script for Red, which has the markings of a fun couple hours at the movies. We'll know more about that in October, I guess.
So why these guys? Because Summit is releasing both Red and Man on a Ledge and the studio is clearly happy with the brothers' work. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers and G.I. Joe) is producing, and Asger Leth (the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil ) is directing,...
Pablo Fenjves wrote the script, but it's reportedly getting a freshening up by Erich and Jon Hober, who adapted the script for Red, which has the markings of a fun couple hours at the movies. We'll know more about that in October, I guess.
So why these guys? Because Summit is releasing both Red and Man on a Ledge and the studio is clearly happy with the brothers' work. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers and G.I. Joe) is producing, and Asger Leth (the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil ) is directing,...
- 8/2/2010
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Summit Entertainment's "Man on a Ledge" is turning into quite the popular project at the moment, mainly because there's so much going on with it right now. First thing's first, and that's the fact that director Asger Leth could be tackling this production for Summit. He's in the middle of negotiations, so unless a meteor hits the Earth and destroys us all it's a pretty safe bet to assume that he'll be sitting in the director's chair for this pretty soon.Leth only has one directing notch under his belt, and that's in the form of "Ghosts of Cité Soleil". The 2006 documentary focused on the impoverished and dangerous town and the gangs that inhabit it. For Leth to be taking a leap away from such a hard-hitting topic to a cop thriller is an interesting leap."Man on a Ledge", starring Sam Worthington, centers on a female psychologist and...
- 7/28/2010
- LRMonline.com
These are tough times in the movie business. If the numbers don't align, studios are no longer afraid to pull the plug, even when they are only weeks out from the start of production. Such is the case for the Josh Brolin-starrer Cartel. The film, which initially had Sean Penn attached to star, ceased pre-production today as a result of script issues and budget concerns. Said Universal Pictures in a statement, "Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment ceased pre-production of Cartel today. As much as we had hoped to begin filming this spring in Mexico City, the studio and its...
- 4/7/2010
- by Nicole Sperling
- EW - Inside Movies
You may recall that about four months ago, Josh Brolin was selected to replace Sean Penn as the lead in Asger Leth's Cartel.
Well, a recent tweet from Production Weekly announces not only that production on the movie will begin in May, but also that the title has changed, apparently to Waterbug.
The story invovles a man living in the world of Mexican drug cartels. He must fight to protect his son after his wife is murdered. The screenplay, penned by Peter Craig, is based loosely on the 1993 Italian flick La Scorta (The Escort), which involves a judge in a dangerous part of Sicily who takes a job trying to unravel a Mafia plot.
No specific release date has been announced for Waterbug, and the only other confirmed cast member is Canadian wrestler Mike Sharpe. This will be Leth's first fictional feature movie; he also directed the 2006 documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil,...
Well, a recent tweet from Production Weekly announces not only that production on the movie will begin in May, but also that the title has changed, apparently to Waterbug.
The story invovles a man living in the world of Mexican drug cartels. He must fight to protect his son after his wife is murdered. The screenplay, penned by Peter Craig, is based loosely on the 1993 Italian flick La Scorta (The Escort), which involves a judge in a dangerous part of Sicily who takes a job trying to unravel a Mafia plot.
No specific release date has been announced for Waterbug, and the only other confirmed cast member is Canadian wrestler Mike Sharpe. This will be Leth's first fictional feature movie; he also directed the 2006 documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil,...
- 2/24/2010
- by Rich Z Zwelling
- Reelzchannel.com
Ghosts of Cité Soleil's Asger Leth can count his lucky charms. He has had the fortune of having only one directing nod to his credit with the docu film and landing a major Hollywood production, but has managed to grab a top tier acting talent, not once - but twice. - Ghosts of Cité Soleil's Asger Leth can count his lucky charms. He has had the fortune of having only one directing nod to his credit with the docu film and landing a major Hollywood production, but has managed to grab a top tier acting talent, not once - but twice. I wouldn't be a surprised if Sean Penn had made a mention, but Josh Brolin is taking the lead role which was originally assigned to his Milk co-star Penn. The trades report that Brolin has become a go-to guy for cowboy hat wearing, southern States/desert habituals...
- 12/13/2009
- by Ioncinema.com Staff
- IONCINEMA.com
Josh Brolin is looking to fill his work space after filming his Wall Street 2 role by toplining Cartel, a gritty crime drama to be directed by Asgar Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil).
Brolin's character would be a husband who is seeking vegeance on a Mexican cartel that killed his wife. The man's son survived the attack and he's protecting him from the criminals as he goes after them.
The movie is being produced by Brian Grazer for Universal Pictures. Filming is scheduled to begin in January in Mexico from a script by Peter Craig, the dude that's writing Bad Boys 3 for Sony Pictures. Hiliary Seitz (Insomnia) is doing a rewrite.
At one point Sean Penn was attached to star in Cartel but withdrew this past summer.
Brolin's character would be a husband who is seeking vegeance on a Mexican cartel that killed his wife. The man's son survived the attack and he's protecting him from the criminals as he goes after them.
The movie is being produced by Brian Grazer for Universal Pictures. Filming is scheduled to begin in January in Mexico from a script by Peter Craig, the dude that's writing Bad Boys 3 for Sony Pictures. Hiliary Seitz (Insomnia) is doing a rewrite.
At one point Sean Penn was attached to star in Cartel but withdrew this past summer.
- 10/1/2009
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
SAN FRANCISCO -- The raw, uncompromising Ghosts of Cite Soleil from Danish writer-director Asger Leth is a relentless, in-your-face, verite documentary set in war-torn Haiti during the reign and fall of the Aristide government circa 2004. It's an unforgettable, visceral journey into the heart of darkness, grueling poverty and anarchy. Imagery of garbage-strewn streets and squalor as well as news footage and a pulsing soundtrack by Haitian-born Wyclef Jean, who also is an executive producer and appears briefly, add to the docu's hard-edged, driving force.
Ghosts will have a limited U.S. theatrical run this month and could build a respectable audience with good press and word-of-mouth.
Shooting in a gritty, guerilla style, primarily with a hand-held 16mm camera, Leth and co-director Milos Loncarevic put themselves in considerable danger following the violent, dead-end lives of two charismatic brothers with nothing to lose. 2Pac and Bily are gang leaders in Cite Soleil, one of the meanest and poorest slums in Port-au-Prince. The phrase, "They could just as easily kill you as look at you" comes to mind with this duo. (The ghosts of the title are the already dead or "chimeres," armed gangs employed by Aristide to do his dirty work, whose members don't have much life expectancy).
Slim and taut, Bily, the more eloquent and philosophical of the two young men, wants to improve his situation. However, he lives by the gun and is prescient enough, as it turns out, to know that oblivion awaits him around the next corner. 2Pac, a profane wannabe rapper, is the pragmatist, a man of action whose sober world view has been toughened by his harsh existence. He's not without aspirations, though, and in one remarkable scene he calls Jean and sings the story of his life over the phone. The enigmatic Lele is a French relief worker involved with both men; all are trapped in a pointless cycle of fear, revenge, rivalries -- real or imagined -- and murder.
Guns are the accessories of choice, and through no fault of the filmmakers, it's difficult to keep up with or sort out the internecine warfare between gangs and the different government regimes. Leth, son of director Jorgen Leth (The Perfect Human), lives in Haiti, so he gained extraordinary access to his subjects and won something approaching trust. (The gangsters were, after all, offered an irresistible chance to immortalize themselves on film.) Cloaked in darkness and with the camera inches away from his face, 2Pac free-associates for posterity while sitting on the floor of his dingy shack.
The filmmakers get us in closer than we want to be to these explosive men, tagging along while they're out looking to hurt someone or hanging with their soldiers. Natural-born leaders and killers, the brothers share a battle-worn intelligence and a love of rap. Who knows what they could have been had fate dealt them a better hand. But intuition and history dictate a bloody end to their story. There's no way out for these two, not even through the magic of music.
GHOSTS OF CITE SOLEIL
ThinkFilm
A Nordisk Film A/S, Sakpase Films, Sunset Prods., Independent Pictures production in association with the Danish Film Institute.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Asger Leth
Co-director: Milos Loncarevic
Producers: Mikael Chr. Rieks, Tomas Radoor, Seth Kanegis
Executive producers: Kim Magnusson, Cary Woods, Wyclef Jean, George Hickenlooper, Jerry Duplessis, Jorgen Leth
Directors of photography: Asger Leth, Milos Loncarevic
Production designers: Asger Leth
Music: Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis
Editor: Adam Nielsen
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Ghosts will have a limited U.S. theatrical run this month and could build a respectable audience with good press and word-of-mouth.
Shooting in a gritty, guerilla style, primarily with a hand-held 16mm camera, Leth and co-director Milos Loncarevic put themselves in considerable danger following the violent, dead-end lives of two charismatic brothers with nothing to lose. 2Pac and Bily are gang leaders in Cite Soleil, one of the meanest and poorest slums in Port-au-Prince. The phrase, "They could just as easily kill you as look at you" comes to mind with this duo. (The ghosts of the title are the already dead or "chimeres," armed gangs employed by Aristide to do his dirty work, whose members don't have much life expectancy).
Slim and taut, Bily, the more eloquent and philosophical of the two young men, wants to improve his situation. However, he lives by the gun and is prescient enough, as it turns out, to know that oblivion awaits him around the next corner. 2Pac, a profane wannabe rapper, is the pragmatist, a man of action whose sober world view has been toughened by his harsh existence. He's not without aspirations, though, and in one remarkable scene he calls Jean and sings the story of his life over the phone. The enigmatic Lele is a French relief worker involved with both men; all are trapped in a pointless cycle of fear, revenge, rivalries -- real or imagined -- and murder.
Guns are the accessories of choice, and through no fault of the filmmakers, it's difficult to keep up with or sort out the internecine warfare between gangs and the different government regimes. Leth, son of director Jorgen Leth (The Perfect Human), lives in Haiti, so he gained extraordinary access to his subjects and won something approaching trust. (The gangsters were, after all, offered an irresistible chance to immortalize themselves on film.) Cloaked in darkness and with the camera inches away from his face, 2Pac free-associates for posterity while sitting on the floor of his dingy shack.
The filmmakers get us in closer than we want to be to these explosive men, tagging along while they're out looking to hurt someone or hanging with their soldiers. Natural-born leaders and killers, the brothers share a battle-worn intelligence and a love of rap. Who knows what they could have been had fate dealt them a better hand. But intuition and history dictate a bloody end to their story. There's no way out for these two, not even through the magic of music.
GHOSTS OF CITE SOLEIL
ThinkFilm
A Nordisk Film A/S, Sakpase Films, Sunset Prods., Independent Pictures production in association with the Danish Film Institute.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Asger Leth
Co-director: Milos Loncarevic
Producers: Mikael Chr. Rieks, Tomas Radoor, Seth Kanegis
Executive producers: Kim Magnusson, Cary Woods, Wyclef Jean, George Hickenlooper, Jerry Duplessis, Jorgen Leth
Directors of photography: Asger Leth, Milos Loncarevic
Production designers: Asger Leth
Music: Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis
Editor: Adam Nielsen
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 6/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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