– Samantha Coombes contributed with this report
How far would you go to prove your innocence? Sam Worthingtons’ Nick Cassidy shows us that standing on the edge of a Manhattan high-rise is worth the effort.
The plot starts off promising, with Nick Cassidy, a once successful cop now an escaped con after being wrongly accused of stealing a precious diamond, who climbs onto the ledge of a New York hotel to prove he’s not guilty.
Instantly you become dizzied by the height of the drop on the 21st floor as crowds gather below and the authorities turn up to try to save the distressed Cassidy.
Before long, Cassidy requests to see aspirin and coffee guzzling police psychologist Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) who has her own damaged career.
As the broken cop tries to talk down the irrational Cassidy, who is threatening to throw himself off the ledge, the film unveils a whole new dimension. It’s actually a distraction to cover up Cassidy’s brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie’s (Genesis Rodriquez) attempt to steal a precious diamond from tycoon David Englander (Ed Harris) who is responsible for Cassidy’s conviction.
So let the chaos ensue… or does it? Whilst for some time the tension is kept as brother and girlfriend find themselves with some close calls during the heist, the rest of the film is pretty dry.
The performances from all of the cast are poor. Worthington is bland and emotionless with Banks following suit. The best comes from Bell and Rodriques who are the only ones who show any kind of real stress. But their teasing of each other, which really seems out of place and breaks the tension down, is something that this film couldn’t afford.
Ed Harris overplays the stereotypical business tycoon with a huge cigar in his mouth and bravado personality, whilst the other so called villain, corrupt cop Dante Marcus (Titus Welliver) only attempts to be threatening.
Although it starts off will potential, it falls quite dramatically when it gets to the nitty gritty. With a so so plot and half-hearted acting it may have helped if the man on the ledge indeed fell off the ledge.