Movie Review: The Ledge

I heard slight whispers about this film after it’s premier at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The buzz was pretty much tunneling around Patrick Wilson and his creeptasticly well acted transformation into a fundamentalist Christian aficionado. I was on the fence about watching this film because the reviews were so mixed, but I figured I’d watch it anyway and form my own opinion.

So…

In my opinion, it wasn’t that bad. It could have been better; the plot could have used a little more meat and/or fine tuning, but overall not bad. So here’s the skinny on this film.

The Ledge was directed and written by Matthew Chapman , and stars Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy hottie), Terrence Howard, Liv Tyler, and of course Patrick Wilson. By the by, I’d personally find any reason under the son to watch ANYTHING with Charlie Hunnam and Terrence Howard. Both are all kinds of yum, and simply put, very unique and interesting actors.

And again, on to the film.

Detective Hollis Lucetti (Howard) sits across from a Physician’s table who has just dropped a bombshell on the young detective; He has been sterile his entire life with absolutely no chance of having children of his own. Meanwhile, Gavin Nicholas (Hunnam), a young hotel manager steps onto the rooftop of Hotel, takes a deep breath, and places himself on the ledge of the building as a small crowd of people form beneath him.  The film then flashes back to a shaken Hollis who looks as though the news of his sterilization literally knocked the wind out of him. I suppose the news would have sparked that reaction, as Hollis opens his wallet and reveals pictures of his two children he thought he fathered with his wife. Oops!

Before Hollis can even digest this information he received word that he must immediately get over to the hotel to respond to an apparent suicide threat. Obviously not up for this task, but understanding that it is after all his job, Hollis takes off and heads out to talk Gavin off the ledge. Once there, he begins to assess  Gavin’s mental state in an effort to calm his mood, and convince him to communicate what drove him to the ledge of the hotel. Gavin begins to recount the story of the day he met his next door neighbors Shana (Tyler) and her husband Joe (Wilson), a married couple who recently moved into an apartment directly across from him. Gavin begins to detail how became involved with Shana after an intense altercation with Joe, a Christian fundamentalist who expressed his disgust for the lifestyle “choice” of Gavin’s gay roommate Chris (Christopher Gorham).

As the conversation continues Hollis begins to realize there is a much more sinister cause behind Gavin’s decision to step out onto that ledge, and as the story unfolds the viewers soon realize Hollis’s instincts are exactly right.

It wasn’t a loved it, loved it, but I did like this film and feel it was worth the time I took to track it down.