The Ledge (2011)

"I have to stay up here until noon and then jump, if I don't someone

else is gonna die." Hollis (Howard) job is to talk down suicide

jumpers, after finding out that his kids may not be his he is sent out

to talk to Gavin (Hunnam). But there are always two sides to every

story and Gavin is not on the ledge by choice. This is the type of

movie that you watch because of the cast and end up being blown away.

While the movie is a little slow in parts the message, acting and plot

are great. All four main characters in this movie are all conflicted

and each have their own choice to make in order to move on with their

lives and it is intriguing to watch all of them handle it. At it's core

this is a movie about faith and morals and will leave you questioning

yourself as to what you would do in each position. That is the sign of

a good movie, one that makes you look at yourself in a way you may not

have before. Overall, I highly recommend this movie. More movies should

be like this. I give it a B+.

Would I watch again? I think I would in order to catch everything,

there is so much to take in you may not be able to get it all the first

time.

*Also try Last Night

Gavin (Charlie Hunnam) is a faithless jumper on a ledge. Terrence Howard plays Hollis, a police officer whose job it is to talk him down. The story as to how he got to the ledge is a flashback and the main part of the movie. This is interrupted by scenes of Hollis confronting his wife, which we don't know if these are flashbacks or if this is something he is thinking about doing.

Gavin is a hotel manager. His roommate is a gay Jew and HIV positive. Liv Tyler plays his mousey neighbor married to an unlikable Christian who wants to convert gays and atheists. Liv gets a job working for Gavin, who wants to liberate her from Mr. Joe Christian. I grew weary of the stereotyping of both Christians and atheists before this thing was half over... Catholics burn in hell and atheists are atheists because of some event in their life to make them hate God. Later the movie deviates from the stereotypes. Christians are not always good and atheists are not always bad. They are both human. Ho-hum.

Joe Christian treats his wife like dirt. Liv Tyler tells a far fetched story on how she met Joe, who as it turns out is a bit psychotic. The movie starts out slow and draws you in to where you have to see what happens. It doesn't make any definitive statement about God or atheism.

F-bomb, sex talk, sex, nudity (Liv Tyler)

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Matthew Chapman both wrote and directed this film that relates a fine little suspense thriller along with an ongoing debate between atheism and fundamental evangelical Christianity. As back ground it is of interest to note that Chapman has written two books 'Trials Of The Monkey An Accidental Memoir', an account of the Scopes Trial told in the form of a road trip Chapman took to the town where the trial took place, along with a memoir of his childhood growing up as a descendant of Charles Darwin, and '40 Days and 40 Nights Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, OxyContin, and Other Oddities On Trial in Pennsylvania', that tells the story of a small town ripped apart when fundamentalism and science came in conflict. It is obvious that Chapman is concerned about the dichotomy of faith and belief in God and the polar opposite, atheism: this theme is an important part of the impact of the story of THE LEDGE a title that not only explains the place where the tale takes place but likely also explains the stance of Chapman in the process of deciding his own belief system.

The film begins with a young man Gavin running up to the top floor of a building to stand on a ledge in order to commit suicide. A policeman is assigned to talk him down: the story is told in flashbacks. Gavin Nichols (Charlie Hunnam) is a likable guy who is in hotel management. Quite by accident he encounters a beautiful but shy Shana (Liv Tyler) on the bus only to discover that Shana is applying for work at this hotel as a housekeeper to make extra money to afford school. There is an attraction but Shana quickly lets Gavin know that she is married: her husband Joe (Patrick Wilson) is a evangelical fundamentalist who orders his and Shana's life according to Bible teachings. By chance Shana and Joe live in the same apartment building and the same corridor as Gavin: Gavin's roommate Chris (Christopher Gorham) is gay and is HIV positive and Gavin has taken him in when his family and friends deserted Chris. Joe and Shana invite Gavin and Chris to dinner where it becomes painfully obvious that Joe, thinking that both men are gay, finds their lifestyle abominably sinful. There is a fiery discussion about Gavin's disbelief in the things Joe believes in. Gavin leaves in disgust but the gentle Chris stays a bit longer until he discovers that Joe wants to convert him so that he can change his life and avoid damnation.

Gavin and Shana have an affair, Joe learns about it, and threatens Gavin that by noon either he will kill Shana or Gavin can jump to his suicide death. We gradually discover Shana's dark background which explains why she stays with Joe and Gavin's equally tortured background which explains why he has lost all semblance of faith and only sees the need to care for his fellowman. And we learn that detective Hollis (Terrance Howard) assigned to talk Gavin down from the ledge has his own personal failure to have faith due to newly discovered challenges to his concept of his home life. It is this struggle among the five characters and the way that destiny has thrown them together that brings a very surprising end to this film.

There is a lot to digest in this tense drama. At times the role of fundamental religion threatens to over take the film (Patrick Wilson plays his role of a reformed sinner to the hilt), but due to the cautious writing of the script combined with the spot on acting skills of each of the five leads the audience is left to draw their own conclusions about the atheism/ fundamentalism debate. Grady Harp, July 11

Read Best Reviews of The Ledge (2011) Here

Writer/director Matthew Chapman had a terrific idea for a complex movie dealing with faith and sacrifice set in a neo-noir framework. I absolutely love the idea of "The Ledge" and its intriguing premise earns it some merit. But if I'm being honest, the themes that Chapman wants to introduce and wrestle with are largely undermined by a screenplay that presents some of the most awkward dialogue and contrived settings that you're likely to encounter in a serious picture with this much talent involved. Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Terrence Howard and Charlie Hunnam are all actors that I have connected with in the past. It's easy to see the attraction that this type of movie would have held for them. But aside from one great scene near the end for Wilson, the rest of the cast flounders with the clunky script and overwrought ideology. The film bludgeons you with its many debates on religious notions by forcing characters together that would never expend so much effort in the real world attempting to communicate. Sadly, it's a near fatal flaw.

The plot of "The Ledge" is exceedingly strong. Hunnam starts the movie by climbing out onto a ledge (no big surprise considering the title) with the intent to jump. Howard, as a cop having a bad day, is on the scene to talk him down--but instead is the recipient of a story of why the potential suicide may be more than it seems. Hunnam relates a tale that involves adultery and religious debate with his new neighbors (Wilson and Tyler). Both have had a challenging past, but they've settled into a life as fundamentalist Christians. Their friendship with the atheist Hunnam is an opportunity for basic debate. And while it's always nice to have a movie that is unafraid to tackle religious themes overtly, there is a clumsiness to these scenes that can be difficult to handle. Neither party is particularly likable, have nothing in common, would never develop a relationship more than to say "hi" in the hallway--but the movie consistently puts them together for meaningful dialogue. There is nothing natural about the flow of the film.

I'm not going to discuss more of the plot so as not to give anything away--but it is these central conflicts that eventually drive Hunnam to the aforementioned ledge. The film could easily have been turned into a nifty little thriller with more realistic character development. Hunnam's character is blatantly unprofessional and inappropriate at work. A good actor, here he is stranded in a thoroughly unappealing and unbelievable character. Seriously, his seduction scenes with Tyler made me alternately laugh and cringe with some of the silliest dialogue I've encountered this year. Tyler, for her part, plays one emotion. It's hard to see what is supposed to be so alluring about this expressionless character. Howard is undeveloped. His plot thread is conveniently tacked on to heighten the drama and for him to be the recipient of the piece's deep philosophical lessons. Wilson, one of our most underrated actors, is turned into a zealot--but has one scene that sticks out in a refreshingly riveting way.

It was, ultimately, the characters that left me cold as well as the heavy handed message. For example, Christopher Gorham is on hand as Hunnam's homosexual Jewish roommate. Why? As a plot device, of course, so Wilson can scorn homosexuals and Hunnam can challenge religion (he can quote from the Talmud, naturally). At one point, Gorham is bathing the apartment in blessed Temple water. Really? It's overdone and obvious. With a bit of subtlety, Chapman might have scored a real triumph. I loved the idea, I like the actors--but (for me) little about the movie worked. Good ambition, but lacking in the execution. KGHarris, 9/11.

Want The Ledge (2011) Discount?

Enjoy my video review of this thriller. Here are the highlights:

What I liked: Thought-provoking questions about atheism and Christianity. What happens when the two fight head-to-head? The soundtrack was beautiful.

What could have been improved: The dialogue felt a bit forced. Cinematography left a bit to be desired.

The Ending: I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but it made a profound statement.

All in all, I enjoyed the movie. It opened a pathway of communication between my husband and I about our differing beliefs. (He's a Catholic. I am an atheist.)

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