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, Sam Worthington out on that 40th-story ledge. He’s a fairly tough-looking guy, after all, and we know him best as the tooth-gritting blockbuster hero of ‘Avatar’ and ‘Clash of the Titans,’ so it’s head-spinning to see the man’s beefy figure as a speck hovering so precariously close to New York’s infinite sky. The camera swirls around Worthington’s disgraced former cop Nick Cassidy, inching out past that thin strip of architecture, then back in. What if he trips, or jumps? For a while, anything seems possible, and it’s both exhilarating and terrifying. Then the wool comes off, and it’s clear that director Asger Leth and screenwriter Pablo Fenjves have ambitions considerably less grand than their protagonist’s perch. Cassidy’s ledge game — with all the studio-unfriendly moral ambiguities it entails — is just a con, a photo op for the crowds, and Nick’s apparent desire to exit the material world is a front. What he truly, passionately wants to do is steal some jewelry.” — Andrew Lapin, NPR The Impact of Practical Effect “I, on the other hand, was gripping anything in reach, palms dripping, thinking I might not have survived the effects had they been 3-D. Though there were other production sites, serious time was spent actually shooting on that 14-inch ledge wrapping the 21st floor of the Roosevelt Hotel to create the vicarious sensation of being there. Which worked frighteningly well, at least for the vertiginous among us. Oh, that the actual human dynamics of the unfolding story could have been as dramatic, as on the edge as that ledge.” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times The Direction “Mr. Leth, the son of renowned Danish documentarian Jorgen Leth, has directed only one other film, ‘Ghosts of Cit
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, Sam Worthington out on that 40th-story ledge. He’s a fairly tough-looking guy, after all, and we know him best as the tooth-gritting blockbuster hero of ‘Avatar’ and ‘Clash of the Titans,’ so it’s head-spinning to see the man’s beefy figure as a speck hovering so precariously close to New York’s infinite sky. The camera swirls around Worthington’s disgraced former cop Nick Cassidy, inching out past that thin strip of architecture, then back in. What if he trips, or jumps? For a while, anything seems possible, and it’s both exhilarating and terrifying. Then the wool comes off, and it’s clear that director Asger Leth and screenwriter Pablo Fenjves have ambitions considerably less grand than their protagonist’s perch. Cassidy’s ledge game — with all the studio-unfriendly moral ambiguities it entails — is just a con, a photo op for the crowds, and Nick’s apparent desire to exit the material world is a front. What he truly, passionately wants to do is steal some jewelry.” — Andrew Lapin, NPR The Impact of Practical Effect “I, on the other hand, was gripping anything in reach, palms dripping, thinking I might not have survived the effects had they been 3-D. Though there were other production sites, serious time was spent actually shooting on that 14-inch ledge wrapping the 21st floor of the Roosevelt Hotel to create the vicarious sensation of being there. Which worked frighteningly well, at least for the vertiginous among us. Oh, that the actual human dynamics of the unfolding story could have been as dramatic, as on the edge as that ledge.” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times The Direction “Mr. Leth, the son of renowned Danish documentarian Jorgen Leth, has directed only one other film, ‘Ghosts of Cit
“I enjoy these strange and possibly creepy videos, although I’m not entirely sure why — there’s something weirdly special about memorializing a child’s untimely death with clips of her sliding across the floor in a football helmet or staring round-eyed into strobing TV static. As camp artifacts they’re unbeatable, but occasionally music and image collide just right and I get a little choked up, despite myself.” [ The Hairpin ]
It’s so hard to find a reasonably enjoyable thriller these days that anything with a marginally intriguing premise and fewer than 10 plot holes has come to seem like a minor miracle. Man on a Ledge might have been that kind of modest miracle: Sam Worthington stars as Nick Cassidy, a pissed-off ex-cop who’s been convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Somehow – and the whole of Man on a Ledge deals with the whys and wherefores of that somehow – he springs himself from Sing Sing, suits up in some phenomenally nice-looking threads, and checks himself (under an assumed name) into a room on one of the upper floors of a midtown Manhattan luxury hotel. After a room-service breakfast of champagne, lobster and French fries, he creeps out onto the ledge and greets the cops who respond to the call with some very specific demands. Chief among those requirements is that he’ll speak with only one NYPD psychologist, Lydia Spencer (Elizabeth Banks). Spencer has been having a rough time on the force of late: When we first see her, she’s barely able to rouse herself from her bed – she’s having some sort of killer morning after, and her messy tumble of blond hair makes her look like a discarded Barbie doll. Cassidy, of course, has specific reasons for wanting to speak with Spencer. And even if he makes her day tougher than it was at the beginning, it’s clear from the way her superiors order her around – they include a sarcastic nutbuster played by Edward Burns and Titus Welliver as an overly caricatured, gum-chewing NYPD bossy-pants – that they don’t take her as seriously as Cassidy does. Somewhere in there, Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez sneak around as part of a carefully orchestrated plan to… well, to tell you too much would give the game away, but it involves a giant honker of a diamond that Cassidy supposedly stole from a loathsome Donald Trump type (played with great relish by Ed Harris, who usually gets to portray only principled guys). Meanwhile, Cassidy’s close friend and former partner (played by Anthony Mackie), frets about Cassidy’s fate. Because Cassidy is, after all, clinging somewhat daintily to a narrow strip of stone some 20 stories off the ground: This is a guy who doesn’t care if he lives or dies as long as he ultimately proves his innocence. And as you watch Man on a Ledge , you’ll have good cause to wonder why he’s going to such extremes. Director Asger Leth (son of Danish filmmaker Jørgen Leth and also the director of the 2006 documentary Ghosts of Cit
Liam Hemsworth turned 22 years old last week and those close to the actor celebrated with a party Saturday evening at Club Icon in Los Angeles. It was your basic festive occasion, with one notable exception that is now making headlines for Miley Cyrus: the singer, reported by onlookers to have been drinking heavily all night, got up close and VERY personal with her boyfriend’s birthday cake. Which was shaped like a penis. TMZ has posted photos of Miley squatting, sticking out her tongue and posing provocatively at the base of the phallic creation. At this point, we almost admire Cyrus for legitimately not caring what others say about her. Consider just a few of her actions when cameras were around: She smoked salvia out of a bong . She joked about being a pot head . She posed both topless and in weird poses with her dad for Vanity Fair . What do you make of Miley’s latest antics? Just a young gal having fun? Or another example of the role model not understanding her influence on fans? [Photo: WENN.com]
Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern will put anything in his mouth, so perhaps it’s not a huge surprise that he’s not afraid to open it when it comes to Paula Deen. Deen’s controversial decision to hide her diabetes from her fans, then reveal it only in conjunction with shilling a diabetes-fighting drug, hasn’t sat well with many. Anthony Bourdain , for one. Zimmern, for another. The Travel Channel star revealed his thoughts on Deen to Anderson Cooper, saying the circumstances surrounding her diabetes diagnosis speak for themselves. “I famously came out last year against a whole bunch of cooks – not just Paula Deen – and what they cook and what they stand for,” Zimmern told Anderson. “I have a tremendous platform and responsibility to talk to people about issues, about sustainability and about health and wellness when it comes to food.” “I think it became a much more personal thing when she found out she had diabetes. I can’t judge what you do when you get that news, that’s up to Paula.” Asked if he would keep cooking fattening food, as Deen did for years, if he had received a similar diagnosis, the Bizarre Foods host answered diplomatically. “Personally, I change my diet every time I find out something new,” he said. “I famously tasted shark fin soup many years ago before we knew exactly what was going on with the harvesting of sharks. I’ve consequently come out against it.” “I make personal choices in my life and stand behind them.” “I am very much a person who likes to change with the times. Education is what it is all about,” he explained, declining to publicly condemn Deen. The general public, by and large, has not reacted as evenly. Deen is reportedly incredulous over the backlash she’s received since coming clean earlier this month, which has been considerable to say the least.
NBC’s highly-touted Wonder Woman remake never even got picked up last year. Now we think we know why. No offense to Adrianne Palicki, who we adore. But perhaps Miranda Kerr would have been a better choice to channel as the titular Woman of Wonder. Case in point? The Aussie supermodel dons the comic character’s famous shorts, bustier, bracelets and tiara in the latest issue of Grazia magazine (below): As for why the magazine decided to do this? Who cares, really. But the creative director says : “We’re taking a big risk because Wonder Woman is a global icon and not just anyone could pull it off. But Miranda is an Australian icon herself.” “She’s the star who, time and time again, our readers say they most admire; a businesswoman, a wife, a mum. Year after year, she is our wonder woman.” Consider us convinced and in a state of wonderment over those legs.
The actor also spoke with MTV News about the ‘very subtle’ use of 3-D in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Joel Edgerton Photo: MTV News PARK CITY, Utah — Joel Edgerton could tell you about Kathryn Bigelow ‘s untitled Osama Bin Laden movie, but then he’d have to kill you. OK, perhaps it’s not as dramatic as all of that. Still, the “Wish You Were Here” actor spoke briefly with MTV News about starring in the Navy Seal thriller alongside Chris Pratt and Jessica Chastain , and while he’s “very excited” to start shooting the film, his lips are sealed on the top-secret op. “I can’t really tell you anything about it,” he told MTV during the Sundance Film Festival . “I don’t know that I can’t tell you anything about it, but I’d be very ill informed to talk about it at this point. But I’m just excited to work with all of those guys.” Edgerton was much more inclined to talk about “The Great Gatsby,” Baz Luhrmann ‘s upcoming adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic. The Australian actor, who stars in “Gatsby” as drunken socialite Tom Buchanan, spoke at length about Luhrmann’s “very subtle” use of 3-D in the film. “3-D is absolutely the right thing for [the film],” said Edgerton. “I’ve seen sections of the movie and it sort of invites you in. It’s not like spectacle 3-D; you’re not being confronted by things blowing at your head. But it invites you in. What it does psychologically is very interesting, and I think you’ll forget you’re watching 3-D.” “Also, it’s lavish,” he continued. “That era was so lavish. The ’20s was about excess, so why not add a bit of excess to the filmmaking as well?” For those who remain skeptical of the use of 3-D in “Gatsby,” Edgerton expects negative opinions to change when the movie is released this December. “Baz knows absolutely everything he’s doing,” he said. “I’m really excited for all the people [groaning] about 3-D to see the movie. I hope everybody is crossing their arms and frowning to begin with, because I think they’ll unfurl by the time they see it.” What do you think of the use of 3-D in “The Great Gatsby”? Sound off in the comments! The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance. Related Videos Sundance 2012: Interviews From Park City Related Photos Sundance 2012: MTV Celebrity Photo Booth Celebrities Hit The Ground At Sundance 2012 Film Fest
The actor also spoke with MTV News about the ‘very subtle’ use of 3-D in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Joel Edgerton Photo: MTV News PARK CITY, Utah — Joel Edgerton could tell you about Kathryn Bigelow ‘s untitled Osama Bin Laden movie, but then he’d have to kill you. OK, perhaps it’s not as dramatic as all of that. Still, the “Wish You Were Here” actor spoke briefly with MTV News about starring in the Navy Seal thriller alongside Chris Pratt and Jessica Chastain , and while he’s “very excited” to start shooting the film, his lips are sealed on the top-secret op. “I can’t really tell you anything about it,” he told MTV during the Sundance Film Festival . “I don’t know that I can’t tell you anything about it, but I’d be very ill informed to talk about it at this point. But I’m just excited to work with all of those guys.” Edgerton was much more inclined to talk about “The Great Gatsby,” Baz Luhrmann ‘s upcoming adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic. The Australian actor, who stars in “Gatsby” as drunken socialite Tom Buchanan, spoke at length about Luhrmann’s “very subtle” use of 3-D in the film. “3-D is absolutely the right thing for [the film],” said Edgerton. “I’ve seen sections of the movie and it sort of invites you in. It’s not like spectacle 3-D; you’re not being confronted by things blowing at your head. But it invites you in. What it does psychologically is very interesting, and I think you’ll forget you’re watching 3-D.” “Also, it’s lavish,” he continued. “That era was so lavish. The ’20s was about excess, so why not add a bit of excess to the filmmaking as well?” For those who remain skeptical of the use of 3-D in “Gatsby,” Edgerton expects negative opinions to change when the movie is released this December. “Baz knows absolutely everything he’s doing,” he said. “I’m really excited for all the people [groaning] about 3-D to see the movie. I hope everybody is crossing their arms and frowning to begin with, because I think they’ll unfurl by the time they see it.” What do you think of the use of 3-D in “The Great Gatsby”? Sound off in the comments! The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance. Related Videos Sundance 2012: Interviews From Park City Related Photos Sundance 2012: MTV Celebrity Photo Booth Celebrities Hit The Ground At Sundance 2012 Film Fest
We’re keeping an eye on Teresa’s three upcoming projects: ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘AWOL’ and ‘Warm Bodies.’ By Kara Warner Teresa Palmer in “Wish You Were Here” Photo: Hopscotch Films Amazingly enough, our week of Ones to Watch in 2012 profiles is coming to an end. Over the past few days, we’ve highlighted a few of the stars who we feel will make the biggest impact in Hollywood this year. They are the rising stars of action, drama and blockbusters, who have the potential to be future award winners. The latest One to Watch is Aussie-born beauty Teresa Palmer, who fits into all of those categories and has not one, but three movies in which audiences can see her this year: the Australian indie and official Sundance Film Festival selection “Wish You Were Here” opposite Joel Edgerton, ’60s-set war drama “AWOL” with fellow Aussie and One to Watch Liam Hemsworth and “Warm Bodies,” a zombie romance based on Isaac Marion’s acclaimed novel. MTV News was lucky enough to catch up with Palmer recently to talk about her expectations for the year and what she loves most about her upcoming films, as well as the status on Six and that “I Am Number Four” sequel. MTV News : With the new year just getting started, do you have any specific goals or expectations for yourself? Teresa Palmer : Every year, I write a very elaborate journal, which I find to be very therapeutic and such a nice tool to have. This year, my New Year’s resolutions and goals, I had eight pages worth of stuff. Mainly it was goals that I’ve set for myself, and I know it’s going to be a busy year. I’m sure it’s going to be full of peaks and valleys, but I tend to do that every year and stick to what those goals are. MTV : We’ve seen you in plenty of films before this year, but how is 2012 different from other years? Palmer : This is the first time I’ve had three films come out in a year. I’m really excited because I’ve balanced between doing a big studio film, which I’ve been doing a lot in the last few years, with a cool independent. I have a cool independent film coming out called “Wish You Were Here” with Joel Edgerton and it’s Australian, which is super exciting for me because I haven’t been back to Australia to work in a few years. And then of course I have “Warm Bodies” coming out in August and then I have a period piece which is a much smaller movie again, set in the 1960s around the Vietnam war, called “AWOL,” and that’s with Liam Hemsworth. They’re just very different characters. I couldn’t really draw any similarities between the three girls that I play, and that’s certainly a draw card for me when I select the project. It’s just exciting, the diversity in the roles this year. It’s great. MTV : We’ve been following “Warm Bodies” for a while now. It’s a very different film from what people think. How do you describe it? Palmer : “Warm Bodies” is a truly unique zombie film. Yes, it has those elements of a zombie movie, and for those who embrace that genre, they’re not going to be disappointed because we have a lot of those typical action sequences in zombie films, but really, at the heart of the story is this relationship between R and Julie, and it’s unlike anything I think you’ve seen on film before. It’s so sweet, and there’s a lot humor. It really is, believe it or not, grounded in a reality. I think people can absolutely relate to R, who plays our lovable zombie. He’s an outsider, and it’s very much an “Edward Scissorhands”-type story and it’s really beautiful how this romance blossoms. It was such a strong script and truly very special, and that’s what drew me to the project in the first place. It’s just exceeded my expectations throughout filming, and the little of what I’ve seen I’m really excited about, I think more so than any other film I’ve been in, which is a great step for me. And I get to see a lot more when we start doing in a few weeks. MTV : How would you describe the look of the film? Palmer : It’s a dark, bleak world. There are 400 humans left in society, so it’s very much that postapocalyptic world. Empty streets, a huge deserted airport, which always makes for an interesting backdrop. There’s a lot of beauty, though, and it surrounds. I think another character in the film really is the music; it’s celebrated in our movie. It’s just a very eclectic film in the way that we have eccentric pieces and really interesting graffiti that maybe not everyone will notice, but so much effort was put into the look of the film, the backdrops and sets and just the feel of it, that I think it’s going to be really interesting on film. We have the production designer who did “Super 8,” among a bunch of other films, and it is really epic. MTV : Is there room for a sequel, or do you feel it’s a standalone film? Palmer : I would love, love to go back and play Julie. I certainly already miss R, and I said to [director] Jonathan Levine just recently “I miss them both so much.” I miss R’s sweetness and how beautiful he is to Julie and how much he takes care of her. He’s struggling so much with being bottled up in a zombie, he doesn’t like his existence in that way, and we sort of help each other to grow. I love that. I would be so excited to do another film. At the moment, it lends itself to the one film, but we all sat around drawing up possible ideas in the air, and Isaac Marion was on set with us, and he said he has a couple of ideas. If anything, there might be a prequel, but right now, it’s a standalone film. I guess it just depends. MTV : Have you had any more discussion on the character of Six and a sequel to “I Am Number Four”? Palmer : I have been poking around asking about that a little bit. I think of all the films I’ve done so far, that’s the character who is most celebrated to me. I meet people who come up to me on the street and say all my lines from “I Am Number Four” and they really loved Six, which is exciting. I’ve been asked that question a lot recently; I really don’t know. I think at the moment, there are no plans to make a sequel, which is a bummer, but you never know. It really depends on how all those sales go, the DVDs and those numbers. It’s a money game, I guess, so we will see, but I would love to play her again. What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos 2012 Ones To Watch
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