The Ledge 2011

Stephen Holden, New York Times: What undoes it is its mechanical structure: a stale dramatic formula of the sort taught in elementary playwriting classes. Read more

Sam Adams, Time Out: The dopey setup might fly in a film with more panache, but Chapman seems to think he's making a gritty indie with ideas on its mind. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: If nothing else, The Ledge is a reminder of what a terrible, terrible actress Liv Tyler is. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Chapman coaxes good performances from his cast, especially Wilson, who makes Joe's immense conflicts a matter of empathy as much as abhorrence. But Chapman doesn't have the filmmaking skills to conceal the talky, formulaic narrative. Read more

Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: An artificial drama enlivened by solid acting but dragged down by contrived melodrama over a fundamentalist nut. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: A film that's ultimately sabotaged by its own heavy-handed screenplay. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Gavin recalls his experiences while standing atop a building ready to jump; we're meant to be on edge ourselves, but the only real mystery is why Tyler took such an unrewarding role in the first place. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Unlike its talky hero, the credibility of this preposterous drama immediately plunges into the abyss. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The characters in The Ledge exist for the sole purpose of argument, and the script is too narrow to engage the viewer unconditionally. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: Can't wait until Thanksgiving dinner to witness a pointless conversation between a pompous fundamentalist Christian and a sneering atheist? Then The Ledge is the movie for you. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: Chapman's sincerity is undercut by the crudely melodramatic explanations of why his principals believe as they do. Read more

Aaron Hillis, Village Voice: Even if The Ledge couldn't be written off as a hollow polemic, there's also the lifeless drama, laughable dialogue, chintzy sets, and poor lighting to grapple with. Read more