Some time ago, I passed on information about a new feature film called The Ledge (2011) that had an atheist character as the lead. The film was written and directed by Matthew Chapman, who happens to be the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin. I finally had a chance to see it over the weekend and I have to confess that it was a big disappointment. Even though I wanted to like it, the film has so many flaws that I simply cannot recommend it anyone.
The story begins with a person standing on the ledge of a high building and threatening to jump, and consists of flashbacks as he and the police officer assigned to talk him down exchange their personal histories.
The main problem is that it is overwritten. The script is too preachy and tries to hit too many obvious points in the religion/atheism debate. It is not subtle. Furthermore, the story is highly implausible and three of the main lead characters (the atheist, the Christian, and the Christian’s wife) are unsympathetic and their portrayals (by Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson, and Liv Tyler respectively) are leaden.
The one redeeming feature in the film is Terrence Howard as the police officer who tries to talk the atheist off the ledge. He has more acting skills than the other lead actors combined and the subplot involving his character was more interesting than the main story.
I think that the best way to deal with religion in films is with humor. Religious beliefs are so preposterous and the history of religions so bizarre that it makes for ripe pickings for comedians. Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Ricky Gervais’s The Invention of Lying are good examples of how to do it.
Maybe a serious film that deals with atheism well will come along someday.
I saw The Ledge. There’s a hole in the plot you could jump through. The acting, except for Terrence Howard, is wooden (which is surprising, considering how good Liv Tyler and Charlie Hunnam have been in other movies) and the script is artificial, filled with clichéd conventions and stilted dialogue. I was unimpressed. However if a pointless conversation between a pompous fundamentalist Christian and a sneering atheist is your cup of tea then The Ledge is the movie for you.
Saw it in the video store, rented HP Deathly Hallows part 2 instead. Guess I made the right choice then. I also prefer Life of Brian over The invention of Lying though. Can’t beat the python crew.
Terrence Howard was the best thing about this film; although I did like that both the theist and atheist were flawed characters -- this could have been a much better movie.
Thanks for the review, I’ll pass.
And I just ordered up “Dogma” from our local library -- been too long since I’ve seen and enjoyed it. If you’ve not seen that one, go for it.
Actually, I had heard about Dogma but what with one thing and another never got around to seeing it. By coincidence I too just got a copy and hope to see it in the next few days.
and Dexter season 6 is the TV show for you.
I reviewed this when it came out and stated I did not like it for many of the reasons that you stated. Mainly, I thought it sucked that the lead character dies at the end. Not much for martyrdom from religious people, and even though it might not fall completely under the category, to this atheist, that is what the perception was. Two thumbs down…
“and Dexter season 6 is the TV show for you.”
Wow! Brother Sam didn’t come of as pompous to me, fundamentalist yes, but not a holier than thou arrogant character. And Dexter’s “sneering atheist” is far more nihilist, unconvinced sociopath than some pretentious atheist (even if he is technically an atheist). I have to say that, in my opinion, you seem to have oversimplified the characters as presented in season six and I don’ think they were meant to come off as the polarizing opposites you portray them as.