Cruise needs a new challenge

Film review: Jack Reacher (12a)
Running time 130 minutes
Rating: ***
Tom Cruise, in the majority of his films, has two facial expressions which get him through most situations.
The first is a tightlipped, intense stare, which says: “I’m going to break all your arms and legs.”
The second is a tight-lipped half smile, which says: “I’ve just broken all your arms and legs, now how do you feel about that?”
Both expressions are employed regularly in his latest thriller feature film, Jack Reacher, the story of a shadowy, ex-military policeman operating on the edges of the law as a kind of one-man ‘A’ team, but with added violence.
Cruise plays the title role, a character who becomes involved in an apparently random set of killings by a mystery sniper in Pittsburgh. Five people – seemingly unconnected – die, and Cruise is called in by the man thought to be responsible, an ex-army sniper who is, as some say in the English constabulary, “bang to rights”.
Soon however, the evidence begins to look suspect. People start paying too much attention to Cruise and the story plunges into the depths of urban violence, bribery, corruption and civic trickery.
Helped by pretty defence lawyer Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), who just happens to be the District Attorney’s daughter, and by an ex-gunnery sergeant-turned shooting range boss (Robert Duvall), Cruise gets stuck-in to solve the mystery.
Despite some of the carping tone above, this is not at all a bad film. As a crime thriller it has a believable plot, plausible villains, and it rattles along at a good pace, helmed by Christopher McQuarrie.
The urban decay of glorious Pittsburgh is cleverly shot. There are humorous touches – though not from Cruise – and it is genuinely exciting in places.
But Cruise seems to have backed himself into an artistic corner in recent years playing strong, silent men with powerful messages to give society.
I’m sure inside this stereotype there is a far better actor waiting to get out. All he needs is the right role to challenge him, and when he does take that leap of faith in his ability, the results could be astonishing.