No limits for Tom Cruise

Catherine Albers, Jai Courtney.
Director: Christopher Maggarrie
Cinema: Eastgate
Running time: 131 minutes
Type of film: Crime/Mystery
Age restriction: 16
IN deference to the suggestion that reviewers should make full disclosure when rating a film, I confess and announce that I am not one of the millions who revere and swallow anything which Tom Cruise puts before them.

As the producer of this film the man who puts up the money Tom Cruise’s ideas, suggestions, whims were responded to unquestion9ingly. And they show now 51 years of age, our Tom is a Hollywood icon.

On the other hand, the plot contains one meritorious fillip which absolves it of all criticism. To my knowledge, no assassin has ever previously availed himself of this ploy to divert suspicion away from himself.

James Barr (David Oyelowo) is hired to kill a man who has failed to repay a debt. He chooses a unique place and time to carry out his assignment. He parks across a narrow streamlet and, with a rifle, shoots and kills five single individuals walking along on the other side.

The police investigation is baffled, unable to find any l ink between or among the victims; and, therefore without any apparent motive, are unable to open an investigation.

But even here there is an extra twist which gives some spice to the plot. The killer, it is ultimately revealed, had parked his car alongside a parking meter and had dutifully deposited the quarter (a 25-cent piece). It took a while into the film, but the police, in possession of the coin, came to realise that the fingerprint on it would be of great value in identifying the killer.

And so, we the audience were led down a long and Tom Cruise-tortuous road before it is revealed that, on the coin, the fingerprint of another person – one on which the gang wished to take revenge had been placed.

Meanwhile, Tom Cruise, as Jack Reacher, has offered his services to the beauteous defense attorney (Rosamund Pike), as Helem who happens to be the daughter of the District Attorney (Richard Jenkins ) and one who looks to our hero, Tom (as Jack Reacher ), to help her free her client.

Here, the film slides sidewise as Helen hopelessly and helplessly falls in love with Our Tom who deals with her as if she were sexually invisible. In one scene, Tom, almost nude, approaches her as she stands hoping for and waiting for “the expected.” Our Tom just walks right on by her – and the expression on her face is worth the price of admission.