‘Digger,’ Tom Cruise’s Comeback Vehicle, Is Haunted by the Ghost of the Old Tom Cruise
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new film, "Digger," marks a significant departure for Tom Cruise, offering what some consider his most interesting movie in 15 years. However, it remains to be seen if this will ignite the career renaissance Cruise appears to be seeking.
In "Digger," Cruise’s portrayal is a far cry from his usual action-hero persona. He struts, swears, and swaggers, speaking loudly in various registers, including screaming, hollering, roaring, and bellowing. He plots and purrs, stretches his fingers, and gently pats a prosthetic belly, designed to make him appear as a man in his mid-60s. (Cruise himself is 64.) This performance sees him reaching for something other than the skids of an escaping helicopter. While not necessarily his best acting, it is certainly the most acting Cruise has done in a long time, and his first film in nearly 15 years that isn't an action movie. This period began after "Rock of Ages," a 2012 musical that even his co-star Alec Baldwin described as "horrible" and a "complete disaster." Furthermore, "Digger" is the only film in a long time where Cruise isn't playing a hero, either regular or anti. He hasn't been a funny bad guy since "Tropic Thunder" or a bad-guy bad guy since "Collateral."
