When Tom Cruise is good, he’s very, very good. But when he is bad, he’s better. Here, he gets his first chance to be truly, deeply evil. As a hit man assigned to take out five federal witnesses over the course of a night, Cruise’s Vincent is the devil in a gray tailored suit. Gone are the self-satisfied smile, the complacent tics of extraordinary stardom. He has dropped his voice to a totally different register, and with his silver-streaked hair and facial scruff, he sometimes looks like a totally different person. Casting Cruise as the villain may sound like a gimmick, but it’s the essential part of director Michael Mann’s film, which – for its first two-thirds, at least – pulsates with unpredictability and suspense. Jamie Foxx plays against type as the slightly nerdy driver of the cab Vincent hijacks. Rated: R for violence and language. Running time: 120 minutes. Rating: 3 out of 4 stars.

– Christy Lemire, AP Entertainment Writer
‘Little Black Book’

Is it possible to make a romantic comedy in which every single character is despicable – we’re talking bereft of even a shred of redeeming value – and still charm audiences? Having sat through this movie, the answer is a weary, disgruntled no. Brittany Murphy plays a daytime talk show producer who believes her boyfriend (Ron Livingston) isn’t being entirely truthful with her about his exes. Rather than behave like a rational adult, she digs through his Palm Pilot and his personal belongings, then arranges to meet the women. And we’re supposed to feel sympathy for this person? Holly Hunter plays the co-worker who pushes her to violate her boyfriend’s privacy. Rated: PG-13 for sexual content/humor and language. Running time: 106 minutes. Rating: 1 1/2 out of 4 stars.

– Christy Lemire, AP Entertainment Writer

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“Open Water” – Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water comes this story of a young married couple (Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis) left stranded in the middle of the ocean while scuba diving on vacation. Their annoyance gives way to boredom, followed by panic once the sharks start circling. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Chris Kentis and Laura Lau avoided special effects, instead choosing to shoot 20 miles off the coast amid real sea life – including real sharks – a refreshing change in this day and age of cacophonous, computer-generated nonsense. The film’s low-budget aesthetic is admirable and, at times, startlingly effective. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that you’re watching “The Blair Witch Project” on the high seas, especially during the film’s draggy stretches. R for language and some nudity. 79 min. Two stars out of four.

– Christy Lemire, AP Entertainment Writer

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