Tom Cruise's five best movie roles

Over the past four decades, Tom Cruise has established himself as one of the most expensive actors in Hollywood. At the age of 60, he still collects huge box office receipts with action movies. For example, in the recently released dramatic action film Top Gun: Maverick, he played Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, 36 years after he first put on a military aviator uniform.

Making his big screen debut in 1981, Cruise has played many roles that have captured the hearts and imagination of audiences. In this review are five of his best movie roles.

("Top Gun"), 1986.

It is impossible not to associate Tom Cruise's name with "Maverick," undoubtedly his most recognizable role. Cadet Mitchell must overcome all sorts of obstacles at "Topgun," a special school for training elite U.S. Air Force personnel, before proving his proficiency in real-world combat situations. Directed by Tony Scott and written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. the film grossed the most money at the box office in 1986 and included spectacular footage of aerobatics. It was the first project when Cruise worked with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The collaboration brought success to both. In addition to Tom, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards and Tom Skerritt played in the picture. The Berlin band's composition "Take My Breath Away" won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

"Rain Man," 1988.

What would you do if you were a con man and discovered that your multimillionaire father had died and left an inheritance only to your autistic brother? Under such circumstances begins the story of Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) trying to take custody of his brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) to get his money. Barry Levinson's comedy road movie was well received by the American Academy of Film, awarding Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Lead Actor (Hoffman) and Best Original Screenplay. The picture also influenced pop culture by bringing a character with savant syndrome to the forefront. Raymond possesses extraordinary abilities, verbally recalculating the values of cards in blackjack at a tremendous rate. After the release of "Rain Man" to the screens the image of a genius autistic began to be exploited in many Hollywood films.

"Jerry Maguire", 1996.

35-year-old sports agent Jerry Maguire (Cruz) is fired after discovering fraudulent management schemes. He then decides to launch his own agency and work closely with Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) - Wide receiver of American soccer team called Arizona Cardinals. A romantic comedy and sports drama all in one, Cameron Crowe's own script was based on the memories of sports legend Lee Steinberg. "Jerry Maguire" is one of Cruise's most highly acclaimed works by fans and critics alike. The film received numerous American Academy nominations, including Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor for Gooding Jr. who eventually took home the coveted award. Cruise, meanwhile, received his second Best Actor Oscar nomination for the film, following a similar story with "Born on the Fourth of July" (1990).

"Mission Impossible, 1996.

The "Mission" unit must retrieve an unofficial CIA list in Prague, but is ambushed and nearly all are killed. Apparently, the only survivor of the attack, Ethan Hunt (Cruise), discovers that the emergency is due to a mole who has infiltrated the special unit and intends to do everything he can to destroy it before the end. "Mission Impossible" is one of Hollywood's most successful franchises, already numbering six film adaptations with a planned seventh installment in 2023. Like a good wine Cruise, who not only plays the lead role but produces the series, only gets better with age and over the years has tried to perform dangerous stunts personally.

"The Collateral," 2004.

The audience is used to seeing Cruz play the lead roles of mostly good guys. What was their surprise when, in the Michael Mann thriller, he played a cold-blooded killer with platinum hair named Vince. In the story, a criminal forces harmless driver Stuart Beatty (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around town to commit a series of murders. The men's philosophical discussions lead them to discover new qualities about themselves. The film also stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem and Bruce McGill. The American Film Academy again ignored Cruise's efforts, while Fox received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.