Herzog relishes turn as villain in new film

LOS ANGELES - Agence France-Presse

Herzog says, his character Jack Reacher is “‘he epicenter of evil.’ AFP photo

German filmmaker Werner Herzog is taking a rare turn in front of the camera as a cold-blooded murderer in the new thriller “Jack Reacher,” portraying a character he calls “the epicenter of evil.” “Jack Reacher,” the Christopher McQuarrie film which just opened in North America, sees Tom Cruise back in action mode as a former military investigator, after his detour into musical comedy with “Rock of Ages.” This is the first time that Reacher , a popular character created by British author Jim Grant (who writes under the pseudonym Child) and hero of about 20 novels , has been depicted on the silver screen. In the film, Reacher teams up with Helen Rodin, the lawyer of a sniper accused of killing five people and taken into custody. While the lead investigator wants to secure a quick confession, suspect tells the police to find Reacher.