In the romantic comedy "Trust the Man" (2006), Mendes starred with David Duchovny, Billy Crudup, Julianne Moore, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, playing what "The A.V. Club" described as a "vapid sexpot". The much criticized "Ghost Rider" (2007), based on the Marvel Comics character, featured Mendes as the love interest of the titular character (Nicolas Cage). The film fared well commercially, opening atop at the North American box office, with earnings of more than US$45 million; it eventually made over US$228 million worldwide. She starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg in the thriller "We Own the Night" (also 2007), as the girlfriend of an NYPD captain's brother. Critic Peter Travers found the film to be "defiantly, refreshingly unhip" and noted that "sizzle comes naturally" from Mendes. In 2007, she also starred in the films "Live!" and "Cleaner", both of which went unnoticed by audiences, and made an uncredited cameo appearance in the comedy "Knocked Up".