Movie Review: Mr. Brooks

Starring:
Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, William Hurt, Dane Cook, Marg Helgenberger, Rubén Santiago, Danielle Panabaker

Director:
Bruce A. Evans

MPAA Rating:
R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity and language.

Release Date:
June 2007

My Two Cents:
Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner), a successful business man, lovable husband and caring father has a dark secret. While most people are addicted to alcohol or cigarettes, Earl is addicted to killing. He has suffered from this all his life but has never been caught. He even “signs” the murders by leaving bloody fingerprints of his victims, gaining the nickname of the Thumbprint Killer. His alter ego, Marshall (William Hurt), constantly tries to persuade Earl to go out and have some more fun killing, but for two straight years Earl has been “clean”.

It’s hard to go cold turkey like that, and Marshall finally convinces Earl to kill again. He murders a couple who liked to have sex with the curtains open. This time, however, he makes a critical mistake by standing too close to the window and someone from the building in front takes a picture of him. Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), the photographer, instead of going to the police asks Earl to take him along the next time he kills someone. This is tricky business as Smith has some issues, and it doesn’t help that Detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore) has been looking for the Thumbprint Killer for years and may finally have enough evidence to catch him.

This is the kind of thriller I’m always looking for. Smart, entertaining and filled with unpredictable plot twists. It doesn’t hurt to have such fine actors as William Hurt and Kevin Costner. Similar to American Psycho, Mr. Brooks stars a wealthy, successful man who doesn’t seem to be missing anything in his life, except upstairs in their head. Earl Brooks suffers from chronic schizophrenia, a mental illness characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality, most commonly manifesting as auditory hallucinations. This explains Marshall’s character and why he can’t help following his advises. He also has other issues like bizarre sexual fantasies and playing with fire. But unlike most schizophrenics the people around Earl don’t realize he is missing a screw. Unfortunately, his daughter may have inherited his killing ways, and this is something Earl has feared for 18 years.

Keep in mind that this is a psychological thriller about a serial murderer and the constant struggle with his inner demon. There’s very little action or comedy, although I did laugh a few times in scenes where Marshall tries to charm Earl to get him to do what he wants. Earl and Marshall are the same person, but it’s still awesome to see Hurt and Costner interact with each other. It’s very clear they enjoyed those roles a great deal.



Dane Cook is known for his stand up routines, but he gives a pretty good performance as the killer in training, opposite Kevin Costner. Demi Moore is a bit stiffer, but perhaps this was on purpose because detectives are jaded and apparently emotionless. She keeps her boobs hidden at all times and you could mistake her for a man it if wasn’t for her divorce subplot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Moore less feminine, not even in G.I. Jane.

It’s hard to imagine Mr. Brooks director/writer Bruce A. Evans previously wrote Stand By Me and Starman, two very different styles of movies with 100% less serial murderers. And it’s also hard to believe Mr. Brooks is not based on a novel or short story, it is completely original, exclusively for this movie. That’s very refreshing and a sign that not all Hollywood writers are interested in lame remakes of old classics.

Score: