Mr. Brooks

Starring: Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, Marg Helgenberger
Directed by: Bruce A. Evans
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A wealthy philanthropist, Mr. Brooks (Kevin Costner) hides a terrible secret. He is also a psychopathic serial killer. As he battles his split personality (William Hurt), he attracts the attention of a cop (Demi Moore) and a man (Dane Cook) attempting to blackmail him.

Review:

Tim: This is a film that could have been wildly appealing. In fact, at several points in the movie, I saw the potential for absolutely brilliant twists. Had the movie pursued this, this film could have been great. Instead, these lost opportunities (plus one of the biggest fake-out twists ever) ruin the film’s terrific potential.

Kevin Costner does a fairly decent job as the titular Mr. Brooks. We believe him, both as a “normal” human being, and a coldhearted killer. I enjoyed Costner in this role. William Hurt, playing his imagined alter-ego, is less exciting. Hurt is a great actor, but he just doesn’t have a great deal to do here. I like the idea of presenting two different actors playing two sides to the same person, but this trick doesn’t reach its potential. It works, but not as cleanly or as effective as planned.

Dane Cook does a good job in his supporting role. It was fun seeing Cook and Costner interact together, and I liked seeing Cook in a film other a stupid comedy. He has the ability to stretch himself in these roles. Demi Moore is likewise fairly good, although she got stuck with a very weak character, and this shows on screen. I wish she had more to do and that her character was more believable.

As I mentioned, the film had some opportunities to be downright chilling and unforgettable. The plot takes some twists, but these are not as exciting nor as memorable as they could have been. The film sets up for a big finale which is actually a bit disappointing. A reliance on some cheap parlor tricks may fool the audience for a moment—but ends up only heaping on extra helpings of dissatisfaction.

Mr. Brooks has all the pieces in place to be a surprisingly good movie. As is, it is still enjoyable, but severely flawed. I still enjoyed myself, but I spent far too much energy lamented on what could have been.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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