Mr. Brooks

• 
  
  May 2, 2009

  PvtCaboose91

  "I don't enjoy killing, Mr. Smith. I do it because I'm addicted to it."
  

  
  Mr. Brooks is an intense, absorbing thriller and a stimulating addition to the interminable serial killer genre. It's a curious unification of the campy and the intellectual, of high perce

  ...( read more)ption and low psychology. Regardless of these contradictions (or perhaps owing to them), Mr. Brooks succeeds astonishingly. In the 21st century it almost certainly seems the serial killer genre has been exploited too excessively, with little originality left to explore. To date, a tiny quantity of serial killer films have spawned a truly laudable product. The only notable serial killer movies include Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, American Psycho and Zodiac, with very few in between. Mr. Brooks is fresh blood in its genre. Deriving apparent inspiration from American Psycho (and Silence of the Lambs to a trifling extent), the film is constructed on a compelling premise and an enthralling story. Addiction regularly makes for good cinema; its intrinsic drama - man vs. himself - capable of elevating the most mundane premise into a dark, engaging examination of human nature. What if killing was an unassailable addiction? This is the fundamental query Mr. Brooks sets out to deal with.
  

  
  

  "Finding someone you think would be fun to kill is a bit like, well it's a bit like falling in love. You meet a lot of candidates, and you like some of them, and they're nice. But they're not right. And that special one comes along, and your heart beats faster, and you know that's the one."
  

  
  Mr. Earl Brooks (Costner) is Portland's Man of the Year; he's a wealthy businessman (owning a lucrative box-manufacturing company) as well as a loving family man to his wife Emma (Helgenberger) and daughter Jane (Panabaker). Unfortunately, Mr. Brooks has an addiction to killing provoked by an inner voice that he beholds as a physical manifestation named "Marshall" (Hurt). Marshall is the dark side of Mr. Brooks' psyche that pines for blood and murder. Previously, Brooks' untraceable murdering earned him the title of 'The Thumbprint Killer'. Due to his utmost intelligence, Brooks has been capable of orchestrating perfect crimes without ever being caught. However for two years Mr. Brooks has attended AA meetings and controlled his fiery addiction. But on one night he relapses to his darker side. This is only the first 15 minutes...the remainder of the film chronicles the consequences of this ominous relapse. It's simply too juicy and delectable to spoil.
  

  
  With its minuscule $20 million budget, Mr. Brooks is a gripping and enjoyable thriller. The script rarely plods (despite a surplus of unnecessary subplots) as the constant fascinating twists (most of which I've opted not to spoil where other critics gleefully have) easily engage a viewer. This is director Bruce A. Evans' second outing as a director, significantly improving over his initial debut - the Christian Slater vehicle Kuffs from 1992. In spite of this prolonged absence from the director's chair, Evans manages the script-to-screen transformation with admirable dexterity. The visuals are extremely slick, generating an additional layer of interest on top of the involving screenplay. Evans wrote the script with usual collaborator Raynold Gideon (who had together penned Starman, Stand by Me and Kuffs). The clever screenplay infuses the film with witty dialogue and interpretable subplots, leading to a delightfully ambiguous conclusion (which may or may not leave room open for a sequel). Despite the psychological complexity of the human mind illustrated by the main character's dual representation, the film's approach is visceral. The murders are graphic, bloody and violent. There is also sex and semi-explicit nudity. Oddly, there's also a macabre sense of humour.
  

  
  

  "For all the taxes we pay, you'd think they'd make it more difficult to hack into the police personnel file."
  

  
  Without a doubt, Mr. Brooks is a unique picture. Never before have I beheld anything quite like this. A contrite killer yearning for a career change, a murderer attempting to conceal his gloomy actions - these themes aren't anything innovative, but the unoriginality has been effectively subverted by this poised picture. Screenwriters Evans and Gideon have constructed a devilishly shrewd yet straightforward thriller. During the process they've conceived a character genuinely addicted to killing in the classic sense. He goes to meetings, he anxiously tries to stop, but yet he can't seem to refuse his imaginary alter ego. The character of Mr. Brooks is so meticulous in his murdering that it seems impossible he'll ever be caught unless he wants someone to stop him - and this idea is explored.
  

  
  It's interesting to note that, despite the brutality of his actions, Mr. Brooks is a sympathetic character. Marshall is made the villain and Brooks a tortured soul who genuinely wants to stop but is unable due to his addiction. By splitting the man into halves, it's possible to like one and dislike the other. Earl Brooks is the ideal husband, father, and businessman. Marshall, on the other hand, is a dark creature lurking in the corner of his soul, thirsting for blood and mayhem. The film is particularly inventive in its creation of Marshall; the Hyde to Earl Brooks' Dr. Jekyll.
  

  
  Mr. Brooks is entertaining, twisted and disturbing yet gratifying from the very first frame, with thoroughly well-defined characters, a labyrinthine plot that prevents you from thinking too far ahead, and all the efficiency of a Swiss watch. The story is novelistic, with almost every character running their own individual life that ultimately comes to bear on the main events. Yet these diversions seem neither excessive nor too convenient. With so many rich characters populating the film, a satisfying conclusion is pivotal. The stunning ending wraps up everything admirably and ingeniously, exceeding all expectations. Such unpredictability is a rare element in a thriller, elevating the film's quality once again.
  

  
  There are unfortunate miscalculations - Demi Moore, for example, nearly ruins an almost perfect cast with her bland performance as the tenacious Detective Tracy Atwood. Her character's back-story (including an ugly divorce and an escaped psycho hunting her) feels contrived and unnecessary. The energy behind the camera never relents; however Atwood's history is redundant padding. Add to this the question of why a multi-millionaire would work the difficult career of a cop, let alone why she'd even continue working at all! Unfortunately, other flaws arrive in the wrapping up of Atwood's story - a nonsensical MTV-style slo-mo shootout.
  
  Moore's Atwood needed to be tauter. An audience becomes involved with Costner's charming Mr. Brooks...why should they become involved with someone else? Atwood seems like a stock character needlessly inflated to the third dimension. In an almost superfluous narrative thread, she endeavours to hunt down and apprehend the 'Thumbprint Killer' yet no actual communication between the two is established until the film approaches its climax. It only worsens things that Moore sleepwalks through most of her scenes.
  

  
  The film lives and dies by the performance of the titular central character, and Kevin Costner knocks this one out of the park! Costner is all layered nuance and imposed debonairness here, balancing a self-assured exterior with a tumultuous interior. The veteran actor commits unequivocally to the screenplay and immerses himself into the character; trusting that regardless of how vile his behaviour, a viewer will always want to see what happens next because the story is so compelling. This is a top-notch performance, and just the right thing to redeem himself for past movie misfires.
  
  As Marshall - the physical embodiment of Brooks' angst-ridden psyche - William Hurt provides a compelling, gripping window into an internal struggle. Hurt is perfect for the role. The film cleverly establishes the cinematic rules early into the game, with Costner's Earl Brooks disengaging from a conversation with a real person to mull things over with Marshall. No matter how animated the imaginary discourse becomes, it's all an intellectual exercise. Earl Brooks isn't afflicted with any sort of multiple-personality disorder...he is always in control: the most Marshall can offer is an opinion, making Brooks ultimately responsible for his actions (just like anyone with a monkey on their back).
  

  
  

  "Don't kid yourself, Earl. You're going to kill again."
  

  
  Demi Moore is the weakest link, as I said before, but the rest of the cast is fantastic. Dane Cook is incredible; his performance is out of the ordinary and this is probably his best role to date. He is no longer just the handsome leading man of Good Luck Chuck or Employee of the Month. Marg Helgenberger and Danielle Panabaker are also solid as the family of Mr. Brooks.
  

  
  

  "Why do you fight it so hard, Earl?"
  

  
  Overall, Mr. Brooks is an underrated gem of a picture featuring a gloriously original script and a pitch-perfect performance from one Kevin Costner. This is a fantastic serial killer flick; boasting sleek production values and a few mild jolts. It's a fairly flawed movie, though: there are problems in the script department at times, and Demi Moore's awful performance occasionally threatens to destroy the film. Yet the interesting injection of humanity into a serial killer makes for an interesting character, and Costner pulls it off satisfactorily. Mr. Brooks shows that if given the proper role, Kevin Costner is still a believable leading man. The film also runs at an agreeable pace; not too fast, not too slow. If you're seeking an original and compelling thriller, then Mr. Brooks is worth checking out.
  

  
  

  "Before I was the Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Smith, I killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways."

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• 
  
  February 22, 2009

  allan913

  It's hyphonic, electrifying, fantastic, memerising and pulse-pounding. A mind-blowing and breathtaking thriller. Tremendous twist and turns that you wont see coming. Wickedly brilliant, clever, unique, intelligent and endlessly bone-chilling. It has edge of your seat excitment th...( read more)at never lets up. A cool, captivating and enthralling film. Kevin Costner gives an sensational performance. This is Cosntner like you never seen him before, dark, bold and brutaly charming. One of the best performances of his career. Dane Cook is teriffic, giving a worthy and exceptional dramatic performance. William Hurt is brilliant, a sadistic and thrilling performance. Hurt and Costner are magnificent together, proving to have well-developed and rich in character chemistry. Demi Moore is exceptional. An astonishing, riveting, gripping and terifficly original film. Stylish, marvelous, freightning and truly exhilerating. Nothing short of a masterpiece. An instant classic. This film is absolutely perfect. It's a bit of Dexter and alot of American Psycho.

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• 
  
  November 23, 2008

  AgentLexi2132

  Mr. Earl Brooks: [about Mr. Smith] Maybe I should drive over there and pick him up.
  Marshall: No, just honk. Maybe he'll get killed crossing the street. Save us the mess of doing it.
  [Both start laughing. Then, Mr. Brooks honks the horn and Mr. Smith nearly gets ...( read more)hit by a car while crossing]
  Mr. Earl Brooks: Almost.
  
  A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.
  
  Kevin Costner: Mr. Earl Brooks
  
  According to interviews with Kevin Costner, this wonderful Mr Brooks is the first installment in a mysterious thrilling trilogy.
  The prayer Mr. Brooks states throughout the movie is interestingly called "Serenity Prayer" written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. This prayer is in use in Alcoholics Anonymous since the early 1940s. Mr. Brooks visits AA-meetings to curb his morbid addiction.
  Strangely enough Zach Braff was originally cast as Mr. Smith, although it could of been quite pleasing for him to do this role, in some ways.
  
  When I viewed Mr Brooks I wasn't sure what to look out for or make an assessment as to what it would be like. It had some other elements to it such as Kevin Costner's thought process and his family. The idea of putting William Hurt in this movie was incredible and very creative casting him as Kevin Costner's dual mind. This was very original in many ways and displayed something different and unique that has not been really shown before.
  The way they filmed certain parts in the car sequences really hits home into the deep psychological shots conveying both sides of a split persona.
  
  ''I don't enjoy killing, Mr. Smith. I do it because I'm addicted to it.''
  
  The best part of this movie was Kevin Costner's miraculously changing performance. His performance was probably the most unique and different compare to other serial killer movies, making his character realistic. The movie was mostly based and revolved around him it allowed for his character to develop and open up. He showed something that I would never expect from Kevin Costner. He was perfect fit because he displayed exactly how many psychopaths are: intelligent, calm and precise. He also fit perfectly because it actually made sense that someone with a personality and status like Costner's could actually be like a Jack the Ripper sort of person. He displayed how he is fighting himself(William Hurt) on whether he should kill or not. But like most psychopaths it eventually becomes repetitive and automatic. He had this obsessive compulsion of just killing people. Costner shows how he is in constant pain and just cannot escape his temptations and paranoia. It was really amazing watching him and William Hurt together. I think the ending perfectly illustrated his performance.
  
  What really ruined this movie was Demi Moore. She just did not bring anything at all to this story. She did not seem into the character and was just too average. Dane Cook was just the same diluted out of place shadow as Moore. When I look at him I think smiles and happy happenings. He was not convincing and more out of place than comedic.
  Danielle Panabaker plays the daughter of Mr. Brooks and Mrs. Brooks (Marg Helgenberger). Panabaker's younger sister, Kay Panabaker plays the recurring role of Lindsey Willows, the daughter of Catherine Willows (also played by Marg Helgenberger) on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000) for CBS.
  
  Mr. Earl Brooks: Would it bother you to kill a woman?
  Mr. Smith: No. No, an asshole's an asshole.
  
  Overall Director Bruce Evans does a wonderous job at the core of proceedings, providing a fast paced psychological thriller helped out by clever dialogue, and one of the most intelligent characters portrayed on film since Hannibal Lecter in Mr. Brooks. It's almost unreal even surreal, how resourceful, cunning and clever Costner's character is. Another thing I liked, as mentioned, was the symmetry between Costner and Hurt. The actors carry a lot of the same mannerisms into their characters, and with the help of Evans, it looks great. There are times where they will do the same movement at the exact same time. Mr. Brooks is a first rate thriller that any fan of the genre should enjoy. The plot has its twists and turns before the grand finale, which reminds the viewer that...Mr. Brooks isn't too be under-estimated or caught out...
  
  Interesting Goofs
  
  
  Revealing mistakes: When Detective Tracey Atwood's head is stitched it is a visibly huge and nasty head wound which would normally need some bandaging in addition to the stitches. However, in subsequent scenes there are no bandages visible nor is her hair shaved.
  
  Continuity: As Earl is getting out of a taxi, he walks with a cane held with his right hand for a short distance. When he reaches his car, he hooks the cane over his left arm. In the next shot, he's holding the cane in his left hand by its shaft.
  
  Continuity: When Mr. Brooks kills the first couple, the lamp inside the room is turned on. However, after he kills the couple, the room is dark and the lamp is off. The lamp later appears turned on in the photograph. The reflection of the lamp which appears turned off can also be seen right after the couple gets killed.
  
  ''Before I was the Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Smith, I killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways.''

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• 
  
  October 24, 2008

  mrpopcorn

  "The man who has everything has everything to hide."
  
  A hardened detective enters into a tenuous symbiotic relationship with the vicious serial killer she is tracking after earning the respect of the murderous madman in this vicious psychological thriller starring Demi M...( read more)oore, Kevin Costner, and William Hurt. Earl Brooks (Costner) is a successful businessman, noted philanthropist, and loving father. He's the kind of man that no one would ever suspect of being a notorious serial killer, but then again history's most dubious psychopaths are often the quiet neighbor who no one would ever suspect capable of committing such unspeakable atrocities. Until now, no one has had any reason to link Earl Brooks with the heinous crimes of the dreaded Thumbprint Killer. Even his beautiful wife (Marg Helgenburger) and teenage daughter (Danielle Panabaker) could never conceive of such an awful truth. But when Mr. Brooks's dark side begins to outshine his sane exterior, an amateur photographer (Dane Cook) captures the killer succumbing to his murderous instinct on film. Now, as Mr. Brooks is pursued by tenacious detective Tracy Atwood (Moore) and forced to bend to the will of an opportunistic bystander, the killer who was once able to keep his murderous alter ego (Hurt) in check finds his control steadily slipping.
  
  Review
  It takes Hollywood vets like WiIliam Hurt and Kevin Costner to fill the screen with such rich, nuanced characters - -- These guys are so good together they have inadvertently formed a new acting team. It should be noted that it is Costner who has really taken the chance here -- for Hurt this was a no-lose situation and an extension of his work in A History of Violence (which is not to take away from how superb he is here.) But Costner was risking looking desperate or failing at re-invention.
  
  This film is a true black comedy insofar as it is not really a comedy but the lines and the situations are so exquisitely cruel and deadpan that they become droll and you have to laugh. True the film is saddled with what was likely some executive's decision to push the police angle into Seven-ish territory, but the director is able to keep things reigned in and not lose the main focus.
  
  Demi Moore manages (barely) not to embarrass herself although admittedly her role is essentially a thankless jumble of police procedure cliché and gun-toting trailer-fodder.

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• 
  
  August 4, 2008

  EarthlyAlien

  "Finding someone you think would be fun to kill is a bit like... well it's a bit like falling in love. You meet a lot of candidates, and you like some of them, and they're nice. But they're not right. And that special one comes along, and your heart beats faster, and you know ...( read more)that's the one."
  
  
  
  There was a definite trend in the summer of '07 in the type of film coming out - particularly in the blockbuster department. Pirates 3, Spider-Man 3, 28 Weeks Later and Shrek the Third had been released wide already, and Transformers, Fantastic Four 2, Ocean's 13, and Evan Almighty were still on their way. Basically, it was a summer of sequels, remakes, and spin-offs. While I'm normally not enthused when a new Kevin Costner film hits theatres, Mr. Brooks did both look and sound like a refreshing change of pace from a season reeking of a deficit of creativity. Plus, I'd like to see if Bruce A. Evans was capable of penning another strong film on the level of Stand by Me, as most everything else he's been associated with has been crap.
  
  Mr. Brooks is a psychological thriller that follows a businessman and philanthropist (Costner) into the darkest recesses of his warped mind. Behind the scenes Brooks has a sadistic alter ego named Marshall (William Hurt) that coerces him into one final murderous rampage. However, the final act may not be as perfect as Brooks and Marshall had planned - an amateur photographer, Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), witnessed the crime in its entirety, and may or may not have the evidence to condemn Mr. Brooks. Suddenly, Brooks finds himself entangled in a dark affair with Smith, while also trying to outwit the tenacious Det. Atwood (Demi Moore) and maintain a level of secrecy about the whole affair from his family.
  
  I never thought I'd say this, regarding these two actors, but both Costner and Cook are excellent in roles that seem entirely out of the ordinary, given their career trends. Costner is cold, calculated, and even intimidating in a role that stands alone as unique among his extensive filmography. He's very believable, and the division between his social, business persona and the darker side of his personality is very impressive.
  
  Cook, best known for his risqué humour and poor choices in film roles, is a terrific average Joe character trapped in a dangerous web with the shady Mr. Brooks. It was easily the best turn of his limited filmography, and I'd love to see more of the same. William Hurt is also great in a limited role, and he's capable of carrying most every scene that he's a part of. Demi Moore, on the other hand, turns in a substandard performance. She can be very good at times, but she seems to just float through the film with a largely apathetic air around her. Basically, she seemed as if she didn't want to be a part of the film... and it shows. Besides, I've always had a hard time empathising with "female cop" characters. And it's not because of their *toughness* - I actually dig chicks capable of kicking my ass - it's just because they usually sound unauthentical.
  
  It's in the writing that Mr. Brooks loses a few additional points. Many of the characters, particularly Mr. Brooks' wife (played by another actress who's made a career playing a tough, independent cop, Marg Helgenberger from "CSI") and daughter (Danielle Panabaker) are extraordinarily clichéd and poorly developed. Moreover, much of the dialogue, aside from that of the three leading men, seems half-baked and irrelevant. I suppose my main complaint really lay in the fact that the characters outside of Brooks, Smith, and Marshall seem entirely unnecessary and useless.
  
  Overall though, I still say Mr. Brooks is a pretty decent thriller. Costner, Cook, and Hurt make great efforts to carry the film, and succeed for the most part. While it does suffer from a great deal of shabby writing and somewhat poor pacing, the suspense is genuinely gripping and the final punch hits you right in the face. The originality of the film is also quite refreshing, particularly in the context of last summer. I recommend this film wholeheartedly, and I believe most filmgoers will be pleasantly surprised. A very good score by young German Composer Ramin Djawadi, too.

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• 
  
  November 3, 2009

  DOGGREEN

  Very well crafted.One of Kevin Costner's best performances. Great thriller.

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• 
  
  October 30, 2009

  harret1972

  Superb film. Who'd have thought it - Kevin Costner and Demi Morre (who are past their best in most peoples eyes) coming up trumps here in this really stylish thriller.
  
  Costner and Hurt play fantastically together as the conflicting parts of Brooks' personality. This was origio...( read more)nally the first of a trilogy. Lets hope the rest are made and of this quality.

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• 
  
  October 24, 2009

  dukeakasmudge

  For once the reviews were right.....This movie was a dud

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• 
  
  October 22, 2009

  ruba1029

  it's a mix of a mystery with psychological thriller kind of film , i enjoyed it a lot , i mean Mr. Brooks is one sick guy - addicted in killing random people - this whole movie was well built with a witty script and good editing + Kevin Costner & Demi Moore's comeback in a movie ...( read more)that i liked . but i think there was no need for the sex scene in the beginning , now i can't let my young friends see this ...

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• 
  
  October 15, 2009

  spacecasefukface

  awesome thriller..this movie could of been mediocre if not for costner and hurt
  the only downside to this film is demi moore and the lousy gun battle near the end ugghhhhh...

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View more Mr. Brooks reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

• 
  July 20, 2008

  perfectgentlemn

  Excellent... I loved it. I think Kevin Costner is overrated usually, but this movie is really excellent. Enjoy !! :-)
• 
  July 1, 2008

  JazzDiab

  brilliant!!!!!!... weird... amazinggggggggggggggggggggggg
• 
  May 18, 2008

  tati3547

  AWWWWWSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! I LOVE DIS MOVIE EVEN THO ITS FREAKY. I NEVER KNEW DANE COOK WAZ IN IT THO...
• 
  May 18, 2008

  jsniezek

  brilliant movie!!! well recommended!!!
• 
  November 18, 2007

  abl1990

  Twisted movie biut i recommend it
• 
  November 8, 2007

  markggroesbeck

  Who is Mr. Brooks? He's the "Man of the Year," and also the Thumbprint Killer, (Kevin Costner). An alluring thriller! Great performances by William Hurt as the alter ego, Demi Moore as an investigator, and Dane Cook as a blackmailer who frames Mr. Brooks into taking him along on a murder.
• 
  November 2, 2007

  habidaus4u

  ITS HORRIBLE BUT I LOVE IT
• 
  September 25, 2007

  aqueelahflorence

  it was a great movie
• 
  August 14, 2007

  Hanzferre

  Great movie...worth watching. A movie that makes u smile after watching to show how much u really enjoyed it.
• 
  August 4, 2007

  r46jkfhmj

  It's been a while since I've actually enjoyed a movie that involved Costner. The entirety of this movie was done well. It was psychotic without being overzealous, smart without being pretentious, and subtle without being boring.

• Dane Cook
• Danielle Panabaker
• Demi Moore
• Jason Lewis
• Kevin Costner
• Marg Helgenberger
• Steve Coulter
• William Hurt

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

• 
  Fight Club (53%)
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  Hannibal (58%)
• 
  The Silence of the Lambs (60%)
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  Perfect Stranger (100%)

• In Mr. Brooks, what is Mr. Brook's first name?  Answer »
• William Hurt plays Kevine Costner's evil alter ego in Mr. Brooks. In which 1983 film starring Hurt was Costner supposed to play a dead friend in flashbacks, before having his role cut out?  Answer »
• What actor played in the following films? Mr. Brooks Waiting Torque Stuck on You  Answer »
• What is the character's name played by William Hurt in the movie "Mr. Brooks"?  Answer »

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