Mr Brooks

Kevin Costner, Demi Moor, Dane Cook, William Hurt

2007, Element Films and Relativity Media

Costner playes Mr. Brooks, a wealthy philanthropist who also happens to be a serial killer. Think Bruce Wayne gone horribly horribly wrong. And while I wouldn't consider it "the BEST work of Costner's career" (particularly because I think his best role ever was in Fandango) I would consider it a very good performance.

William Hurt, who is wooden at best, is great in his character as the murderous alter-ego of Costner's Mr. Brooks. Hurt is the imp of the perverse, the aspect of Brooks that makes him kill - but yet, Mr. Brooks is fully cognizant of what he is doing and thus carries full moral responsibility. Therefore, you couldn't ever say that this was a Jekyll-Hyde movie, or any MPD, for that matter, but rather, a movie about a pair of killers, who both happen to share the same body. That, for me, was the most entertaining aspect of the movie, the interplay between Mr. Brooks and Marshall (played by Hurt): they banter, they laugh together, they argue, each sees something that the other doesn't see, and they look out for each other.

The rest of the movie was, for me, extraneous - the annoying "serial killer apprentice," the Demi Moore detective, even Mr. Brooks's daughter (who "has the same disease" - meaning she's got the serial-killer gene) all that rather detracted from the addiction vs. internal turmoil theme. Or perhaps that part was just brought out so well that it made the rest of the movie pale by comparison.

Either way, it's a good movie to watch - be careful, though, it'll lull you into some moments and then hit you with some gore - well done, but surprising. (hope that's not too much of a spoiler)

VG