Mr. Brooks

Upon first glance, Mr. Brooks would easily be mistaken for being a carbon copy of the 2000 film American Psycho; a film about a wealthy businessman who moonlights as a sadistic serial killer. While the main plots of the both films are very similar, the performances, the tones and the overall premise layouts are quite different. Besides, the idea of Kevin Costner playing a role totally radical from his previous films definitely stirs up the curiosity.

Costner plays Earl Brooks, a wealth…*sighs*…a wealthy businessman who moonlights as a sadistic serial killer. However (unlike American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman), Brooks no longer finds any fun in murder. He only does it because (1) it is an addiction and (2) his conscience, an imaginary friend by the name of Marshall (William Hurt) constantly nags and urges him to do it. All Mr. Brooks wants is to end his murderous habit, sell his enormously successful box company and enjoy the retired life with his wife Emma (Marg Helgenberger) and his daughter Jane (Danielle Panabaker). Unfortunately, there are a few things that will not allow him to do such. His last murder, a double homicide, not only reinstated an investigative chase led by a determined but very distracted detective (Demi Moore) but also caught the attention of a witness. Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), a neurotic voyeur who blackmails Mr. Brooks with photos of him at the crime scene.

Mr. Brooks marks Bruce A. Evans’s (who primarily serves as a screenwriter) second attempt as a director. His last film, the 1992 Christian Slater film Kuffs was a fun little ditty with a great blend of action and comedy (an underrated buddy-cop film in my opinion). Evans, who also co-wrote the script, goes the same route with Mr. Brooks, only combing it this time with suspense, over the top gore and dark humor. Like many films of its kind, Mr. Brooks is filled with plot twists and “shocking” revelations. I’m thankful to say none of the surprises and turns are clichéd or bland. They come at us when we least expect and deliver with a payoff that leaves the viewer satisfied. The subplots, which mostly involve the personal struggles of Demi Moore’s character, tie together well with the main outline and leave no sense of confusion or incompleteness. All of this is in thanks to a well-polished script and precise editing. However, the rest of the magic comes from the performances.

Fifteen years ago, Kevin Costner was at the top of the crop. Field of Dreams, Dances With Wolves, JFK and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves all brought Costner critical and commercial success, making him an elite of Hollywood celebrities. Unfortunately, a lack of public interest and a string of films that were inconsistent in quality knocked the celebrated actor down the ladder. Hopefully, after aquatic Road Warrior rip-offs, goofing Elvis-impersonator casino robber movies and sharing top credit with Ashton Kutcher, Costner is ready to make a big comeback. Because Mr. Brooks is a great start to a new beginning. There is nothing out of this world about his performance. Like he did in the roles of Ray Kinsella, John Dunbar and Jim Garrison, he embraces the role and delivers a sense of naturalism; plain and simple. While Demi Moore and William Hurt give solid supporting roles, I have to say that Dane Cook suprisingly stood out. While I feel that his routine completely falls flat in the comedic spectrum, his brash and boisterous approach fits perfectly well in the character of Mr. Smith. Maybe he should opt for roles that fit with “annoying loud guy who you want to see die” instead of “annoying loud guy who thinks he is funny”.

Supplemental extras are aplenty and they include your standard commentary track with director Evans and longtime co-writer Reynald Gideon. It’s the usual commentary, filled with production aspects and tidbits but it adds replay value. “The Birth of A Serial Killer: The Writing of Mr. Brooks” discusses the approaches Evans and Gideon took in creating the protagonist and sculpting the story and sub-plots based around him. “On The Set of Mr. Brooks” is exactly what it says it is, a basic making-of featurette. Most of the six deleted scenes are standard cutting room floor stuff but one in particular (I won’t say) actually added some depth to the plot. We also get another featurette in which Costner, Hurt and Cook discuss the finer points of their characters. Round it off with some trailers and you have a disc with a generous amount of extra stuff.

If there is any movie that can get Mr. Costner back on track, this is it! A solid performance coupled with a great script makes for an enjoyable and intelligent slasher film.