Mr. Brooks

Director: Bruce A. Evans Starring: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, William Hurt, Marg Helgenberger, Danielle Panabaker
Running Time: 120 min.
Rating: R

***1/2 (out of ****)

The devil is in the details. It's a phrase we hear often but I can't think of a more appropriate time to use it than in describing Mr. Brooks, easily one of the most bizarre, but fascinating films of this year. No, actually "bizarre" doesn't cover it. "Insane" is probably the better word. It reminds me how much I hate assigning movies star ratings. No star rating I could give this film would provide anyone with a better idea of what to expect going in, as it's an overcooked, overambitious spectacle you'll either love or detest with a passion.

Just look who's starring in it. Based on their track records I can't think of three actors more likely to send audiences fleeing from the theater than Kevin Costner, Demi Moore and Dane Cook. If you told me even one of those actors had starred in a movie that was somewhat decent I'd probably go into shock. That all three not only co-star in a really good one together, but two out of the three give great performances, may be cause to resuscitate me.

I get a headache just thinking about how much effort must have gone into writing a script you could argue approaches brilliance in its commitment and attention to detail. The film, which falls somewhere in between a deep psychological thriller and black comedy, also provides Costner with one of the best roles of his career. It's his most interesting, nuanced performance in years and continues his career resurgence that began with his great, understated supporting work in 2005's The Upside of Anger. The script tries to pack a little too much in but stands as further evidence that it's always better to risk failure swinging for the fences than just playing it safe. Mr. Brooks is a true original and one of the more entertaining serial killer films to come around in a long time.

Earl Brooks (Costner) is a successful business owner with a beautiful wife (Marg Helgenberger), a devoted but rebellious daughter (Danielle Panabaker) away at college and is being honored as "Man of the Year" by the Portland Chamber of Commerce. He's a pillar of the community and to those who know him he can do no wrong. But he harbors a terrible secret. An addiction. Mr. Brooks is a serial killer and he just can't help himself. Just as other addicts get their thrills from gambling, drinking or drugs, Brooks gets a rush from the kill. He knows it's wrong and he has to stop, but just can't because there's that voice inside telling him to go through with it. It'll be fun.

That voice is his sadistic alter-ego Marshall (William Hurt) and he seems frighteningly real, appearing at the most inopportune time to talk Brooks into restarting his run as the "thumbprint killer," after a two-year sabbatical. The night of his "Man of the Year" speech, he's back in action committing a grisly double murder, except this time the normally meticulous Brooks wasn't careful enough and he's spotted by nosy neighbor Mr. Smith (Dane Cook). Smith, who had an unhealthy habit of photographing his now murdered neighbors having sex, is armed with incriminating photos of that night and blackmails Mr. Brooks. But he doesn't want money. He wants Brooks to take him under his wing and show him how it's done. Together they'll commit a murder and Mr. Smith will have the learning experience of a lifetime. Brooks, not the least bit happy he has to babysit this goof, is obsessively pursued by tenacious police detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore).

Given enough sub-plots for 15 movies, she's a millionaire heiress going through an ugly divorce with a much younger man and was just taken off a big case involving another notorious serial killer. As she moves closer to discovering Brooks' identity, he struggles with another very messy situation at home with his daughter. Vowing to never kill again, Brooks must wrestle with his own demons and the lingering threat of being caught and exposed not only to the world, but most importantly, his family.

Bruce A. Evans' (who also directed) and Raynold Gideon's script for this film is so clever at times. There's no question it overreaches, but it's very rare you see a movie jam this much in and have it work so well. A big reason for that is how sharply written the title character is. Everything comes back to Mr. Brooks. We've seen plenty of serial killers onscreen before, but their psyche and motivations for murder were never played quite like this. By presenting murder as an addiction afflicting an otherwise likeable family man the movie opens up a ton of dramatic possibilities and nearly all of them are fully exploited.

What's so frightening and often times comical about the whole situation is that the gentle Mr. Brooks we see with his wife and daughter isn't all that different in demeanor from the cold-blooded "thumb print" killer. This would mark one of the few times Costner's infamous low-key, subdued presence helps a film immensely. Less is always more with Costner, an actor who was never flashy or painted with broad strokes. He's tried to be in the past and the results have been disastrous. In contrast, this is a role that suits his casual acting style and emphasizes his strengths. It's his best performance since 1993's A Perfect World.

In a great early scene we see Brooks leave his wife in bed to commit a murder and his obsessive attention to every physical detail concerning the set-up, execution and clean-up of the crime scene is fascinating. Criminologists always claim serial killers secretly want to be caught and are craving attention. For Brooks part of that may be true (especially when you evaluate his rare error at the crime scene), but mostly being caught represents his worst nightmare. While it would definitely end his murder spree he can't bare for his wife and daughter to know the truth because it would destroy them.

As Detective Atwood closes in, you can almost feel Brooks' control over the world he created for himself slipping and his alter-ego Marshall fearing for his existence. An event happens with his daughter during the course of the film (which I won't give away) that changes the way Brooks' looks at everything and forces him to do something that isn't necessarily unfamiliar, but just never presented itself in that particular context. The results are potentially life-altering for both himself, his family and his alter-ego.

The decision to have Brooks' addictive personality physically manifested onscreen is very effective, giving the film a Fight Club-like feel. That he's played by William Hurt, one of our creepiest and engaging supporting actors makes Marshall's presence that much more satisfying. I liked how Evans' and Gideon's script made Marshall smart, logical and contemplative instead of a loose cannon screaming at Brooks to kill people at every turn. Serial killers are careful and clever and this was one of the few scripts in what's become a very tired genre that accurately depicts that. The arguments Brooks and Marshall have throughout the film make sense and move the story forward, while at the same time reflect Brooks' conflicted state of mind.

While the Brooks' character is given first class treatment the same can't exactly be said for Moore's Detective Atwood. She's a little too busy with various sub-plots and story threads you're not sure will tie together by the end. Most of them do, but one doesn't. Yet, there are even flashes of brilliance with this character. How many movies have you seen where a hard-boiled cop just happens to be a millionaire? She doesn't even need the job, or any job for that matter. A lesser script would introduce her inherited wealth as a plot device for some kind of blackmail or extortion sub-plot. Not here. It instead is used to invest the character with more depth and psychologically deepen the cat-and-mouse relationship between her and the unknown killer she's pursuing. Mr. Brooks respects her and what she's doing, which just makes him more afraid. He may have finally met his match.

I can't lie and tell you this is one of Moore's best performances (she's kind of stiff) but at least she's finally taken the kind of strong lead role she usually excels at and should be playing at this stage of her career. Tough as it may be to believe, Dane Cook does really delivers here as Mr. Smith, channeling his annoying persona to a film's advantage for a change. Maybe not having the pressure of being a comedy lead reined him in, allowing him to finally fully inhabit a character. Watch the scene in the parking lot with Moore's detective trying to rattle him. Cook plays it just right. I can't say for sure another actor wouldn't have done better in the role, but he does a great job with it. Maybe if he tackled more interesting roles like this in the future he'd be known as a hard-working supporting actor instead of one of our most hated celebrities.

Will Detective Atwood capture Mr. Brooks or will Mr. Smith turn him in? Will his family find out who he really is? Can he give up a life of crime? Will he live? The movie answers all of these questions and the last half-hour of this film is impressive, somehow converging all (or at least most) of the storylines and sub-plots in a way that's not only surprising and exciting, but holds up very well logically. When the film ended I had a feeling I hadn't had in a while. I actually wanted to see a sequel. Given the movie's poor box office returns that doesn't seem likely, but if there ever is, the possibilities are endless.

Hopefully, the film's odd originality will give it a well deserved following on DVD and we'll get the next two films in the trilogy producer Costner had originally envisioned. Costner has taken a beating for years from critics and audiences for what essentially amounts to just two horrible choices (you know what they are), but overlook the fact that when he's on he's really on. It's great to finally have that Costner back, at least temporarily. There's a lot to laugh at during the overstuffed Mr. Brooks, but when you look beyond that you see a smart, original thriller that takes some big risks. Even if you hate it, you can't deny its guts.