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Mr. Brooks

Mr. Brooks 2007

The magnificent Kevin Costner stars as Earl Brooks, a successful businessman and family man who has thus far concealed his alter-ego, the ‘Thumbprint Killer’. Neither his wife or daughter could conceive of the truth. But as Mr. Brooks succumbs to one more murderous urge, an amateur photographer (Dane Cook) witnesses the crime. Suddenly Brooks finds himself trapped in the twisted agenda of an opportunistic bystander, as well as hunted by an unorthodox and tenacious investigator, Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore).

Starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, William Hurt, Marg Helgenberger, Danielle Panabaker

Directed by Bruce A. Evans

Written by Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon

Thriller, Crime | 2hr 2mins | Rated (R16) | Violence, Offensive Language & Nudity | Origin: USA

Flicks review

  • We’ve had serial killers as central characters before, but never presented in such a gleefully silly way as this. Earl Brooks has a handful of little eccentric calling cards: a bloody thumbprint (not his, we presume) and a thorough vacuuming of the crime scene - As Demi Moore’s character later explains, he only kills victims who own vacuum cleaners.

    It’s easy to pass off poor old Kevin Costner as a relic of the early nineties. Sure, we know he’s been in a lot of flops, some of them self-directed, but how many of those bombs have we actually seen ourselves? Not many, I’ll wager. Kevin’s been given a rough deal. So it’s a testament to the man’s work-ethic and integrity that he puts his heart and soul in this picture, delivering a performance which offers more than the loopy script deserves.

    The tone of the film wobbles wildly at the beginning. Is it serious? Is it silly? It’s not helped by a pornographic sex scene in the first twenty minutes (I’m not complaining – it just seems a bit self-indulgent) and Mrs. Brooks being a hot-but-no-fun wife who always wants to discuss problems. The first murder is just plain nasty, and it’s laughable in the wrong way when Mr. Brooks then does a trance-like dance with his arms in the air. Yes, he’s one of those murderers.

    But on the flip-side, as Chief Executive of Silliness there’s William Hurt as Marshall, Mr. Brooks’s imaginary ‘alter-ego’. Is it a good thing when the best character is not even real? He’s got some good one-liners and a willful attitude, and the audience liked him. Then Dane Cook arrives as a scruffy weirdo with blackmailing on his agenda. That’s when the plot starts having a bit of fun with itself. The ‘you kill him, and then I’ll kill you’ type theatrics are a bit odd, and the story starts veering off on wild tangents (Q:“How did you get the key to a graveyard?” A:“I own it”).

    You’ve kind of given up objecting to the flippant approach to serial killing when suddenly a major plot twist hits about two-thirds in. At this point, believability has also been butchered. We sink into our seats, curious to see how this odd story will resolve itself. Maybe Demi Moore’s subplot will play a part? Nope, it doesn’t. (While on that subject, I’ll argue that Moore’s been put in the same has-been basket as Kevin Costner – get her out quick, she’s underrated).

    But somehow the film never sinks into the ‘terrible’ category. It moves at a brisk pace and the acting is above average. I liked it, but can’t clearly work out why. Sorry.

    By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz

 Our Rating       3

The Peoples voice

  • Clever

     5

    OMG the best movie I've seen all year keeps your mind ticking a definite must see!!!!!

    By NICOLA

  •  4

    I liked this movie. It's great to see something a bit different.

    By Shelley Smithies

 Collective Voice    0000000000004.50

Your review has been posted, you have spoken, and for that we thank you. – Ed.

Tell us all that is right or wrong with this flick:

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Press Reviews

  • NZ Herald [Peter Calder]

    3 3 out of 5 stars

    Promising killer thriller becomes a cluttered and messy disaster...
    Click to read the full review

  • San Fransisco Chronicle

    The appeal of Mr. Brooks is as obvious as it is hard to resist: Kevin Costner as a serial killer...
    Click to read the full review

  • The Christchurch Press [James Croot]

    2 2 out of 5 stars

    1/2 Evans's use of light and shadow is the one real bright spot, giving the film an air of menace that the rest of the movie can't sustain. The scariest things about Mr Brooks are the main character's collection of bow ties and that the creators are promising two sequels...
    Click to read the full review

  • The Hollywood Reporter

    The film feels sleazy and nasty --- but without the pulp kick of filmmakers who know how to do sleazy and nasty...
    Click to read the full review

  • Variety [USA]

    Mr. Brooks is most effective when it's dealing with Earl and his conscience. Hurt and Costner are terrific together as two sides of the same personality and, again, the casting is what it's all about...
    Click to read the full review

  • Village Voice [USA]

    Bloody disappointing...
    Click to read the full review

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