Mr. Brooks

I watched a movie today. I have time now that I don’t have a car and am stuck at home. It’s a rough life, I know.

Anyway, Mr. Brooks stars Kevin Costner, William Hurt and Demi Moore. I’m sure there are other recognizable stars I could mention, but I’m not going to.

It’s an action-filled drama about a serial killer/man of the year (Costner) and a soon-to-be divorced detective/millionaire who won’t rest until all her cases are solved (Moore). Hurt plays Costner’s alter ego…you know, the one that’s constantly encouraging murder from the back seat. The premise was less than original and yet I found the film to be intriguing at times and it kept me engaged for over two hours, which is always an accomplishment for my A.D.D. mind.

I found myself liking Mr. Brooks (typically I’m not a fan of Costner). But, I guess I’m drawn to folks who out-smart everyone. So, perhaps that was a cheap trick on the writer’s part. The scenes between Costner and Hurt were interesting. It was a not-so-subtle reminder of how crazy Mr. Brooks really was! I was annoyed by it at first, but then the two of them grew on me.

I didn’t really understand Moore’s character. There was just too much going on with her. We find out that she’s extremely wealthy and yet she’s opted to be a cop. She’s in the middle of a divorce. A convict (aka The Hangman) has escaped from prison and is after her…for putting him away, of course. Oh and she’s tracking the Thumbprint Killer. In the end, all things are loosely tied together. But, it was a bit of a stretch.

Speaking of a stretch…the other thing that bothered me was the fact that serial killing is apparently genetic. We find out halfway through the film that Mr. Brook’s daughter has dropped out of school not because she’s pregnant, but because she’s killed someone with a hatchet. Hmm.

BUT, even after the ridiculous plot twists, I still liked it. I almost can’t explain it. Like I said before, I’m usually not a fan of Costner. But this role worked for him. Perhaps it’s because you have to be emotionless to be a serial killer. So his mono-tone script reading made his character believable. I don’t know.

It’s worth a look.

Tags: movie review, Mr. Brooks