Movie reviews: Mr. Brooks (2007)

The success of the new Kevin Costner serial-killer film, “Mr. Brooks,” hangs on two misconceptions. First, Costner hasn’t made a good movie since 1993s “A Perfect World” (2005s “The Upside of Anger” was good, but it wasn’t billed a “Kevin Costner” film), and second, the serial killer genre died with Hannibal Lectre and John Doe (Kevin Spacey) from “Se7en.”

I have news for you. Throw all your false impressions out the window and give “Mr. Brooks” a chance. Like me, you will be genuinely pleased.

Costner stars as Mr. Earl Brooks, a successful businessman, generous philanthropist, loving husband to his wife, Emma (Marg Helgenberger) and a doting father to his devoted daughter, Jane (Danielle Panabaker). He is a true pillar of the community. Even the Portland Chamber of Commerce bestows him the title, Man of the Year.

Indeed, everyone’s calling Mr. Brooks Mr. Perfect, but he harbors a deep, dark, sinister secret he’s a serial killer with an insatiable desire to murder, known as the infamous and never-caught Thumbprint Killer (he leaves his victim’s thumbprints, in their own blood).

“The thing about Mr. Brooks is that he could very well be someone you know,” says director Bruce Evans, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay with his long-time partner Raynold Gideon. “We all have our dark side, but Mr. Brooks acts on his to an extreme.”

Mr. Brooks’ dark side takes shape in his cunning, nefarious alter ego, Marshall (wonderfully played by William Hurt). Though recently inactive from serial killing (he even goes to AA meetings to fight his addiction), his urge to kill is inflamed by Marshall.

So Mr. Brooks goes on his one last hunt, but commits his first great mistake. A mistake so huge, that he unwillfully succumbs to the wishes of a petulant blackmailer, Mr. Smith (the surprisingly good Dane Cook). This last crime also unleashes a persistent detective, Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore in top form) who’s on a mission to solve the real identity of the Thumbprint Killer once and for all.

I walked in on the film’s screening with low expectations and walked out of the theater enamored by the great acting duo of Costner and Hurt. They perfectly captured a conflicted serial killer’s clashing yin and yang, his id and superego, and his dueling conscience and evil impulses.

Although the movie’s first half is a pedantic cat-and-mouse thriller, the second half, after a major plot point is revealed, transforms the film into an intelligent crime-saga full of unpredictable but satisfying twists and turns. You’d be interested to find out more about Mr. Brooks’ and Marshall’s future, twisted adventures.

After watching Spider-Man battle three villains, Shrek questioning fatherhood, and Captain Jack Sparrow reaching the world’s end, I welcomed Costner’s understated performance as a charming serial killer in a movie with hardly a special effect.

I recently experienced Costner’s charm at a press day for “Mr. Brooks.” When I asked what made him attracted to the project, he said, “the story is dark, it’s smart and you laugh ten times out loud despite or because of the scariness. I thought it was a really compelling tale created out of a very hard subject.” I could not have said it better. And for that, “Mr. Brooks” gets 3 bloody kisses