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Movies / Upcoming / Mr. Brooks
Mr. Brooks

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Mr. Brooks (2007)

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Reviews Counted:32

Fresh:16

Rotten:16

Average Rating:5.4/10

Consensus: The setup is intriguing, but Mr. Brooks overstuffs itself with twists and subplots, becoming more preposterous as it goes along.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Detectives, Switching Roles, Thriller, Murder, Theatrical Release, Crime, Serial Killers

US Box Office: $28,424,648

Synopsis: Kevin Costner stars as Earl Brooks, a man whose seemingly perfect family and status in the community hide an ugly secret. Brooks constantly says the plea of an addict--the Serenity Prayer--but he's... Kevin Costner stars as Earl Brooks, a man whose seemingly perfect family and status in the community hide an ugly secret. Brooks constantly says the plea of an addict--the Serenity Prayer--but he's not in the grip of drugs or alcohol. Instead, his neat little bow tie belies a man with an urge to kill. Though he's staved off that desire for two years, it has returned thanks to the efforts of his evil inner voice (William Hurt, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE). He is caught in the act by a man who calls himself Mr. Smith (Dane Cook, EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH), but Mr. Smith doesn't want to turn Brooks in. The smarmy amateur photographer wants to learn from Brooks's methodical ways and become a killer himself. Meanwhile, a tough cop (Demi Moore, BOBBY) hunts for the man responsible for deaths all over Portland while she deals with issues in her own life. MR. BROOKS presents a fascinating portrait of a man at war with himself. As the devil on Brooks's shoulder, Oscar winner Hurt adeptly alternates between menace and glee, adding to a resume already replete with varied roles. Though Costner is mostly known for playing nice guys (FIELD OF DREAMS) and charming rogues (BULL DURHAM), his performance as the tortured killer is interesting to watch, and he rises to the challenge of playing a completely different character than the kind he is known for. MR. BROOKS is an engaging thriller that goes into the fractured mind of a murderer, while also delivering an intriguing maze of multiple subplots. [More]

Starring: Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Dane Cook

Starring: Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, Marg Helgenberger, Jason Lewis, Yasmine Delawari, Michael Cole

Director: Bruce A. Evans

Director: Bruce A. Evans
Screenwriter: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Producer: Kevin Costner, Raynold Gideon, Jim Wilson
Studio: MGM

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Reviews for Mr. Brooks

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1 - 13 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
08/03/07
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's more to every character than meets the eye and all the relationships have a twist

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/28/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you can stomach the psychological codswallop of a serial killer keeping the demons at bay via Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, it may well be possible to enjoy this taut-ish thriller.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/12/07
Cath Clarke
Cath Clarke
Guardian [UK]
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There’s plenty to recommend this old-fashioned serial-killer flick.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
10/12/07
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
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Although flawed, this remains a blackly funny noir treat thanks to Costner and Hurt’s double-act.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/10/07
Andrew Male
Andrew Male
Empire Magazine
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The movie is so well made, and so compelling as a portrait of a man at war with himself, that, right up until the end, many people will probably be entertained by its intricately preposterous story.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
06/04/07
David Denby
David Denby
New Yorker
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Far-fetched, flimsy and uninvolving.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
06/01/07
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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A classic guilty pleasure -- a great-looking, weirdly compelling thriller with two pedal-flooring performances from Costner and William Hurt.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
06/01/07
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Chicago Sun-Times
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If it is not as sadistic as the Saw and Hostel movies, it is as malignant in its insistence on the omnipresence of evil.

comment 1 Comment
06/01/07
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
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The film probably tilts the balance too far in favor of Mr. Brooks at the expense of the uninspired Det. Atwood.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
05/31/07
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Mr. Brooks manages to be deeply loathsome -- no small feat for a film that's shallowly amateurish.

Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | comment Comment
05/31/07
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
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What compels isn't the overwrought plot, but the simpler things, the dynamics between the actors, the avuncularity between old pros Costner and Hurt and the class condescension between Costner and Cook. It has a fascinatin' rhythm.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment 1 Comment
05/31/07
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
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It should provide discriminating audiences the antidote they seek to Clooneys-and-Caribbean fever, while giving Costner's career a considerable kick in the credibility department.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
05/30/07
John Anderson
John Anderson
Variety
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1 - 13 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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