Here are two things to know about Mr. Brooks going in: 1) Demi Moore plays a millionaire cop, and 2) that's one of the less ludicrous elements.
Mr. Brooks (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:149
Fresh:83
Rotten:66
Average Rating:5.7/10
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, Crime, Serial Killers, Theatrical Release
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
Reviews for Mr. Brooks
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.
Slickly shot, coolly edited, oozing dark, deadpan humor, Mr. Brooks finds Costner at the top of his game. His moves are subtle, his expressions flat, his emotions clamped down, contained.
Mr. Brooks proves an unusual, occasionally awkward blend of suspense, drama and camp that's surprisingly fun.
This is one of those slick, violent, ridiculous Hollywood jobs that make little sense as a story, a comment on life, or a depiction of characters, but are moderately enjoyable in their spinning of movie conventions.
If you broke down Mr. Brooks in terms of structure, twists and momentum, you might give it high marks. The thing does move. To where is the problem.
The movie has the air of a project that kicked around Hollywood for years earning periodic praise from bleary-eyed script readers duped by its labored quirkiness and from former matinee idols eager to reinvent themselves as brooding method actors.
Mr. Brooks begins promisingly, but it grows steadily more preposterous as it goes along, becoming the first feel-good serial-killer movie.
There's so much unexamined rage in Mr. Brooks that the movie plays like a training video for psychotherapists.
The film is overburdened with plot elements (yet misses various continuity details).
What's interesting in Evans's approach is the low-key expression of [a] classic concept.
Ever wondered why movies made in Hollywood seem to appeal to increasingly dumber audiences? Buy a ticket to Mr. Brooks to become part of the intellectually diminished population that studio execs lower their standards to appease.
Smart, funny and wicked... a combination I would pay to see. Mr. Brooks may not want to be bad, but with the devilishly cruel Marshall by his side, he's oh so good at it.
The pretzel-like personality of Brooks is expertly weaved and salted with just a hint of compassion to evoke an odd sort of understanding from the viewers.
Mr. Brooks is one deliriously ridiculous movie, and a bona fide contender for status as a camp classic.
When your best character is a serial killer‘s imaginary friend, you know your movie‘s in trouble.
"Mr. Brooks" never fails as compelling drama, but it's far too busy to ever settle into a coherent focus.
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