Mr. Brooks (2007)

Director: Bruce A. Evans
Writer: Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon

Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) is a successful businessman, loving husbands and father, Man of the Year, and recovering serial killer. On the wagon for two years, Mr. Brooks gives in to the personified "little voice" in his head Marshall (William Hurt). After killing a couple one night, a man calling himself Mr. Smith (Dane Cook) approaches Mr. Brooks with pictures of the crime and strikes a deal to join Mr. Brooks on his next jaunt.

I heard about Mr. Brooks from two different friends, both raved about Dane Cook's role in the film. I kept hearing, "Yeah! Dane Cook in a serious role!" I'll touch more on Cook's performance later but first I want to think about Kevin Costner. I haven't liked everything I've seen him in mostly because I haven't seen the majority of his work. While I find JFK (1991) a flawed film, Costner is great in the Jim Garrison role but then Tin Cup (1996) is a little too off beat even for me; I felt numb after Dances with Wolves (1990) and Dragonfly (2002) was just...interesting. Mr. Brooks however is a role that I can't imagine anyone else playing due in large part to Costner's star persona. Costner is an all-American good guy; he is Eliot Ness and Robin Hood in my book. That being said, I love it when beloved actors play against type. That's exactly what gives Mr. Brooks most of its edge: Costner's creepiness. He's a disturbingly cool killer but a warm and troubled everyman. Costner brings so much conflict to the character that be becomes a wonderful antihero.

Mr. Brooks' foil is that of his inner demon Marshall. Their scenes together, once you get used to the film's approach to the character, are some of the best in the film. Marshall always pops up to remind Mr. Brooks that he is, in fact, addicted to killing. Apart from representing Mr. Brooks' id, Marshall represents the analytical, detail-oriented side of Mr. Brooks' psyche. Unlike many of his other, more restrained performances (I'm thinking Body Heat (1981), Kiss of the Spider Woman [1985], and A History of Violence [2005]), Hurt is allowed to not only open up but have fun with Marshall. That enjoyment comes through in Marshall's teasing moments with Mr. Brooks, egging him on to kill again and again.

Now we come to Dane Cook. When in the right mood, I really enjoy his stand up but I think it's going to be a long time before he's able or even willing to effectively slough off that side of himself. Mr. Smith is as serious of a role as I've ever seen Cook in and I hope he continues to pursue more roles like this one. I've always wanted to see him play something close to Mr. Smith (I even wrote a role specifically for Cook in a screenplay). While his performance is strong and fairly out of character from the comedian I'm used to, too much of the manic, nervous energy he brings to his stand up is in Mr. Smith. He has several moments when is fully in the role but for most of the film he is Dane Cook playing Mr. Smith who is a character in a serious movie. That being said, he makes an interesting counter-point to the Mr. Brooks/Marshall dynamic. While Mr. Brooks is a well-oiled machine Mr. Smith is a careless, opportunistic, and impetuous thrill-seeker. Cook pulls off that side in spades. It's the moments when he has to pose a real threat to Mr. Brooks that Cook doesn't fully deliver. I won't write him off as an actor of serious roles just yet. I think that with time and the right roles, Cook will make the same transition Steve Martin, Eddie Izzard, Robin Williams (One Hour Photo (2002) was some creepy business), and especially Jim Carry have made.

In addition, while I harp on the three male leads, I can't ignore the great supporting cast led by Demi Moore. Her portrayal of the troubled police detective hunting Mr. Brooks gives a real sense of urgency to the story. While some of the police scenes are a little stock, she brings a real vitality to those moments. And I'm going to go head and make a call about Reiko Aylesworth (she plays the divorce lawyer Shelia). I first saw Aylesworth on the only episode of The Dead Zone I've ever seen (and I saw it by accident/chance/nothing else on) and she really struck me. While her part in Mr. Brooks is very small, I think she'll be going places and soon. I had the same feeling about Charlize Theron when I saw her in The Devil's Advocate (1997). Within three years, I think/hope we'll be seeing more of her apart from 24.

In closing, Mr. Brooks is, on the surface, an interesting study of the inner pathology of a serial killer. Coupled with his other life as a “normal” person, Mr. Brooks is a pleasant blend of twisted and touching.