Mr. Brooks

MGM
William Hurt and Kevin Costner in “Mr. Brooks.”

Costner a creep in ‘Mr. Brooks’
Oh is Kevin Costner creepy in the delicious melodrama “Mr. Brooks.”
Like Joseph Cotton in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Shadow of a Doubt,” Costner plays a beloved guy who has a horrible, dark secret.
Costner’s “Mr. Brooks” is Portland’s man of the year. We know early on — by the music and Costner’s look — he isn’t quite right.
You see, Mr. Brooks has an imaginary friend, Marshall, played by William Hurt.
Marshall wants to have fun after the man-of-the-year ceremony. What that means is watching a couple working out at a dance studio.
Costner’s character and the imaginary Marshall follow the couple to their apartment where the couple is deep in the throes of passion, with the drapes wide open no less.
Mr. Brooks is a pro. He pulls out his gun, wrapped in plastic bags, and KA-BOOM.
Mr. Brooks might be a community hero and a rich businessman, but he is also addicted to killing.
To his credit, he tries to do something about it. Since there’s no Serial Killers Anonymous groups, he goes to Alcoholics Anonymous and says, “My name is Brooks and I’m an addict.”
Mr. Brooks’ previous thrill killings went off without a hitch. He vowed no matter what Marshall suggests, he wouldn’t do any more killing.
But this time a photographer across the roadway takes a picture of Mr. Brooks standing in front of the window with the dead bodies in the back.
But the photographer, played by Dane Cook, doesn’t want money. He has no plans to go to the police. He was so thrilled by the murders, he wants to go with Mr. Brooks for the next killing.
Add to the mix is Demi Moore as Detective Tracy Atwook. Tracy is a millionaire, thanks to a rich daddy, but she wanted to make her own way. So she became a police detective.
She has her own problems, besides a serial killer.
She has a younger husband who was less than true to his rich wife. Now they are getting a divorce, but he wants a sizable settlement.
Demi isn’t happy. Besides crummy hubby and the other serial killer, yet another killer has escaped from prison and vows revenge. Wow! When it rains it pours.
The other subplot is about the Costner character’s daughter, played by Danielle Panabaker. She drops out of college in her freshman year, but doesn’t want to tell parents why.
One of the reasons is pretty surprising. You’ll have to see the movie to find out.
There are enough characters, plots and subplots to keep you riveted.
Costner is great as the villain. It’s gory, it’s scary, it’s sometimes funny, it’s skewed.
But when the dust settles, it works. There’s so much going on, if one storyline bores, there’s another you will probably like.
The film isn’t for the faint of heart. Nobody will mistake it for “Mary Poppins.”
But if you are Hitchcockian in your love of movies, this one is for you.
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MR. BROOKS
• Rated R for bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• 3 stars out of 4
This appeared in the WEEKENDER on March 21, 2008.