Eye Candy #146 - "Mr. Brooks"

Mr. Brooks: A fairly odd movie in the serial killer vein – they make the killer the most sympathetic person in the picture. Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) is a box manufacturer working in Portland, Oregon. Happily married, father of a lovely daughter, civic personage and man of the year, he also happens to be a loon of the non-raving variety. You see Earl has an imaginary friend of sorts, Marshall (played by William Hurt), and he likes all the good things in life – food, sex, life…and killing. Under Marshall’s influence, Earl goes out at night, kills a few folks, and is back home in time for corn flakes. However, he gets sloppy during a killing, drawing the attention of Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), amateur photographer and witness to the killing. He wants Mr. Brooks to let him along for the ride, so to speak. Their bargain – Mr. Brooks helps Mr. Smith kill someone, and Mr. Smith doesn’t rat out Mr. Brooks to the police. And speaking of the police, we’ve got Demi Moore as the detective out to find out who the serial killer is, all while juggling ugly divorce proceedings. Interesting in that the killing isn’t the focus of the film, so much as the “hunt” for victims is, as well as what makes a serial killer operate and what effect it may have on their family members. Costner is good playing against type (he plays the amoral from time to time, and I think he should it explore it more). Hurt isn’t given a whole lot to do, neither is Moore. And Marg Helgenberger is purely window dressing. I feel that Dane Cook is miscast, as I identify him so heavily with his stand-up and schlock comedy, most of which is pretty underwhelming. This was directed by Bruce A Evans, who only other acting credit was the Christian Slater vehicle “Kuffs”. Woodchuck sez, “Worth a look.”