Mr. Brooks (2007)

Director:

Bruce A. Evans

Writers (WGA):

Bruce A. Evans (written by) &
Raynold Gideon (written by)

Release Date:

1 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

There's something about

Plot:

A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Killer | Alter Ego | Fingerprint | House

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Mr. Earl Brooks
Demi Moore	...	Det. Tracy Atwood
Dane Cook	...	Mr. Smith
William Hurt	...	Marshall
Marg Helgenberger	...	Emma Brooks
Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Hawkins
Danielle Panabaker	...	Jane Brooks
Aisha Hinds	...	Nancy Hart
Lindsay Crouse	...	Captain Lister
Jason Lewis	...	Jesse Vialo
Reiko Aylesworth	...	Sheila - Jesse's Lawyer
Matt Schulze	...	Thorton Meeks
Yasmine Delawari	...	Sunday
Traci Dinwiddie	...	Sarah Leaves
Michael Cole	...	Atwood’s Lawyer

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity and language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | USA:R (certificate #43365) | Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | UK:18 | Ireland:16 | Portugal:M/16 (re-rating on appeal) | France:-12 | Chile:14 | South Korea:18 | Portugal:M/18 (original rating) | Brazil:18 | Spain:18 | Mexico:C | Germany:18 | Singapore:M18 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Japan:R-18 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

According to interviews with Kevin Costner, this is supposedly the first movie in a trilogy.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Mr. Brooks' glasses are made of glass and aren't prescription lenses. You can see this in two scenes in particular: the scene in the beginning where Mr. Brooks and his wife go out for ice cream and the scene where Mr. Brooks is burning the pictures. Also, it is unlikely that this could have been intended by the filmmakers because Mr. Brooks' daughter puts them at least once when she is in his office.

Quotes:

Mr. Earl Brooks: Before I was the Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Smith, I killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Late Night with Conan O'Brien: (2007-06-07)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Soleil Soleil

Nice alternative to the torture flick du jour

I saw the trailer for this one, and thought it was an interesting premise, but Costner movies are so hit or miss. He's the LAST person on earth that I'd expect to be playing a serial killer. His demeanor is too gentle and even. WOW was I right, and that's what makes the movie. That slow, gentle, deliberate pace gives it a surreal sense of unease that a lesser actor couldn't match. It is exactly his everyman persona that makes this movie work.

In the tone of the movie, I was thrown by Costner's previous work as well. He's best known for somewhat light and under-realized fare. Mr. Brooks is anything but. This is a very, very dark movie, to the point that it's uncomfortable in places.

Kudos as well to William Hurt, who isn't known for playing this sort of role either. His character could easily descend into cliché, but it doesn't. He holds the right note, and the chemistry between him and Costner is tangible.

Over the top torture/gorefests have been the flavor of the month. Don't get me wrong -- I love High Tension and it's ilk, but it's nice to see a film that doesn't have to go for the visceral reaction to achieve it's tension. This is an assault to the mind, not the eyes, and it's exceptionally well done.