Mr. Brooks

Mr. Brooks (2007)
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNyAVeYjSXY
What's your take on this one?

redwalker6 said:Mr. Brooks (2007)
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNyAVeYjSXY
What's your take on this one?

It looks interesting enough. Seeing Kevin Costner play the villain is a nice change of pace. It reminds me a bit of Killer 7.

Looks promising enough

He loved Al Capone and Lee Harvey Oswald, lived in both perfect and watery worlds, delivered mail, protected singers, and danced with wolves—but now he’s back as a successful businessman with an alter ego addicted to killing.

Kevin Costner is Mr. Brooks.

Earl Brooks is a middle-aged businessman riding high on his career. But behind all those business wins, the big houses, the beautiful women, and the smooth lifestyle, there’s something completely different lurking. His alter ego, Marshall (played brilliantly by William Hurt), is a killing addict. Brooks wants to quit, but as things usually go, he gets caught red-handed during his final act. Now, a voyeur holding Brooks's leash just wants him to take them along on the next hunt. And that’s where the story kicks off...

An unknown (if I dare say) director, Bruce A. Evans, also penned the script for his first major project. It had the potential to be something truly special, but it ultimately lands somewhere right in the middle.
Quick cuts, varied camera angles, a solid soundtrack, snappy dialogue, and engaging characters all help drive this psychological thriller forward at a fast pace, but I’m afraid Evans overreached a bit.
Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an intelligent character on the big screen like Earl Brooks. Just his presence pulls you in. But Evans couldn't just leave us with Mr. Brooks, his alter ego, the blackmailer, and the cop; he felt the need to throw in extra subplots that just end up distracting from our main guy. You’ve got Brooks's daughter popping up with her own set of issues, and a detective whose job isn't just hunting Brooks, but juggling catching another killer while dealing with personal drama. Evans does tie everything together into a somewhat coherent story in the end, but by focusing on these side details, he loses the core thread: the life of Mr. Brooks himself.
The acting is top-notch—Costner, as I mentioned, does a wonderful job portraying such a complex character. Hurt is masterful as Costner's alter ego, and Demi Moore (playing the detective) has a few standout moments. Even comedian Dan Cook holds his own as the clumsy blackmailer.
The sound design is a bit too loud in certain spots, which is a shame because the movie didn't really need it, but otherwise, it does a nice job setting the mood. The soundtrack is also spot on and deserves high marks, especially during those penultimate scenes involving Brooks and his daughter.

My overall takeaway—as a huge fan of psychological thrillers—is that if Evans had trimmed the fat and stayed focused on the lead, he could have made this a stellar film. Especially with a cast like Kevin Costner, Dan Cook, and Demi Moore, he could have reached much higher levels, but he just didn't quite get there.
So, to use a traffic light metaphor—it's a green light for genre fans, but a yellow light for general moviegoers.

So, what’s the verdict? What are you all thinking?

I gotta admit, seeing that the last review for this movie said it "looks promising" actually bummed me out a little... because that means someone actually sat through it.

It’s a solid film—caught it yesterday...

The movie was alright... definitely up there with the better films released lately...

I’m dying to know about this movie! Is it actually worth grabbing some popcorn and hitting up the local AMC to see it on the big screen?

I downloaded it online and it’s actually pretty solid; Kevin Costner is fantastic in this role.

Olivia Evans8 said:I’m dying to know about this movie! Is it actually worth grabbing some popcorn and hitting up the local AMC to see it on the big screen?

It’s worth the price of admission. Personally, though, I’d never sit through a movie like this in a theater.
At home, on a decent home theater setup? Sure.

A massive disappointment...
I was really hoping for a solid thriller—instead, it turned out even worse than the generic stuff being churned out in Hollywood lately.
👎

The movie was a total letdown.
The plot was incredibly nonsensical, and the ending felt completely unearned.
Just typical American garbage. 👎

The movie left me feeling pretty let down, though that might just be because my expectations were set way too high to begin with. It felt incredibly naive and completely detached from reality; while the core concept behind the protagonist wasn't actually a bad one, the entire execution of the plot was a mess. sorry

Thanks so much! Honestly, I think I’m just gonna pop this up on my PC and watch it there...

I can't agree with you guys on this being "typical American trash." Honestly? It was the exact opposite. For me, this movie was a total breath of fresh air after way too long.
I had zero clue what the plot was even about before sitting down, but seeing Kevin Costner was enough motivation 😍 and I was genuinely surprised. The only weak spot, in my opinion, was that loud, overly naive shootout in the hallway—it left my ears ringing for the rest of the film. Otherwise, nothing but praise. Oh, and Demi Moore? Total letdown. Her acting was pretty terrible! 🙂

P.S. I spent the whole time just waiting for Marg Helgenberger to crush the case in two seconds flat! 😬

Costner 👍 👍
Cook 👍 👍
Moore 👎

Later!

Lisa Harris2 said:I can't agree with you guys on this being "typical American trash." Honestly? It was the exact opposite. For me, this movie was a total breath of fresh air after way too long.
I had zero clue what the plot was even about before sitting down, but seeing Kevin Costner was enough motivation 😍 and I was genuinely surprised. The only weak spot, in my opinion, was that loud, overly naive shootout in the hallway—it left my ears ringing for the rest of the film. Otherwise, nothing but praise. Oh, and Demi Moore? Total letdown. Her acting was pretty terrible! 🙂

P.S. I spent the whole time just waiting for Marg Helgenberger to crush the case in two seconds flat! 😬

Costner 👍 👍
Cook 👍 👍
Moore 👎

Later!

Yeah, I mentioned that too. It was seriously obnoxious how loud it was... I just don't get why they did that.

Lisa Harris2 said:I can't agree with you guys on this being "typical American trash." Honestly? It was the exact opposite. For me, this movie was a total breath of fresh air after way too long.
I had zero clue what the plot was even about before sitting down, but seeing Kevin Costner was enough motivation 😍 and I was genuinely surprised. The only weak spot, in my opinion, was that loud, overly naive shootout in the hallway—it left my ears ringing for the rest of the film. Otherwise, nothing but praise. Oh, and Demi Moore? Total letdown. Her acting was pretty terrible! 🙂

P.S. I spent the whole time just waiting for Marg Helgenberger to crush the case in two seconds flat! 😬

Costner 👍 👍
Cook 👍 👍
Moore 👎

Later!

😁

Lisa Harris2 said:I can't agree with you guys on this being "typical American trash." Honestly? It was the exact opposite. For me, this movie was a total breath of fresh air after way too long.
I had zero clue what the plot was even about before sitting down, but seeing Kevin Costner was enough motivation 😍 and I was genuinely surprised. The only weak spot, in my opinion, was that loud, overly naive shootout in the hallway—it left my ears ringing for the rest of the film. Otherwise, nothing but praise. Oh, and Demi Moore? Total letdown. Her acting was pretty terrible! 🙂

P.S. I spent the whole time just waiting for Marg Helgenberger to crush the case in two seconds flat! 😬

Costner 👍 👍
Cook 👍 👍
Moore 👎

Later!

It isn't fair to judge the acting without mentioning the brilliant William Hurt.
No way, no way.

Lisa Harris2 said:I can't agree with you guys on this being "typical American trash." Honestly? It was the exact opposite. For me, this movie was a total breath of fresh air after way too long.
I had zero clue what the plot was even about before sitting down, but seeing Kevin Costner was enough motivation 😍 and I was genuinely surprised. The only weak spot, in my opinion, was that loud, overly naive shootout in the hallway—it left my ears ringing for the rest of the film. Otherwise, nothing but praise. Oh, and Demi Moore? Total letdown. Her acting was pretty terrible! 🙂

P.S. I spent the whole time just waiting for Marg Helgenberger to crush the case in two seconds flat! 😬

Costner 👍 👍
Cook 👍 👍
Moore 👎

Later!

The only way that flick could be a "breath of fresh air" is if you just finished an all-night marathon of Jacob Sedlar films.

Amanda Nguyen5 said:He loved Al Capone and Lee Harvey Oswald, lived in both perfect and watery worlds, delivered mail, protected singers, and danced with wolves—but now he’s back as a successful businessman with an alter ego addicted to killing.

Kevin Costner is Mr. Brooks.

Earl Brooks is a middle-aged businessman riding high on his career. But behind all those business wins, the big houses, the beautiful women, and the smooth lifestyle, there’s something completely different lurking. His alter ego, Marshall (played brilliantly by William Hurt), is a killing addict. Brooks wants to quit, but as things usually go, he gets caught red-handed during his final act. Now, a voyeur holding Brooks's leash just wants him to take them along on the next hunt. And that’s where the story kicks off...

An unknown (if I dare say) director, Bruce A. Evans, also penned the script for his first major project. It had the potential to be something truly special, but it ultimately lands somewhere right in the middle.
Quick cuts, varied camera angles, a solid soundtrack, snappy dialogue, and engaging characters all help drive this psychological thriller forward at a fast pace, but I’m afraid Evans overreached a bit.
Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an intelligent character on the big screen like Earl Brooks. Just his presence pulls you in. But Evans couldn't just leave us with Mr. Brooks, his alter ego, the blackmailer, and the cop; he felt the need to throw in extra subplots that just end up distracting from our main guy. You’ve got Brooks's daughter popping up with her own set of issues, and a detective whose job isn't just hunting Brooks, but juggling catching another killer while dealing with personal drama. Evans does tie everything together into a somewhat coherent story in the end, but by focusing on these side details, he loses the core thread: the life of Mr. Brooks himself.
The acting is top-notch—Costner, as I mentioned, does a wonderful job portraying such a complex character. Hurt is masterful as Costner's alter ego, and Demi Moore (playing the detective) has a few standout moments. Even comedian Dan Cook holds his own as the clumsy blackmailer.
The sound design is a bit too loud in certain spots, which is a shame because the movie didn't really need it, but otherwise, it does a nice job setting the mood. The soundtrack is also spot on and deserves high marks, especially during those penultimate scenes involving Brooks and his daughter.

My overall takeaway—as a huge fan of psychological thrillers—is that if Evans had trimmed the fat and stayed focused on the lead, he could have made this a stellar film. Especially with a cast like Kevin Costner, Dan Cook, and Demi Moore, he could have reached much higher levels, but he just didn't quite get there.
So, to use a traffic light metaphor—it's a green light for genre fans, but a yellow light for general moviegoers.

great review...

Amanda Nguyen5 said:Yeah, I mentioned that too. It was seriously obnoxious how loud it was... I just don't get why they did that.

😁

It isn't fair to judge the acting without mentioning the brilliant William Hurt.
No way, no way.

Mea culpa! You got me there! They were just so good together I saw them as one unit! 😁

P.S. Smells like a sequel to me...

Grace Doyle said:A massive disappointment...
I was really hoping for a solid thriller—instead, it turned out even worse than the generic stuff being churned out in Hollywood lately.
👎

It’s not even a standard thriller. Maybe that's why you're so bummed. You went in expecting a thriller, but what you actually got was a psychological drama.
🙄