Disturbing Unknown Drives “Mr. Brooks”

Earl Brooks’ (Kevin Costner) most glamorous moment in the homicide thriller ”Mr. Brooks” comes when he’s giving advice to Mr. Smith (Dane Cook) on how to find the perfect victim to kill.

He has just rejected a candidate that the two of them had been following for two nights, a guy who cut them off in a pickup truck and really pissed off Mr. Smith. Naturally Mr. Smith is even more pissed off that they won’t be killing this pickup driver.

So Mr. Brooks coolly explains that trying to find someone to kill is like “falling in love. You go out with some people, they’re nice, but they don’t make your heart beat faster.”

This moment is so compelling because it’s the high point of the storyline that makes “Mr. Brooks” a successful thriller despite some of the usually thriller shortcomings: Mr. Smith’s desire to learn how to kill.

Every scene, in fact, with Mr. Brooks is compelling, because very quickly the movie removes the question of why he does it. He says simply that he’s addicted to it. The question isn’t how does it fit into his every day life, as after the opening scene his business life is almost non-existent. The question is much less complex. How does he go about his killing? How does he plan it?

It’s just an interesting concept, happening in the dark of night, a time when we’re more vulnerable. The unknown, about the outside and about ourselves, haunts us. Try asking yourself when you would kill, and why.

This is where Mr. Smith comes in. A nosy photographer, he photographs Mr. Brooks through an open window after Mr. Brooks murders his victims. He then blackmails Mr. Brooks into teaching him how to kill, because he says he never got such a rush in his life.

William Hurt plays Marshall, a sort of companion to Brooks. A part of his conscious, an alter-ego, an imaginary friend or whatever, Marshall is really the one who convinces Brooks to commit the murders. Brooks often times visibly talks to him, although the other characters can’t see it. So why is he there? Maybe because he lets Mr. Brooks blame someone other than himself. In reality, he seems to be just there to add something more interesting for the audience. It is interesting at first trying to figure out who or what he is. Then the novelty dies down.

To determine whether Kevin Costner acts well, I must ask who Mr. Brooks is.

There are the mundane facts of his everyday life, such as his successful run as a box business owner, a “Man of the Year” winner, and a serial murderer known as the “Thumbprint Killer.”

But what is behind it? He claims that he doesn’t enjoy killing. He shows up at AA meetings declaring that he is an addict and that he is trying to control it.

And yet when he actually does it, when he kills, he is so calculating about it. So seemingly indifferent to what happens. He shows up, robotically says, “Hello,” and shoots one bullet into each of his victims. Then when find him completely naked in his studio burning photos of the victims.

So maybe Mr. Brooks does get off on his killings. Maybe he is a psychopath whose inner soul makes a stimulating character. But he executes it in such a cold way, one that doesn’t show the rush of quenching an addiction. Somehow, it feels right. The inconsistency feels completely in place. It makes my heart beat faster.

I mentioned the usually thriller shortcomings. One of those being the loud shrieks that constitute scare scenes. It’s very lazy thrill writing that’s supposed to make me jump out of my seat but did nothing more than make me cover my ears. I mean, the shrieks are really loud.

Then there’s the obligatory twist ending. These things are so cliché it’s unbelievable. This one is actually more tolerable than normal because it really doesn’t involve a complete collapse of the entire plotline. Still, each time it happens a tiny chunk of my faith in humanity is lost forever.

I’m also not too big a fan of the main subplot. Detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), who’s searching for the Thumbprint Killer, is a very rich woman going through a bitter divorce with the gold digging Jesse Vialo (Jason Lewis). She’s also hunting another killer who escaped from jail called the “Hangman” and is investigating Mr. Smith at the same time. In short, the subplot is her, and it’s not very enthralling. She just distracts from the film’s real tension.

But ultimately, “Mr. Brooks” is a satisfying thriller in an era when so few exist. Satisfying because it does what other modern thrillers should all do but so seldom accomplish; it makes me care about how it ends.

Grade: B+