Untitled Document
Kevin Costner has been trying to shake his
all-American image for quite some time, but the public isn’t buying
it. Moviegoers love Costner when he’s cast as a romantic lead (The Bodyguard, Tin Cup), in a Western, or in
anything that has to do with sports. However, throw him in a role that has
a bit of a dark edge (3000 Miles to Graceland, A Perfect World) and they stay away in droves. Whether that happens with Mr. Brooks remains to be seen.
In this thriller, Costner portrays a successful businessman with a
supportive wife (Marg Helgenberger) and intelligent daughter (Danielle
Panabaker). Alas, Mr. Brooks is also a serial killer with a penchant for
slaying couples, then posing and photographing the bodies. Brooks does his
best to keep his demons at bay, but his id (William Hurt) comes calling
from time to time, urging him to give in to his basest desires and kill
once more. It wouldn’t be much a movie if Brooks
didn’t fall off the homicide wagon, and, once he does, things rapidly
spin out of control. Not only is the killing witnessed by Mr. Smith (Dane
Cook), an amateur photographer who proceeds to blackmail Brooks, but Brooks
also has a persistent detective (Demi Moore) on his heels. The acting, in general, is superlative, with Moore
the exception and Cook a major surprise. However, the film really crackles
when Costner and Hurt share the screen. Embodying separate parts of a
fractured mind, these two veterans go toe to toe throughout, waging war
over one man’s soul. Hurt is having great fun here, cackling and
giggling as he prods Brooks into betraying his own best intentions. Costner
matches him step for step, displaying a genuine sense of anguish over
Brooks’ predicament yet also showing more than a bit of enjoyment
once he gives in to his dark side. Watch as he subtly adopts some of
Hurt’s mannerisms, making Brooks’ transformation all the more
convincing.
This article appears in May 24-30, 2007.
