It’s been a long time since I’ve said “I’m looking forward to seeing that” about any Kevin Costner movie. The man really isn’t nearly as bad an actor as some people like to say he is… but there is no denying that the degree of stench that has come from a lot of his movies could send a moose into convulsions.
The idea for Mr. Books had me hooked from the first moment I saw the original trailer. Here’s a breakdown of the synopsis: “The story follows a man with a murderous alter ego. Moore will play a tough detective whose devotion to her craft catches the attention and respect of the serial killer she is hunting, which leads to a symbiotic relationship.”
So to me… the flick looked like it had a lot of potential. So what did I think?
THE GOOD
Kevin Costner and William Hurt are bloody amazing together in this movie. I don’t care what anyone else says about Costner, he fucking knocked it out of the park in this movie. Hurt plays Costner’s other personality named “Marshall” who is Costner’s dark influence… and yet ally as well. The dialog between the two of them is performed so richly, so tensely, so darkly that the first time they laugh together sent chills down my spine. There is a love/hate relationship between the two personalities that was mesmerizing to watch on screen. easily the best performance Costner has given in years… maybe the best of his career.
Some people complain about how convoluted he plot gets at times… and to be honest i felt that way too a couple of times in the film… but as they revealed more and more and showed how everything all connected and worked together, the more I liked it. Remember what I said about Pirates 3? Complexity doesn’t necessarily equal creative… sometimes complexity is just a mess when it’s for complexities sake. But with Mr. Brooks, the more complex the story seems to get, the more creative it feels to me. I think it really worked on that level.
Demi Moore was surprisingly good in the film. She does a great job of playing the strong female archetype.
VERY satisfying ending.
Here’s the mark of a good film… when you walk out of it and have to think about stuff on other levels. In this specific circumstance, I walked out of Mr. Brooks and had to stop for a moment to realize the film made me love and cheer for a mass murderer. I didn’t realize just how much the Costner/Hurt character had seduced me. It was amazing.
THE BAD
Dane Cook wasn’t horrible in this movie. As a matter of fact, I’ll go so far as to say he was “ok”. But man he was out of his league. This was not the right role for Cook at all. A dramatic actor was needed for this role… not a b-grade stand up comedian. But like I said, he did better than I thought he would.
Damn… I’m really having a hard time thinking of things I didn’t like about this film. There were a couple of far too convenient coincidences that you’re asked to just accept… but other than that… hell I loved this movie.
OVERALL
Right now, Mr. Brooks only has a 54% Rotten Tomatoes… which really has me scratching my head. I find myself agreeing more with the New Yorker Magazine: “The movie is so well made, and so compelling as a portrait of a man at war with himself, that, right up until the end, many people will probably be entertained by its intricately preposterous story.”
I loved this film. For me so far, it’s the best film of the 2007 summer season. It is PERFECTLY acted by the leads, is a terrific narrative, the best performance of Costner’s career with great tension and a very satisfying ending to boot. I loved this film. Not perfect… but to me it had little to no glaring weaknesses. Personally, on a scale of 1-10, I give Mr. Brook a 9.
