Review of Mr. Brooks (2007) by Evan S — 15 Nov 2009

An interesting and clever film that is ultimately done in by its desire to throw one too many subplots into the script.

Kevin Costner is Mr. Brooks, a very successful businessman with a wife and daughter, who also happens to be a serial killer that can no longer suppress his desire to murder. Much of the narrative is told between Brooks and his id, which only he can see and converse with, played brilliantly by William Hurt.

,Instead of taking a "less is more" approach to storytelling, the film's biggest problem comes an hour into the movie when we learn that Brooks' daughter Jane may have murdered someone at college, even though she has returned home because she is (maybe?) pregnant. And it's this "twist" in the film which really hijacks the movie, because it is not only unnecessary, but it feels like much of that subplot was left on the cutting room floor.

Mr. Brooks could've been a much better film without the entire Jane subplot, which bogs down the film in its attempt to add layers of complexity, but instead merely dilutes the key story.