This is kind of like a movie version of Dexter and has a lot of similarities with Dexter as the main story line deals with a serial killer balancing his normal daily life of work and family with that of his addiction: killing people. Only in Mr. Brooks, he kills innocent people whereas in Dexter, Dexter preys on other serial killers or criminals in general. Ultimately Costner plays an unlikable character but the story shows enough of him in normal life - with his family (wife and daughter) and at work - that his character begins to earn sympathy. Now I won't say everything in the screenplay works but it works enough to make the storyline interesting and works enough to make me actually care about Costner's character. But don't get me wrong this story is a dark dive into a violent world that is made all the more enlightening by some good acting and a screenplay that actually cares about the characters. This is a dark world Mr. Brooks takes us through but one I was ultimately intrigued in once the movie started.
This movie is stylish, glossy, and very easy on the eyes. The production and set designs completely help to pull the viewer into Mr. Brooks' world as they help to make the dark subject matter a little more attainable. I can't emphasize this enough about the production and set designs for this movie as they both enhance the story with some direction that more than serves the story without being flashy. Everything works towards making the story line and characters the forefront of the movie and everything succeeds with that mission statement.
One of the boldest moves of the screenplay is having Mr. Brooks' inner Id take part in conversations with him. On screen this works in wondrous ways as William Hurt embodies the Id, known as Marshall. Marshall can only be seen and heard by Mr. Brooks, so every scene they are in together with anyone else, it's all in Mr. Brooks head, which leave Costner and Hurt to do some fine acting playing off of each other beautifully, even if there's another person in the scene with them. This also helps Costner a lot as well as the majority of his best movies have him acting opposite some very good actors - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, JFK, Waterworld, The Untouchables, Dances with Wolves, Wyatt Erp, Thirteen Days, and list goes on and on as his best movies always have him teamed up with a really good actor or actors. This movie is no different with William Hurt, as his inner ID, and Marg Helgenberger, as his wife. They both help Costner to play Mr. Brooks with a detachment associated with a serial killer. I don't why this is with Costner because I don't think he's a great actor but he does a competent job when teamed up with great or very good actors.
Demi Moore has the oddest job in this movie. The screenplay uses her as a visual aide to guide the reader into the world of the serial killer Mr. Brooks, but if this part had been played by someone else I don't think it would have been as effective. Moore makes her character come alive and does help the movie out despite a part that, for all attempts and purposes, doesn't really serve much place in the story line or the screenplay and feels forced when her world and Mr. Brooks' world come together. This part of the story line seems rather contrived to me but considering how crazy everything else is in the movie I can actually buy into this a little bit and wasn't really annoyed at it. Her character seems more at home in an episode of Law and Order than here in a movie where Mr. Brooks' characters and psyche is being explored. At times her character and role in the story line seem like they're from a different movie - more like Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs - but her character never reaches the depth of Starling even though there is plenty of room for it. Mr. Brooks is the main focal point of the movie but, as I said above, Moore does a good job making her character come alive and making her interesting enough that I wouldn't mind seeing more of the character in another movie.
Another aspect of this movie I like is how the story line weaves through some interesting aspects that rise up to challenge Mr. Brooks. How he responds to these challenges is interesting as they both offer some pin point insight into his life and help to flesh out his character all the more. But these instances also reenforce the fact that Mr. Brooks is predator and sees the world through a predator's eyes. He is and always will be a serial killer. It is his addiction. It is part of his life and this movie offers the viewer a glance into his world.
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