by Massie Twins

Created on: June 01, 2007

A brilliantly clever thriller, Mr. Brooks delivers enough shocks and revelations that you'll never know what's going to happen next. Kevin Costner is at his absolute best as the crafty Brooks, and William Hurt's supporting performance is equally magnificent. Perhaps the most innovative and unique film involving a split personality, Mr. Brooks introduces us to an antagonist we simply have to side with and one that is comparable to cinema's most fascinating villain, Hannibal Lector.

Mr. Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) leads a normal life, running his box design business, admiring his lovely wife and coping with a typical troubled teenage daughter. Normal, that is, except for Marshall (William Hurt), his alternate personality, who continues to coerce him into murder. Constantly fighting his addiction, he is photographed one night committing a particularly grisly murder, by "Mr. Smith" (Dane Cook) who blackmails Earl into taking him along on the next murder. Meanwhile, Detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore) is in search of the mysterious "Thumbprint Killer" and believes Mr. Smith is harboring some undisclosed clues. As Mr. Brooks' family life and his life of crime slowly converge, he must decide how to permanently stop his literally murderous addiction.

Kevin Costner's performance is nothing short of phenomenal. He captures the screen and portrays a wickedly clever character that you simply can't take your eyes off of. Cold and ruthless as a murderer, yet also calm, collected and grotesquely artistic, he calculates every possibility and scenario to plan the perfect murders. Having a unique idiosyncrasy, the "Thumbprint Killer" (as dubbed by the authorities) repositions the victim's bodies into various poses after he kills them. And of course the major twist to this psychopath is his alternate personality, here played by a separate actor, also mustering up an outstanding performance. William Hurt is Marshall, Earl's darker, more malevolent alter ego who instructs and advises him, especially when it comes to murder. His role is used for comic relief at times and to demonstrate Earl's complex thinking. The most innovative aspect of this split personality concept is that Marshall truly exists only in Earl's mind. He cannot control Earl, he can't physically interfere with anything, and Earl is constantly aware of him.

Much like the demon and angel that sits on either shoulder of the lead character in countless cartoons and comedies, Marshall influences Earl's decisions but is

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