Mr. Brooks

There seems to be some sort of rumor going around that Kevin Costner can’t act. It’s a false and mean rumor, probably started by Whitney Houston after Costner slipped her an unauthorized tongue in The Bodyguard. While Costner can be a little drab from time to time (Remember Dragonfly? Probably not.), he’s certainly capable of some dynamic work on screen. He provides a little of that in his latest. Mr. Brooks is a sloppy, ridiculous film, but it’s almost made tolerable by Costner. His work here is intriguing, even as the film slowly but surely spins out of control. He plays a successful businessman who also happens to be a serial killer in semi-retirement. When he decides to take up the trade again, his imaginary friend (William Hurt) tags along. A creepy guy (Dane Cook) photographs him killing somebody, and all hell breaks loose. Demi Moore acts tough as the detective pursuing Brooks. The film starts well, but slowly goes nuts.