I was disappointed to learn that this movie did not continue the adventures of Brooks from the Shawshank Redemption, in prequel fashion. I wanted to experience him seeing that car once, when he was a kid.
But I digress.
Mr. Brooks is a successful business man - he makes boxes. And he's a schizophrenic sociopath too. So there's that. But he's trying to do the right thing Ringo, despite the constant whining from his hallucinary friend who is constantly goading him to treat himself to another murder - he's been such a good boy after all.
Why are serial killers in movies always either successful business men or shady drifters? I want to see a middle manager snap and go and a killing spree. That would be a great movie.
Eventually Mr. Brooks' imaginary friend gets the upper hand and they're at it again, killing a couple who like having sex in front of a wide open window. We're treated to an extended sequence showing how careful Mr. Brooks is to make sure he doesn't get caught. Everything is all planned out so that no one will be the wiser. Except for the window thing. How did he overlook that?
You can probably guess what happens next. Despite Mr. Brooks' special care he is photographed by Dane Cook who proceeds to blackmail him. The "twist" is that Dane Cook isn't after money, he wants Mr. Brooks to mentor him in the art of murder. Where do they come up with these original ideas?
Meanwhile the cops are on the case, looking for clues into this new murder by the serial killer who hasn't struck in two years. The main cop is played by Demi Moore who doesn't bring much to the part. Worse, it appears that in order to land such a major star, the studio had to agree to add a lot more "story" for her character to make her part bigger.
Suddenly the movie changes course and we have to sit through learning about Demi's backstory (she's being divorced by her boy-toy ex. who wants a piece of her huge fortune). The new movie within a movie drags on long enough that for you to lose interest in the Mr. Brooks storyline before finally getting back to business.
Except now the story has changed again and Mr. Brooks is dealing with his daughter who shows up home from college, saying she has dropped out. To make matters worse the cops show up shortly after asking questions about the murder of her boyfriend.
This just isn't Mr. Brooks' week. Nor mine. I've got a sociopath, a rich cop and the story of a young woman trying to follow in her father's footsteps with limited success. Too bad I don't have a tight plot, suspense or action. And three endings. Why not four? I'm holding out for the scooby-doo ending.
Pain scale score: 4 out of 10
Snack time was Raph's choice and he picked chicken pot pies which were pretty standard as such things go. The Fanta Grape was surprisingly tasty, considering our recent experience with the abysmal Red Tangerine flavor. After such an ordinary snack outing we'll have to be sure to find something truly disturbing for next time.
Friday, May 30, 2008
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