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Hollywood rehashing of thoughtful, intelligent psychopath story

posted 14 years ago by Weekend56
6 replies | jump to latest

there are better american books and films, (taxi driver, american psycho, the killer inside me novel) and countless novels and films from all over which portray intelligent lone sociopaths.

So when some hollywood production company wanted to churn out a drama concerning a psychopath, they went with all the cliches known and added a subplot containing a nice action sequence and mystery to make it a consumer friendly product. the plot is as thin and weak as any hollywood genre film. the film tried to fit in as much as possible, adding drama, acion and thriller and reducing all the components into a conventional narrative that is achieves nothing more than mediocrity.

[–] TheSummer2012 13 years ago

I said this on another thread: I thought this was a half-decent thriller if you suspend common sense for two hours.

I actually thought this had the potential to be an exceptional intelligent psychological thriller but, somehow, I had the impression the film makers didn't have the courage to go all the way. Instead, as the OP points out, the film is full of clichés and twists that don't make a whole lot of sense and distract from what should be a portrait of a serial killer struggling with his urges. Surely his background, his wife, his double life and all the rest should have offered enough material.

[–] momsoonihope-1 13 years ago

I agree to extent with the above posts, however i did think Mr Brooks had some redeeming unique qualities. For instance, I thought the interaction between Marshall and Mr Brooks was well done, the subtle nuances and banter; perhaps it was just the very talented Costner and Hurt. I disliked Demi Moore in this film immensely. I found her lines cringe-worthy ("if you got hit by a truck and died") and her over-zealous masculinity just not appealing. The sub-plots of course, as said by most, were ridiculous and unnecessary.

I think (for me at least) that the slick serial killer, while not original by any stretch of the imagination, aside from Christian Bale, i have not been taken with a lead character and his quiet charisma. I found myself drawn to every scene with Costner in it, watching his face intently and enjoying his mannerisms and im by no means a Costner fan particularly, i just think the script was tight and his acting brilliant. Outside of the whole Demi / Atwood fiasco, i really enjoyed this movie.

[–] rixrex 12 years ago

You are on the mark, plus it had a mediocre sountrack and would have been better with none. Demi Moore is absurd and William Hurt only a little better. Whatever caused Kevin Costner to stay so low key had the opposite effect on the others.

Much better films on the same subject:

Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, believable and based upon reality, and..

Hunting Humans, low budget story told from serial killer's viewpoint and without annoying soundtrack

Mr Brooks is too mundane, too ridiculous, too nonsensical, too trite and too corny, too much overacting by Moore and Hurt, and in other words, too Hollywood.

EG, Moore's character has 60 million in investments and is stuck on a difference of about a million to settle with her spouse? Stupid.

What good can be said about a film where murder is condoned of those who commit no crime but are either exhibitionists or gold-digging spouses or bad drivers or annoying louts.

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The Eyes of the City are Mine! Mother Pressman / Anguish (1987)

[–] lemner 12 years ago

The not settling with the spouse was a matter of principle: he didn't deserve it, and she did not want to ask her father for help.

Semper Contendere Propter Amoram et Formam

[–] JimmyZappa 12 years ago

I don't agree with any of you except for the Demi Moore subplot, which only slowed the pace down with the unnecessary Hanging Man serial killer guy.

Taxi Driver and American Psycho, while good to great films, are a little too self-indulgent for my tastes. Too obsessed with getting a message across rather than telling a story. While not a serial killer movie, Fight Club is the only self-indulgent tale I can think of that tells a very compelling story while at the same time tells us something about modern society, all without making it very obvious it's being hammered in our faces.

Any clichés it may have are overshadowed by great performances and fantastic dialogue exchanges. That's why I watch movies, to be entertained. I don't go to get preached about how the ills of society turned an unstable person upside down. Unless it's written around an excellent story and intriguing characters. But hey, to each our own.

Stuff like this reminds me of "Movie Poop Shoot.com" from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

[–] henrimaine 9 years ago

You could say that the movie uses a lot of the usual cliches from previous serial killer and crime movies - an intelligent killer struggling with his urges, an imaginary character who is only seen by the main hero, a rough police officer struggling with one's personal problems while tailing the killer, a sensible partner trying to contain the police officer. But it was all so well put together that I was completely satisfied. Plus, there were some elements that are not so very cliched - a young cute girl as a murderer and a possible future serial killer (that's quite unusual), a witness blackmailing the killer into doing more killing (don't remember seeing anything like that before). Also, a crime thriller having so many subplots - that in itself is unusual.