Kevin Costner Interview
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Costner's Killer Role By Robbie McIntyre
Kevin Costner has played killers before. Robin of Locksley, for example,
thought nothing of dispatching the Sheriff of Nottingham's men with a
lethally well-aimed arrow in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'. Portraying
the title character in the famous Wild West tale 'Wyatt Earp', he was
defined by his ruthless killing instincts.
But despite these blood-letting credentials, Costner's role in new film
'Mr Brooks' is a startling departure for the 52-year-old Hollywood star.
Earl Brooks is an entirely different breed of killer. While Robin Hood and
Earp slaughtered out of necessity, and for a heroic cause, Brooks murders
out of compulsion. It is an addiction which he satiates with immense
pleasure.
For him, the throbbing urge to kill is akin to what your average caffeine
junkie might feel if deprived of their early-morning espresso. He doesn't
do it because he has to, but because he gets a joyous rush out of wielding
life-taking power. Unlike the aforementioned screen heroes, his victims
are entirely innocent.
Known for his likeable brand of heroism, the film might be seen as a huge
gamble for Costner, but the man himself insists he was hooked from the
moment writer-director Bruce Evans sent him the script.
He said: "I was taken aback by how good the writing was and what an
interesting window it gave into a serial killer's life.
"The story is dark, it's smart and you laugh ten times out loud despite or
because of the scariness."
Brooks is a rich, hugely respected businessman, philanthropist and family
man.
Early in the film, we see him accepting the accolade of Portland Chamber
of Commerce's 'Man of the Year' in front of a reverential audience. But
that is not before we are shown Costner splashing his face in the toilets
prior to making his acceptance speech, clearly troubled, trying to
reconcile something in his mind.
It is not long before his turmoil is explained. On the drive home, as a he
sits next to his proud wife Emma, Brooks' gaze lingers on the top floor
window of a building in which dance classes are taking place. In the
passenger seat behind him appears a third figure.
As good a job as Costner does of slowly revealing the savage, repulsive
truth lurking behind the flawless façade of his character, it is with the
presence of his alter ego Marshall that his inner battle really comes to
life.
William Hurt gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the imaginary
incarnation of Brooks' murderous side. With his cynical rants he cajoles
Earl into coming out of his self-imposed serial killer retirement for one
more kill. A particular 'dance couple' has caught his attention.
Once persuaded, Brooks reveals the meticulous brilliance which has
rendered him uncatchable in his work as 'The Thumbprint killer', who
always leaves behind the bloody prints of his victims as a calling card.
Hidden in the basement of his house is what essentially amounts to a
killer's workshop, complete with a blazing furnace in which to burn
bloodied clothes.
It is not long before the 'dance couple' are coiled naked in bed with
glazed eyes and bullet holes in their heads.
The deaths sets off a chain of events which leave Brooks' well-honed
separate lives in grave danger of finally collapsing in on each other.
Costner felt he could identify with Brooks, but quite reasonably insists
it is his status as a family man which creates common ground, not a
propensity for murder.
He explains: "For the part of Brooks that is most depraved, I really had
to use my imagination. There was no other way to understand that kind of
drive to kill other people.
"But when he's conducting his business or taking care of his family or
even trying to understand himself, I could relate in some way to those
things, and I tried to humanise those moments.
"There's something very genuine about that side of him that is truly in
love with his wife, his daughter, his house and his business."
As a father-of-five it is not surprising Costner identified with this
aspect of Brooks' life.
The actor's paternal feelings would surely have been in overdrive during
the filming of the movie - his wife of three years, German model Christine
Baumgartner, gave birth to their son Cayden Wyatt in May.
Costner first became a father in 1984 when his first wife Cindy gave birth
to their daughter Annie, now 23. He also has a second daughter Lily, 21,
and a son Joe, 19, from their 16-year marriage.
Add to that another son, 11-year-old Liam, from a brief relationship with
Bridget Rooney and the ease with which Costner identifies with Earl's
family commitments become easy to understand.
His experiences as a father proved vital as he got to grips with the
film's pivotal relationship between Brooks and his 18-year-old daughter
Emma, who is brilliantly played by US TV star Danielle Panabaker.
Already deeply disturbed by his own horrifying tendencies, Brooks breaks
down weeping when the realisation dawns on him that Emma may have
inherited his instinct for taking human life. Her behaviour further clouds
the ever-blurring line between his caring characteristics and his chilling
urge to kill.
With his world in turmoil, Brooks' biggest danger of being exposed comes
in the form of star detective Tracy Atwood, played with gritty
determination by Demi Moore.
Moore first heard about the role through her husband Ashton Kutcher, who
was filming 'The Guardian' with Costner while 'Mr. Brooks' was being cast.
Moore says: "Kevin was always talking about 'Mr. Brooks', about how he was
going to play a serial killer and he was really trying to explore who the
guy was.
"Even then there was something very dynamic about his enthusiasm which
struck me.
"When I read it I immediately understood Kevin's passion for the material.
The script exhilarated and frightened me at the same time."
In her own way, Atwood is the mirror image of Brooks. An heiress worth
millions, she is compelled by an aggressive desire to combat the most
dangerous criminals.
Moore says: "It's an interesting parallel with Mr. Brooks. They're both
dealing with a lot of pain, but they find opposite outlets for it. It's
intriguing that what separates the cop from the criminal psychologically
can be a very fine line."
Like Costner, Moore found some aspects of her character's deep desire
difficult to identify with, but fascinating to explore.
She continues: "The rage Atwood has is something that I personally don't
like, which made it very exciting to have to tackle her. I'm more
comfortable being sedate and being in control of my emotions.
"I felt the role brought up a level of fear in me that was good. It was
that fear of who she is and how she is in the world that really made me
want do it."
One fuelling factor in Atwood's anger is a messy divorce from her
despicably shallow, money-chasing boyfriend Jesse, played by 'Sex and the
City' heartthrob Jason Lewis.
Moore's own experience of being a successful woman involved in a high
profile divorce must have given her an access point for getting inside
Atwood's head.
She was married to 'Die Hard' star Bruce Willis for nearly 13 years before
their very public divorce in 2000, with the pair now sharing custody of
their three children Rumer, 19, Scout LaRue, 16 and Tallulah Belle, 13.
Moore and Willis enjoy a famously amicable relationship, with her
ex-husband even joining her and 29-year-old Kutcher on their summer
holidays.
In contrast, 'Mr. Brooks' sees Atwood frustrated and enraged by her
husband's attempts to take a large slice of her fortune and make life as
difficult for her as possible.
Moore showed a tremendous dedication to the task of getting into
character. Off-set, she would often have her head in one of many
serial-killer case histories.
Such pastimes were not a hardship for Moore, who admits: "I'm an avid
watcher of TV shows like 'Forensic Files' and 'The Investigators' which
focus on crime solving and truly hold a fascination for the arts of
deduction."
Her hard work paid off. Summing up her importance to the film, Costner
says: "We really needed a significant actress who could bring all the
strength and angst that go with this character, and Demi really came to
our rescue."
The film becomes a little bit messy at times, with too many plot strands
introduced, and not all of them rendered at all plausible. The acting
performances, however, save it from being tipped over the edge into farce.
The cat-and-mouse battle between Brooks and Detective Atwood is perfectly
played out by Costner and Moore.
Ultimately 'Mr. Brooks' sees two established Hollywood heavyweights
proving that their talents stretch further than many give them credit for.
Whatever Costner and Moore have in store for us next, their fantastic work
in this dark, original film can surely only raise their stock in
Tinseltown.
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