'MR. BROOKS' GETS AWAY WITH MURDER.

Byline: Bob Strauss

Film Critic

Preposterous as "Mr. Brooks" can get, it's such a well-crafted, intricately devised thriller that its flaws are easy to forgive.

That's similar to how the monstrousness of the title character can be overlooked to the extent that we feel for him, worry about him and, God help us, hope he gets away with an awful lot of murder.

Played by Kevin Costner in what may be the most demanding role of his career, Earl Brooks is an ingeniously methodical thrill killer who hates his criminal compulsion but enjoys the hell out of planning and acting on it. That already puts him in a different league from the Dr. Lecters of the world, but that's just the appetizer.

Brooks has also split his own personality, spinning off an id he calls Marshall, played by William Hurt. This persona is not purely sinister, although Brooks like to think of it as a separate entity that's the real villain. But Marshall is also savvier, a better judge of people and more pragmatic than Brooks -- and therefore a reliable ally. They even share the same pitch-black sense of humor, and it's delightful to see two veteran actors, doing some of the best work of their careers, sharing contemptuous jokes that nobody but their characters will ever understand.

Costner not only has to pull off the difficult task of playing two games at once -- yakking with Marshall while anyone else Brooks is around isn't supposed to notice -- he has to convince us that Earl is the world's greatest compartmentalizer. He's also a loving, if not always listening husband ("CSI's" Marg Helgenberger plays his oblivious wife, Emma) and doting father of a college dropout, Jane (Danielle Panabaker of TV's "Shark"), who can wrap this extremely dangerous man around her pinky without even trying. And when she does try, watch out.

On top of that, Brooks is a successful box manufacturer -- how's that for symbolism -- and philanthropist admired by all of Portland, Ore. Costner makes us believe all of these facets and more. It's a masterfully controlled performance, but also one that allows for all manner of convincing, detailed revelations.

And it's enough for, maybe, five movies. But writers Bruce A. Evans, who also directed, and Raynold Gideon don't think that's enough. Not even close.

There's a cop on Brooks' trail, played by the Demi Moore. Detective Atwood has so many other dramas going on in her life that a ventriloquist's dummy could portray her and still be compelling. And Moore does manage to work in several of her signature swimsuit scenes.

There is also Mr. Smith. Played with a smarmy self-confidence by the comedian Dane Cook, he's the one person who's lucked into evidence of Brooks' crimes. But does this obnoxious sickboy demand money from the industrialist? No, he wants to learn how to be a perfect killer, too.

Somehow, Evans manages to lay this overabundance of plot out at a measured, increasingly suspenseful pace, and dovetails all the story strands into a satisfyingly tied-up climax. Strain does show through the beautiful noir lighting, though. There's a hokey disguise sequence, an incredible missing head wound and a couple of info cheats concerning why Jane actually split from Stanford all of a sudden.

But if you make it through the initial Marshall business and accept that it is possible for Brooks to be as tender and terrible, self-loathing and survivalist as the movie proposes, this stuff should not derail your pleasure. "Mr. Brooks" may be too much to swallow, but it's a rich feast of perverse delicacies.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

MR. BROOKS - Three stars

(R: violence, nudity, sex, language)

Starring: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, William Hurt, Dane Cook, Marg Helgenberger, Danielle Panabaker.

Director: Bruce A. Evans.

Running time: 2 hr. 1 min.

Playing: In wide release.

In a nutshell: You'll either buy this complicated story about a brilliant, conflicted serial killer or you won't. But a smart script and some brilliant performances certainly encourage going for it.

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Photo:

Mr. Smith (Dane Cook, left) wants to learn how to be a murderer -- and who better to learn from than an expert (Kevin Costner) serial killer? -- in "Mr. Brooks."