A COP AS OBSESSIVE AS THE KILLER SHE’S CHASING: DEMI MOORE IS DETECTIVE ATWOOD

In the wake of his latest horrific crime – this time the murder of two lovers in the throes of passion -- Mr. Brooks faces a nemesis almost as savvy as he is: the tough-minded Detective Atwood. She pours herself into finding the serial killer because, on the heels of a brutal divorce, she herself has nothing else left. The two characters become as mirrors to one another: the amoral criminal and his impassioned chaser, each seeking to be free of their demons and start anew.

Demi Moore

“What I love about Detective Atwood is that she is really the motor of the movie and you rarely see a woman in this role as the chaser of a killer,” says Bruce Evans. “To have Demi Moore take on this role of a cop who is just as smart as the brilliant murderer she is after was a thrill. She formed such a bond with Kevin and Dane Cook and they really brought so much more to their characters than I could ever have imagined.”

Moore’s recent films have taken her in diverse directions, ranging from the ensemble drama “Bobby” to the action of “Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle.” She first heard about MR. BROOKS directly from Kevin Costner when Ashton Kutcher was working with him on “The Guardian.” “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 this guy was. Even then, there was something very dynamic about his enthusiasm for it that really struck me,” Moore recalls.

It wasn’t until months later that the filmmakers approached Moore formally and sent her a script. “When I read it, I immediately understood Kevin’s passion for the material,” she continues. “The script exhilarated me and frightened me at the same time. I thought it was very smart and filled with characters who have depth.”

Like everyone who encounters the character of Mr. Brooks, Moore found him very provocative. “I think he sort of embodies our greatest fear – that the normal person in front of you could actually have bodies in the basement,” she says. “The way Kevin plays him he’s so likeable and relatable – he’s a father, a husband, a friend -- but look at what he’s really out there doing in the world.”

Moore was equally drawn to Detective Atwood – in part because the character is so counter to her own personality. “There was something very attractive to me about how volatile and impulsive she is,” says the actress. “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 of a person who is comfortable being sedate and being in control of my emotions. So 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.”

As she began to explore Atwood further, Moore began to see her as someone who has just about reached emotional rock bottom – and, in that way, is not all that different from the murderer she is hunting. “She’s really someone whose life is a complete disaster on every level so her only savior is work. She has all this pent-up frustration and her fuse is very short but I think that all of this volatility is really a sign of somebody who’s in pain,” she continues. “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.”

Another unexpected element that attracted Moore was how the film’s dark themes are laced with sudden flashes of humor. “One of the beautiful things in the writing of this movie is that there is a lot wit and irony and nothing is approached as black and white,” she says.

In preparing for the role, Moore admits she had an unusual jump-start. “I’m an avid watcher of shows like ‘Forensic Files’ and ‘The Investigators’ and truly hold a fascination for the arts of deduction. It’s really one of my guilty pleasures,” she admits. “I’m intrigued by this kind of work – by the combination of the physical aspects as well as the intellect and intuition, and of course, the science of breaking down the details.”

Moore had already studied various elements of forensics and investigation at the FBI Academy in Quantico for a previous film and, even on the set, she was reading case histories of killers for any additional insights.

Her authenticity riveted the cast and crew on the set. “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,” sums up Kevin Costner.

NEXT
THE UNWANTED PROTEGE:
DANE COOK IN A SURPRISING ROLE AS MR. SMITH
Ironically one of the reasons Demi Moore was initially interested in MR. BROOKS was the chance to work with Costner – yet their characters are usually playing cat-and-mouse.