Obsessed (2009)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Steve Shill

Writer (WGA):

David Loughery (written by)

Release Date:

24 April 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

All's fair when love is war.

Plot:

A successful asset manager, who has just received a huge promotion, is blissfully happy in his career and in his marriage. But a temp worker starts stalking him, all the things he's worked so hard for are placed in jeopardy.

Plot Keywords:

Temp Worker | Marriage | Stalking | Non Statutory Female On Male Rape Attempt | Obsession

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Idris Elba	...	Derek Charles
Beyoncé Knowles	...	Sharon Charles
Ali Larter	...	Lisa Sheridan
Jerry O'Connell	...	Ben
Bonnie Perlman	...	Marge
Christine Lahti	...	Det. Monica Reese
Nathan Myers	...	Kyle Charles
Nicolas Myers	...	Kyle Charles
Matthew Humphreys	...	Patrick
Scout Taylor-Compton	...	Samantha
Richard Ruccolo	...	Hank
Bryan Ross	...	Security Man
Nelson Mashita	...	Doctor
Bruce McGill	...	Joe Gage
Ron Roggé	...	Roger

Also Known As:

Oh No She Didn't (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual material including some suggestive dialogue, some violence and thematic content.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44507) | UK:12A | Ireland:15A | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Norway:11 | New Zealand:M | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

This is Beyoncé Knowles' first movie role where she is not singing.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Derek is getting ready to go to the Christmas party and asks which tie to put on, after the selection is made, his collar is not on straight. In the next shot his collar is smooth, then it's not on straight, then it's smooth again.

Quotes:

Lisa Sheridan: Hi! I'm Sharon's friend, Kate. You're?
Samantha: Samantha. Mrs. Charles is at dinner.
Lisa Sheridan: Sharon told me to drop by, I have this present for Kyle. I'm just gonna run it up to him.
Samantha: Oh, you can't, he's sleeping!
Lisa Sheridan: I won't wake him.
Samantha: Maybe you should come back another time.
Lisa Sheridan: But I'm here now!
Samantha: I...
Lisa Sheridan: Oh, I get it, you're just doing your job. Good! Do you need me to call Sharon?
Samantha: Yeah.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Soul Train" (1971)

Soundtrack:

Jolly Holly (Deck the Halls)

Boringly Predictable--wait for regular cable programming

A friend had free movie passes to see this movie--and on my birthday, of all days.

That is two hours of my life that I will never get back.

The movie is a remix of Fatal Attraction, but the plot is nowhere near as edgy and suspenseful. As for the acting...I never expected much of Beyonce in the first place (because she can't act, nor can she speak very well), but I was so disappointed in Idris Elba's performance. A friend remarked that he was probably underacting in order not to overshadow Beyonce, and she was probably right. Still, his character was a caricature of a pseudo-thug from New York who moved up the corporate ranks and added a veneer of sophistication over that thug image. Stringer Bell, we hardly knew ye.

Even Ali Larter didn't come off as psychotic as she could have...perhaps because underneath her lines was the feeling that she was thinking, "What in the world is THIS crap?" Beyonce was a relative nonentity (albeit a well-dressed one), but I'm sure that she and her father bankrolled this movie in further misguided efforts to try and prove that she is a Serious Actress (not to mention a vehicle for further promotion of the House of Dead Wrong--excuse me, the House of Dereon). Too bad it didn't work. However, Beyonce fans and stans will faithfully flock to theaters and will loudly proclaim that she is the best actress since Madea, and should win an Oscar for her performance since she was "robbed" in Dreamgirls. I will give her this: she didn't completely suck as an actress in this movie, but she didn't really stretch herself as an actress either--but then again, she never has. At least she didn't play a singer of some sort in this one, so there is some progress being made.

My disbelief was hardly suspended in this movie. There were so many ways that the movie could have been beefed up to carry viewers on an emotional roller coaster ride, but the writers and directors chose to take the safe route. I'd strongly suggest that people wait for the movie to show up on regular cable programming, and not pay-per-view or view-on-demand.