Movie Review: “Obsessed”
Franck Tabouring
Seen on: April 25, 2009
The players: Director: Steve Shill, Writer: David Loughery, Cast: Beyonce Knowles, Idris Elba, Ali Larter, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti
Facts of interest: None at all.
The plot: A successful asset manager gets into a bunch of trouble when his temp start to stalk him.
Our thoughts: “Obsessed” is one of the worst thrillers I’ve seen in a very long time, but it certainly passes as a great comedy. To be honest, the utter ridiculousness of this mess of a movie really amused me, and I caught myself laughing quite often during the dreadful 105 minutes.
If you’ve already seen the official trailer, you’ve seen the entire movie, and you can save your money and stay at home. No, trust me, I’m telling you nothing but the truth here. If you haven’t seen the trailer, I still suggest you stay at home, and if you want to know why, the only thing I can say is that “Obsessed” is the epitome of crappy filmmaking.
I’m not even sure I should call this filmmaking. It’s more an insult to my intelligence, really. Or maybe I should just call it an atrocity? Anyway, the movie sucks big time, and to this day I don’t understand how someone with a brain could even give this film the green light. Thanks Hollywood, you’ve screwed us again!
The main story line of the film doesn’t even sound that bad at first, even though it’s nothing exactly new either. Idris Elba stars as Derek, a successful asset manager who’s enjoying his new home with his wife Sharon (Beyonce Knowles) and his little kid. Everything goes well for Derek until he meets Lisa (Ali Larter), a hot temp who turns out to be quite the stalker.
I’m not going to talk much about what happens in the film because I don’t want to spoil it for all the Beyonce lovers who haven’t seen it yet, but what I can say is that “Obsessed” is a terribly boring and utterly predictable thriller lacking suspense and logic. I’m often willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of entertainment, but this is just plain ridiculous.
The story is laughable at best, the film’s plot drags on forever, and especially the central characters are among the stupidest I’ve ever seen. Derek and his wife Sharon lead the pack, and the decisions they make and the ways they react to different situations in this film are unbelievably absurd.
Add a couple of incompetent side characters, terrifyingly bad dialogue, a couple of lame twists that fail to intrigue and overall poor technical credits, and you’ve got a massive mess of a film that doesn’t offer you anything in return for your money (unless you enjoy absorbing crap at the movies).
As far as the acting goes, I didn’t find much of it in “Obsessed.” Elba tries very hard to play a guy who believes he can lead a happy life without telling his wife he’s got a stalker on his back, but his performance falls flat. Knowles did a fine job in “Dreamgirls” and “Cadillac Records,” but her efforts here are mediocre at best.
Freaky quote: “She was naked in your hotel room?" – Beyonce Knowles
The final word: “Obsessed” just jumped to the top of the North American box office, and that’s a very bad (and disappointing) sign. The film’s a mess, and I’m absolutely convinced it will show up in my list of the 10 worst films of 2009. The film gets one star because Ali Larter looks hot. That’s it.
Article by Franck Tabouring
Reader Comments (7)
Worst film ever...
Worst REVIEW ever... the film is not that bad. It's actually ENTERTAINING... The film does not search out and attempt to prove itself as anything else... It's a rip off knock off of Fatal Attraction, and that's alright. There seemed to have been one or two, or possibly a few plot holes but so do many classic films... This is a fun romp. It became number 1 at the box office for these reasons... Its a nice time at the cinema... to see a down and out chick fight... rather than weapy emotional or overstuffed affair. Pure fun and enjoyment. Don't let "Franck Tabouring" fool you. Watch and be entertained. This is why films DON'T get screened for movie reviewers. Bittered and angry reviews hold no weight, clout or judgement since they are filled with hot air that leaves them sinking in their own overpowering use of words... Enjoy the feature, become addicted with Obsessed.
Thanks for putting my name in quotes, makes me feel special. And FYI, films are not screened because studios pretty much anticipate negative reviews.
Scuse me??? Ali Larter looks hot? No, the movie gets one star and that's because Beyonce looks hot. Period. Ali has NOTHING on Beyonce. And I don't like Beyonce.
This movie is one of the worst. Ali was beautiful but it did not help with having her or beyonce. This movie sucked....
OBSESSED sucks with a capital S*U*C*K!!!...on ALL accounts - including BK's "acting" - beginning with the script. Most laughable, though, is in the special features section where everyone discusses, explains, etc. all the "artistic/technical" aspects which were involved in the making of this train wreck.
Beautiful!!! You truly have an eye for colour. ampels ampels - Birkin Bag Hermes.