Film Review: Obsessed

I went to see this movie with my co-workers/friends opening day (4/24). We were all excited to see this movie. Actually, they were more excited to see this movie than I do, lol. We've been talking about seeing this movie at work a lot, haha. So, yeah, about 4 of us (minus 1 though because the other one couldn't make it or whatever...) went to see this at the first time showing available early in the afternoon. There were a lot of people on this showing. The big screening room we watched this film for was packed. Good thing we went there early 'cause a lot of people had to sit down very close to the front of the screen 'cause they couldn't find a good seat, lol. We got our popcorn/snacks and drinks ready, while we wait to see the movie...and got excited when the movie started, haha.


Anyway, check out my review of...

But first...

[Warning! ... for those who haven't seen this movie and don't want to be spoiled...]

Obsessed (2009)

Starring: Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter

Watch the HD trailer below:

[source: DigitalLaugh]

My Obsessed Review: First of all, here's a lil' synopsis to what this movie was all about. In this psychological thriller, Beyonce Knowles plays Sharon Charles, the loyal wife to Idris Elba's Derek Charles, a recently promoted businessman in need of a short-term assistant after his regular assistant falls ill. Along the way comes Ali Larter's Lisa Sheridan character, who quickly becomes more like a sexy, seductive temptress than an office temp. But when Derek doesn't give her the love back and attention she so desired, Lisa goes over the edge becoming increasingly more persistent and a whole lot crazier the more she appeared and shared a scene with Derek in the office with every denial.

Ok, on to my review...I must admit, I went to see this movie mainly to see Ali Larter as I'm a big fan of hers as an actress (what can I say, she's incredible, gorgeous, and amazing, in my opinion...not too mention, this movie was the first time I've ever seen her in the big screen as I've mostly seen her movies on DVDs...) and her multiple characters in the hit TV Series, NBC's Heroes. So, yeah, I was excited to see this movie and mostly to see Ali play the bad girl/crazy/psycho/femme fatale character Lisa Sheridan. I thought her character in this movie fit her so well as Ali's awesome at playing badass/crazy/psycho characters, haha...after all, she has played multiple characters in Heroes and one of them has a badass split personality Jessica Sanders. Her role Lisa, though is different than Jessica because Lisa was more delusional, psychotic, and obsessed over a married man (whom she believes she was in love with and was in love with her)...whereas her Jessica (one of her original character's split personalities) character in Heroes was a strong, no-nonsense, badass chick. So, that's why I was so excited and looking forward to seeing Ali in this type of role that's completely different from her Heroes roles. Also, I love seeing her play the bad girl as much as I love seeing her play the good girl. Ali is just...that great of an actress. She can pull it off really good and play any role. She is believable and realistic, in my opinion, when she plays these type of characters especially as a bad girl. You can tell she's really good at it as she enjoys playing one. Anyway, more about Ali and her role later. For now, let's get to the movie, the plot, the story, and other main characters, etc.

I thought the movie was pretty good. I quite liked it for what it was. Not the best thriller film I've seen (yes, even with Ali on it, unfortunately), but It was at least quite interesting, entertaining, funny (which was a bit unusual as it's supposed to be a suspense/psychological-thriller type of film, lol...but instead it was more like a comedy/suspense/psycho thriller, but you know what?

I didn't mind the comedic parts...they at least entertained and made me laugh as does everyone at the audience, they seemed to enjoy watching this movie and laughed at the parts that were funny), and just entertaining to watch. Though, it does reminded me a lot of...to quote Ali Larter herself, "this movie was a homage to Fatal Attraction (the gold standard for this type of genre) meets The Hand That Rocks the Cradle meets the Single White Female movies" from back in the day...which, I've seen (all 3) so long ago...and I totally agree with her as this type of movie's storyline has already been done before and it's nothing new. I think this movie didn't mind the comparison to those classic movies at all, which it should be glad as they were all pretty good to be compared to. It's not like other movies in Hollywood haven't recycled old movies' plot or storyline, lol. So, yeah, despite the lack of originality of this movie, I didn't mind it at all. It was still good and fun to watch for the nostalgia of those 3 classic psycho-thriller films (made so long ago) and for the entertainment purpose of this new film. We loved and enjoyed watching it, at least.

As for the cast, I must say, Ali Larter and Idris Elba were pretty good. Beyonce, on the other hand, was just ok, in my opinion. I'm just not a fan of hers as an actress, I guess. I've only seen her in Dreamgirls (which she was pretty descent in that movie, but Jennifer Hudson totally stole the spotlight from her and was the highlight of that movie). Though she did ok in her role here as Sharon Charles (who is married and loyal to a man, Derek Charles, that Ali Larter's character Lisa was obsessing on), her lines were hilarious, lol. Still, I just think that someone else could've played the wife better than her (or Ali should've played the wife as I wanted to root for her and win, haha...but then again, she was also great as the bad girl, lol...) or that a different actress (ie. Zoe Soldana, Vivica A. Fox, Paula Patton, etc.) should've played Sharon. I'm just not fond of the way she acts or talks (no offense to Beyonce...she's a beautiful and talented singer/dancer...but as an actress, I'm just not a fan or don't find her that good as others like Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, even Alicia Keys was pretty good in The Secret Life of Bees...see my review of that movie here). But since Beyonce did and played Sharon...oh well, she at least, still did ok here. Her lines were funny though (even from the trailer her lines were already making me laugh), lol. I think her lines will be classic (if I didn't know this was supposed to be a suspense psycho-thriller...I would've thought it was a comedy/psycho-thriller film), haha. My obvious favorite lines (which we've all seen and memorized from the trailer alone, lol) from her were:

• "You came to mah house? You touched mah child?"
• "I knew it would come to this."
• "You want crazy? I'll show you crazy!"
• "She was nayked in yo hotel room?"
• "You betta do something about this woman or ah will!"
• "The girl may be all those things, but she ain't plain."

The lines were said exactly as written ^, so go ahead read them again and pretend you're Beyonce...erm, Sharon, lol.


Edris Elba was pretty good here, acting-wise, as Derek Charles. Though, look-wise (and hey, it's just my opinion, lol), they could've find someone much better looking in a man like Taye Diggs (it would've been a reunion between him and Ali Larter as they have previously co-starred in House on Haunted Hill...he just looks so hot and awesome to look at, that you can understand why a woman like Lisa would go crazy on him, lol). No offense to Idris, he's not, by any means ugly, but I just don't find him so hot and attractive that someone like Ali or Beyonce's characters would be fighting like crazy about him, lol. It's probably just me, but I would've preferred it if either these guys were Derek Charles:

• Taye Diggs
• Shemar Moore
• Terrence Howard

But, of course, I'm probably basing that in the looks department more, to be convince of someone going crazy over someone like him/his character, but he was just not hot like these 3 hot and very talented actors...still those 3 are the whole package (both acting and looks-wise, hehe)...oh, well...this movie was trying to be not so much on the looks (perhaps more on the personality and acting wise or so)...and also not color blind, so I didn't mind Idris Elba here. He was a lucky man here, for sure, with two beautiful women fighting over him. He was at least a good actor though. His best line, and dare I say, my favorite line from Derek in this movie was:

"Breath, Bitch!" (in one of the scenes in a hotel room he was staying at and when he was trying to revived Lisa, who was unconscious on his bed and had to be hospitalized)...the audience were cheering and laughing out loud when he said that line, hahaha...I thought that was so random and funny!


Now, back to Ali Larter, I thought she was the best thing and the highlight of this movie...at least for me. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan of Ali, but she was really great in this movie as Lisa Sheridan, who worked as the temp girl in the office/company that Derek worked for. She was simply AWESOME (acting/performance-wise) and a scene stealer in this movie. She was impressive, very convincing, and made you believe, while (or even after) seeing this movie, that she was this crazy, delusional, psychotic, and obsessed woman. She was so crazy that she was frighteningly believable. Her memorable lines (or rather my favorite lines of hers) from this movie were:

• "I'm just a temp."
• "The good ones are always taken."
• "You called me Liz, my name is Lisa."
• "I was having to pretend that I was concentrating on work when all I could think about was..."
• "You want me to come to yours?"
• "I know. Help me Derek."
• "You said, you wish we could be together!"

I must say big kudos and props to Ali for doing such a terrific job on playing Lisa. She was definitely perfect for this role (much like Glenn Close was in Fatal Attraction, Rebecca De Mornay in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female before her). She owned every scene she appeared on, in this movie and made me kinda hate her character, but at the same time feel sorry for her...or rather made me wish that she wasn't really that bad or crazy 'cause she was so good at being bad...if that makes any sense, lol.

The big fight scene between her and Beyonce was the highlight of this movie towards the end. Though, I was kinda disappointed with the ending when Sharon obviously won the fight between her and Lisa...which I won't spoil the ending (though you can probably already guess what happened to Lisa in the end, lol...poor Lisa :(...I was secretly rooting for her in silent, hehe!), but I wish they had done a few cool twists towards the end for this movie as it was predictable. It started out pretty good and then, that was it...no big surprises 'cause Lisa was exactly what she was, no redemption for her character, and therefore she had to typically lose (like every other villain characters) in the end? I wish they had done one of the following twists that the audience didn't see coming in the end... like lets see...

• Sharon was actually the crazy one and not Lisa...that would've been a cool and surprising twist at the end...I would've love to have seen this twist in the end.
• Lisa was crazy, but only through Derek's point of view and he was the one who was actually a bad guy here and stalking her, making Sharon believe Lisa was the crazy one...when she was actually not...and was avoiding him.
• Sharon was the temp girl and the crazy one, while Lisa was the innocent, loyal wife that Sharon made her look like the crazy one, lol.

I'd take any or one of those ^ twists for an actual ending for this movie...lol. Perhaps on the DVD for this film, they'll include an alternate ending? I can only wish or hope to see one...

Or better yet...Lisa was really bad, but still gets away with it and surprisingly won the big fight/showdown with Sharon at the end and gets what she wants (ie. Derek and baby Kyle) or something, haha (guess, I've seen a lot of her movies that she mostly didn't have a nice ending to most of her characters and just wanted for Ali to win, in this one at the end, for a change...lol)...

But, of course, they went to a more obvious and predictable ending. Oh, well...the ending was ok...and it was what it was...it wasn't too bad...it at least made you root for the strong, good girl character like Sharon Charles, which she at least won and rightly deserved so over the crazy, bad girl Lisa Sheridan, who was obsessing and trying to steal her husband and touched her child, lol. Lisa did have a cool and epic demise at the end. I loved the part when she kinda surprised me and the audience with her eyes suddenly opening up (I was like, "whoa!" and the audience did too, lol...kinda like when her Heroes character Tracy blinked one of her eyes with a teardrop after being shot by the evil hunter and shattered into an ice cube pieces) after her big fall from the attic...and made us think she'll make it through after all, only for that damn, sharp chandelier to fall on top of her...ouch!... lol. Poor Lisa, as bad as she was...it made me feel sorry and sympathized for her, but at the same time (not really, 'cause of the bad things she's done)...I ended up rooting for the good girl, Sharon...Though at the same time was hoping secretly rooting for Lisa (I know...what can I say, she rocked as a bad girl, lol) and was waiting for her to show up at the very end, just before the end credits and surprise us with a shocking twist of an ending...but no, unfortunately, that didn't happen. :(

Overall, this movie, as predictable and unoriginal as it was, it was at least fun and entertaining to watch. I'd say this movie was pretty good especially with Ali on it. She made this movie pretty good, for me. I highly recommend this for all Ali and Beyonce fans and even those who aren't fans of them. They'll still love and enjoy the film like my co-workers/friends did and they were neither Ali/Beyonce fans...so if you haven't seen it. Go see it! It's not boring at all. It was campy and a crowd pleaser (esp. when you bring a group of friends with you). It was fun, entertaining, enjoyable, funny, and the big Ali-Beyonce fight (at the end) alone was worth watching!

My Obsessed Film Rating: ! (8.5/10; B+)