"OBSESSED" (2009) (Idris Elba, Ali Larter) (PG-13)
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QUICK TAKE:
Dramatic Thriller: When a temp worker starts stalking a successful asset manager, his career and marriage end up jeopardized.
PLOT:
Derek Charles (IDRIS ELBA) has a good life. Beyond being happily married to Sharon (BEYONCE KNOWLES), having a healthy toddler son in Kyle (NATHAN/NICOLAS MYERS), and moving into a new home, he's successful in his career as an assets manager working alongside Ben (JERRY O'CONNELL) for Joe Gage (BRUCE McGILL).
But things change when Derek's usual assistant, Patrick (MATTHEW HUMPHREYS), is out sick, meaning temp Lisa Sheridan (ALI LARTER) fills in for him. Friendly, ultra-efficient and drop-dead gorgeous, she grabs the attention of the men in the office. And while her attention may be focused on Derek, he isn't remotely tempted.
That, however, doesn't sway her growing obsession with him and delusion that there's something between them. When that later leads to her unsuccessful suicide attempt following Derek spurning her both at the office Christmas party and a later company retreat, police detective Monica Reese (CHRISTINE LAHTI) begins to investigate the attempt as well as the affair Lisa claims they're having.
From that point on, and with Sharon -- who was Derek's assistant before they became romantically involved and later married -- no longer thinking she can trust her husband, the couple must contend with both that and the fact that Lisa won't give up her delusional obsession with her former boss.
OUR TAKE: 3 out of 10
Our reviewing policy for films that aren't shown in advance to critics is that we'll only provide a paragraph or two about the film's artistic merits or, more accurately, lack thereof. After all, life is too short to spend any more effort than that on a movie that even the releasing studio knows isn't any good (which is why they hid it from reviewers before its release).
Essentially just an updated version of "Fatal Attraction" without the interesting characters, true suspense and/or interesting subtext (even with the mixed racial element that's present), the film takes forever to play out.
And since we know exactly where it's headed and pretty much how things will end (at least in general), not to mention that the developments and behavior get progressively more ludicrous as they arrive on the screen, there's little enjoyment to be had from the flick that's being advertised as the year's "sexiest thriller" but falls flat on that and all other counts. "Obsessed" rates as a 3 out of 10.
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