Obsessed (2009)

Obsessed (2009)

Beyonce Knowles is pissed and takes it out on that girl from Heroes.  And, that’s basically the entire movie right there.  Plain and simple, this movie is remake or rip-off of Fatal Attraction, but in a muted PG-13 form. 

Sadly the movie is riddled with problems from direction to writing standpoints, but surprisingly the acting isn’t that bad.  Idris Elba is great as the smooth asset manager for a huge firm.  Sure, he’s playing another version of Stringer Bell, but the guy is smooth.  Heck, I wanted to hang out with him after this movie, and I’m not even gay.  Ali Larter plays the crazy woman that literally wants to rape Elba’s character.  (And, she succeeds too!).  Larter really seems to know what it takes to be the obsessed “other girl” in this movie a little too well. 

Beyonce doesn’t fare as well though.  Her character is rather passive throughout the movie until the last 15 minutes.  Yes, I’m talking about the famous cat fight between the Larter (in her underwear) and that Destiny’s Child chick.  While seeing two very attractive women fight could have been very pleasing for every straight male, it comes across a bit too campy and somewhat familiar.  There are moments when you can clearly see the stunt doubles in certain shots.  I haven’t seen it this bad since some of those William Shatner fights on Star Trek. 

The other problem with the movie is that everyone is a cliché right down to the janitor in the background (I’m joking).  You have the good natured business family man that LOVES his wife and child.  Then there is gay secretary that gossips about everything that goes on inside the office.  There’s the slime ball guy friend that will sleep with anything that walks through the door. 

The movie never seems to take chances, and this might have to do with the fact that the movie is PG13.  The writers and executive producer Beyonce go out of their way to make sure that Idris Elba’s character does nothing wrong.  He never even considers cheating on his wife and the movie makes sure the burden falls all on Ali Larter’s shoulders.  She can send virus to his computer and survive great falls and injuries.  Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction showed that now matter much the male group tries to stand with their morals, sex and the sex drive can make them cheat.  Here, Beyonce wants all the blame to go to Ali Larter, a white woman. 

And, this is biggest problem I have with the movie.  There is an agenda here that most people outside the black community will not pick up on.  There has always been this tension between black women and white women over white women dating black men.  Some black women feel that white women come in swoop up all the successful black men, leaving the thugs and fools left for black women.  Sadly, this movie plays on that stereotype.  I have to wonder if Beyonce had a hand in that. 

The last 15 minutes is played up for all the black women in the theater to rise up and cheer as Beyonce beats the living crap out this blond white woman.  I find that notion the most sickening thing about the movie.  It makes it seem like all white women are evil and trick black men into sleeping with them, and that black women all feel threatened by white women.  The last 15 minutes is purely played up with that in mind. 

Would the movie get the same response if the stalker was a black woman instead? 

Anyway, Obsessed is not a terrible movie, but a missed opportunity to flip around the stalker genre. It stumbles under its misguided message and never takes chances because of that message. 

Grade:  D+

Ali:  “Hello, I will be playing the deranged stalker chick that will give your hubby a drug and then proceed to rape him.” 

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Yes, she spends the last 15 minutes in this outfit, enjoy. 

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You won’t like me when I’m angry.  

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“Hey, this is Kelly Rowland.  We’re bringing Destiny’s Child back together.  We’re on a mission from God.”