Generally it is bad news when a movie is not made
available for review by critics before it officially opens. Another sign of bad
news is when there isn't any buzz--good or bad--about a movie. The third strike
is when it is a picture about a woman stalker because it would have to be
compared to THE classic, "Fatal Attraction" and is bound to come up short.

"Obsession" does not strike out but it is far from a
home run.  There should be a lot of buzz about the fight at the end but,
basically, it is just another thriller, okay, not memorable. It could have been
lifted higher on the scale if it had touched on the racial issue but in a way
not paying attention to it is a positive in today's society.

The racial issue could have been approached because
it is about a white female stalking a black man and may have explained some of
her motive but we are left with no idea why she is stalking anyone let alone
this man. It would have been way more interesting if the two female leads had
changed roles with the wife being white and the stalker being a black female.
None of this is tackled in this film making it just an 'okay' thriller.

Paying attention will
telegraph everything that will happen and if you have ever seen a thriller you
know how it will end and how exactly it will come to that end.

I was very impressed with
Beyonce in "Cadillac Music" where she
played the part of Etta Jones and was excellent. In this film she has a lot less
to do and should have, as one of the producers, taken the stalker role where she
may have been a stand out. As it is Ali Larter in the role is very good but the
character is left in the lurch by the writers who give her no background yet
have her fit in the world of big business seamlessly and why/how she became a
stalker is completely ignored.

I am/was not familiar with Idris Elba but he is the
definition of a hunk with the sensitivity that women, supposedly, love to see in
men. He plays the role of a successful, on the way up, man and plays it easily.
It is quite believable that he is married to Beyonce and that he would be
stalked by Ali.

In a minor, generic role
is Christine Lahti--sob, sob--as a
detective when at one time she would have played (and still could) either of the
female leads. Matthew Humphreys plays
a gay (duh!) secretary and Jerry O'Connell plays a very strange role as Idris's best friend, at least in the office.
Now that would have made a more interesting film--a man stalking his best friend (but
gays would be up in arms about a gay man, once again, being the villain!!). The
scene where Ali tries to go done on Idris in the men's room would have really
burnt up the screen if it had been Jerry in her role, but that's another
film.

Also, very strange, the
baby playing the child of Beyonce and
Idris is one of the most is one of the
most quiet, emotionless children I have ever seen on screen except for 2
seconds!!!

Considering the many ways this film could have
lifted itself out of the ordinary it only succeeds to the what will be talked
about fight near the end not because it is that exciting but because of who the
fight is between.

"Obsessed" is just another film which doesn't mean
it's bad but it isn't good either.