Obsessed Blu-ray Disc Review

// you’re reading...

Reviews

By brenden ⋅ August 3, 2009 ⋅

Email This Post ⋅

Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

OBSESSED (2009, Blu-ray released August 4, 2009 - MSRP $39.95)

I completely underestimated the B-movie potential of Beyoncé Knowles‘ latest Hollywood excursion. Let me sum it up for you this way: the only bonus feature advertised on the back of the Blu-ray package is called “Girl Fight“. That’s right. At it’s core, the entire film is a set up to the mother of all feline throw-downs featuring the popular R&B singer facing off against Ali Larter from the TV show Heroes. Let the fur-balls fly…

If you ask me to call it like I see it, I would have to tell you that Obsessed is a terrible movie. It’s a whole lot of things that I can’t stand about modern Hollywood cinema. Tired, predictable story structure. Poorly crafted, clichéd dialogue. Unbelievable characters. Ridiculous situations. But if I try to be a little more objective and put myself in someone else’s shoes, like say, my sister’s for instance, well I might just have to classify Obsessed as a fun, little domestic thriller. The slightly less intelligent love-child of Fatal Attraction and Cape Fear. With Roger Corman and Hammer Films as godparents. I can see how a lot of people will have fun with this!

On paper, the set up doesn’t really seem too ridiculous: Sexy temp falls for hot, married executive. Begins stalking. Causes trouble. Marriage becomes difficult. Drama ensues. Yeah, fine. Good. But the actual execution here comes off like suspense thriller-lite. Even drama-lite. Hitchcock on rohypnol. But I think that might be all right for most folks looking for some easily digestible entertainment. This is not great filmmaking. But it might just be okay entertainment.

While the quality of the film itself is questionable, the Blu-ray disc is certainly worth a look on its technical merits alone. It features a great transfer of some dark, moody (but a bit too contemporary-blue for my tastes), well composed photography and effective, if a little too front-and-centre sound design. There’s also a small collection of bonus features - well, featurettes really - one of which is a straightforward, promotional EPK. Not bad. Just standard studio promo fare. The others cover the aforementioned “Girl Fight” and a really nice piece on the films production and costume design.