OBSESSED
US, 2009, 109 minutes, Colour.
Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Jerry O’ Connell, Christine Lahti, Matthew Humphreys, Bruce Mc Gill.
Directed by Steve Shill.
Any time is probably a good enough time for a re-run of the Fatal Attraction story. It is a perennial.
This time it involves a sensible financial adviser, played with quiet sobriety by Idris Elba, his wife, who used to be his assistant, played by Beyonce Knowles, and a temp in the office who won't take no for an answer, Ali Larter. The leads play African American characters and the temp(tress) is a blonde and white. However, this is simply presented as a reality and the screenplay does not make any allusions to race issues.
The setting is affluent and glossy. The family have moved into one of those LA mansions for professionals that we see so often in the movies and on television. There are lots of aerial views of the glass skyscrapers and the LA skyline.
Ali Larter is particularly good as the determined woman who is so caught up in her own obsessions that she can't imagine anyone thinking differently. When rejected, she becomes vengeful. The counterbalance is with the devoted wife who, on hearing of the possibility of her husband having an affair with this woman (whom she had instantly disliked), almost goes off the deep end, doing some unreasonable ranting and raving against the husband that only five seconds earlier she had devotedly loved (which means that the performance goes Beyonce belief!).
However, the film is watchable, Elba eliciting audience sympathy as his situation becomes more desperate and he is interrogated by a detective (a welcome Christine Lahti). No rabbits in the boiler this time, but the femme fatale does make a mess of the new mansion.
1.Interesting, entertaining? The variation on Fatal Attraction?
2.The Los Angeles fashionable world, the new house, the affluent offices? Exteriors, the glass vistas of Los Angeles high-rise? The musical score, its melodramatic tone?
3.The title, the reference to Lisa and her behaviour, Derek’s reaction? Sharon’s reaction?
4.The introduction to the perfect family, the new house? The personalities of Derek and Sharon? Kyle and the baby? Settling in? The unsteady roof – anticipating the finale?
5.Derek at work, encountering Lisa in the elevator, the flirtatious behaviour, the fatal attraction? His comments about himself? At work, Lisa as the temp, older, more qualified? Anticipating his coffee, sending the flowers to Sharon, dealing with his messages? Listening in to the phone calls? Derek at home, his friendship with Ben, Joe as the boss, Patrick as the assistant? The clients, his portfolio, success?
6.Life at the office, the routines, Marge as secretary, Patrick as assistant, his propensity for gossip? Ben and his leering tone and conversation? Joe and the decisions about work?
7.Lisa, ingratiating herself, taking Patrick’s place, taking Marge’s place? Meeting Sharon and Sharon’s dislike? The party, in the restroom, her coming on to Derek, her behaviour, her not taking no for an answer? Her presumption thought as she did? Derek’s strong reaction? Leaving the party? Lisa in the car, her clothes, the parking lot and his ousting her? The film indicating her psychopathic tendencies?
8.Sharon, her concern about her sister and her husband’s leaving her? Derek deciding not to tell her what happened? The New Year celebrations? The email from Lisa and Derek deleting it?
9.Derek, his going to the personnel manager, Lisa and her leaving the company? Derek at peace?
10.The management retreat, the luxury hotel, the men chatting? Sharon and the phone calls? Lisa and her sending over the drink? The come-on, the argument with Derek, her drugging his drink, her going to his room, the night, his waking up and being late for the meeting, her sending the message that she was his wife, wanting to go for a drink, his rejecting her? His defying her to go into the meeting and tell the truth? Her suicide attempt, the hospital, sending herself flowers in Derek’s name?
11.Derek’s reaction, going to the hospital, the detective and her enquiries? Sharon, coming, her reaction?
12.Sharon’s outburst, her inability to listen to Derek’s explanation, ousting him from the house?
13.The months passing, Kyle and his outings with his father? Lisa in San Francisco? The beginnings of the reconciliation, the key in the box, the dinner at the restaurant?
14.Lisa coming to the house, pretending to be Katie, Sharon’s friend, the babysitter challenging her, the phone call, her performance on the phone, Derek and Sharon arriving home, frantic, the search, finding the baby in the car, the lipstick on its forehead? Taking Kyle to hospital? Coming back to find the mess in the house? Lisa’s vindictiveness?
15.Derek and Sharon reuniting, the preparation for the trip? Patrick and his giving the information to Lisa and gossiping?
16.Sharon returning home, the secretary system, finding Lisa, going into the roof, the dramatising of the fight between them, Lisa going through the roof, the chandelier, her death? The detective arriving?
17.The detective, her investigations, believing Derek or not, believing Lisa or not?
18.The happy ending – and audience satisfaction at having watched the Fatal Attraction theme and its being resolved?
