The Reaping (2007)

Centuries old plagues are spooking a small community, and the girl they suspect of bringing about the evil is the only one with the key to their salvation.

Hilary Swank (P.S. I Love You, Million Dollar Baby) stars in this Stephen Hopkins (Lost in Space, The Ghost and The Darkness) directed film as Katherine, a renounced Christian missionary who now works to debunk religious miracles as simply scientific phenomena. Along with her assistant Ben (Idris Elba, Obsessed, The Unborn), they visit a small Louisianna bayou town at the request of the town's priest, Doug (David Morrissey, Derailed, Basic Instinct 2), who believes that perhaps they are being smitten with Biblical plagues. Surrounding all the controversey, the town blames a young girl named Loren (AnnaSophia Robb, Race to Witch Mountain, Jumper) for all the strange occurences. But not only is Loren responsible for the plagues, but the town itself is responsible for Loren, as Katherine uncovers their dark secret fights with her own beliefs to determine if what's happening is really going on.

Surely I find myself in the majority of people who saw this movie expecting complete crap, and were amazed and how bad it isn't. Still not great, not a "must see"... but definitely a "watch if don't have anything better." I really enjoyed the modern twist on the age old plague story, and this story is not something that would be deemed out of place for the setting... I could actually believe it. Decent acting with a well rounded cast with good production value seemed to really go a long way for this film.

5.7/10

Rated: R
99 mins

Obsessed (2009)

A tempting would-be adulterer tries to move in on a happily married man and claim the fruits of his loin as her own... because in her line of duty, "all's fair when love is war."

Derek Charles (Idris Elba, American Gangster, The Office) is a young VP of a very successful Los Angeles asset management firm. Having married and whisked away his old secretary Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles, Dreamgirls, The Pink Panther), he has it all. A beautiful wife, handsome young son, and a new house. Much to his chagrin, a charmingly beautiful temp named Lisa (Ali Larter, Final Destination, Legally Blonde) starts a job at his company, and she has her snipers cross-hair set center mass on on him. He plays the nice guy act, but her bold advances become harder and harder to ignore. Not worth risking his career, or his family, he repeatedly brushes her off, trying to keep a low profile, not only staying off his co-workers radar, but his wife's. Lisa she can only take too much as she is desperate to step in and become the new woman in his life... and she'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.

So many low reviews for this movie, and I know why. Everyone is biased towards Fatal Attraction. Really? That movie was soooo late 80's, get over it. This movie captures the same feeling that movie did, just in an updated turn of the century style that I think was done well. Having said that, it's still not that great of a movie, not bad either mind you. My big turn off was knowing Beyoncé was in it... but hey, at least she didn't play a character that sings this time. When I think of Idris Elba I think of his character in The Office, which I hate... the show not his character. I actually like his character in the show. I think he did very well in this film, because we all know trying to shoot a film where you have to repeatedly deny Ali Larter's cute, sexy self is no easy task. I would have caved. How is it I could see Megan Fox trying out for that role? Maybe it's just me. Really good camera and lighting, setting many of the dark moods perfectly. Fellas, don't watch this with your girl if you don't want to be looked at differently for a few days.

6.2/10

Rated: PG-13
108 mins