It's impossible to talk about this for very long without dealing with the elephant in the room. Yes, De Palma, as several other talented directors, is a fan of Hitchcock(and this lives up to his style well, without being a copy), and yes, aspects of this do bear a striking resemblance to Vertigo. Neither of the plots hold up to close scrutiny yet are compelling and keep you wanting to find out more, the reveals are gripping and the focus is on the emotion. The well-done, mysterious scores are done by the same composer, if it's a tad bombastic here. Both starring ladies are attractive; Bujold's performance is stunning, Novak is the greater beauty. Stewart surprised in an unexpected role, Robertson(who I've barely seen in anything else) is bland without being boring. The theme of obsession is important in them. With all of that said, this is different, and ought not to be regarded as a mere remake(one was not, and is not, necessary). Alfred chose to be angry; I think it would have been fitting for him to be proud. As far as tributes to him and his work go, this is among the best. Florence is haunting in this. The build-up of mood and atmosphere, leading to the inevitable and remarkable climax, is gradual but it pays off. Let this absorb you. It possesses a dream-like quality that stays with you. What there is of suspense and tension is effective, and this keeps you engaged. The acting is good for the most part. Lithgow's convincing accent and his unflattering moustache balance each other out. This is well-edited and the cinematography is nicely done. The FX are decent(there aren't enough for this to be a bother; this is subtle and doesn't try too hard). This is one of the seven pictures by Brian I've watched, the others being Carrie, The Untouchables, Scarface, Snake Eyes, Mission: Impossible and Black Dahlia. There is disturbing content in this, and not everyone will be comfortable with it. The DVD comes with interesting trivia(note that it spoils the movie), a trailer for this and a bunch of others, and a 36 second photo gallery. I recommend this to any fan of either skillful film-maker. 7/10
Review of Obsession
