Sam Zalutsky’s low-budget, low-energy thriller follows the gay New York architect Jeffrey (Daniel Sauli) in his obsessive pursuit of hunky Frenchman Rene (Julien Lucas). Jeffrey impulsively moves into Rene’s apartment building to be near his Gallic dreamboat.
While Rene is indifferent to the attention, Jeffrey winds up being the obsession of his landlady Gladys (Patti D’Arbanville). Needless to say, Gladys’ obsession is far more rabid that Jeffrey’s, and the hapless architect is literally imprisoned in his new surroundings.
“You Belong to Me” never truly clicks, and one cannot help but feel that too many opportunities were missed along the way. Zalutsky’s screenplay is too flabby and takes forever to get to its point, while his direction is too dull to lure the viewer into what is supposed to be a psychological spider’s web of intrigue and madness. Clearly, it takes more than a few shadows and an ominous music score to create the mood this film is aiming for.
Even worse, his two leads are so painfully bland that it is impossible to become attracted to their increasingly deranged machinations. Sauli is a handsome but monotonous presence, while D’Arbanville (enjoying a relatively rare leading role) seems to be playing for camp instead of chills.
Don’t be surprised if you find your thumb inching to the fast-forward button while watching this DVD.
