You Belong to Me

This is truly awful, the epitome of the wet afternoon film fare and it's dreadfully clichéd and trashy, as I stated don't bother, I wish I hadn't!

Wait, wha? I feel like I just watched two different lifetime movies, an episode of Goosebumps AND an episode of Supernatural all rolled into an hour and twenty minutes! I'm so lenient on these type of films but ...whaaaaa? It was so generic! I feel so bad. Shannon is beautiful and intriguing to watch but her acting was kind of dry and flat.

The way the films starts out has you thinking you're in for a sexy thriller type situation but then halfway through it just COMPLETELY changes course! And it's not good. It's very cheesy. At one point I felt like I was a kid again watching an episode of Goosebumps after school! It was just so inconsistent. I can't even suggest this one for a rainy, lazy day.

I feel sorry for TV movies- honestly I do. It's as if they were made for one reason only- that they were not good enough to bring out on the silver screen i.e. movie cinemas in wide releases, and most seem to be targeted towards a single demographic audience- mature women. Many new TV movies (and I've unfortunately seen more than my fair share) have a woman as the lead in some sort of sad, pity-me tragic sort of role which requires them to take a huge challenge/mystery upon themselves and try to solve it and save themselves and everyone else that matters to them. The writers seem to give them the qualities of Xena, a model like look, and the skills of Nancy Drew which means that the police "detectives" in the movie are either too stupid or don't really have a clue as to how to do real police work.

I have yet to see a really good female led TV move (and I really want to see one as I'm not a sexist pig!) but as far as this movie breaking new ground it actually takes a big leap backwards.

Shannon Elizabeth looks good. And that's the only positive thing I can say about her. The plot, which started out interestingly enough, descended into the depths of garbage after fifteen minutes had elapsed. If the director or the screenwriters were attempting a shock twist in the who is it part they must have missed that lecture in their film school classes because it's a dead giveaway after the first few minutes of the movie. If anyone is surprised when the "revelation" is revealed...I would recommend that you buy some Where's Wally books and study them hard.

I digress- back to Shannon. Her character commits every cliché that B horror/thriller/suspense movie leads are supposed to do. Her acting's never been her strong point but it wasn't as painfully evident until now. She pouts and screams and whimpers- none of it sincere nor believable. The rest of the cast ham their lines in either a bored fashion or one that suggests that they're only doing it for the paycheck.

The plot became so ludicrous that I actually stopped watching so I don't even know how it ends but given that it's a TV movie rest assured that all's well that must end well. For my sanity it's best that I am blissfully ignorant as I can't imagine wanting to know what really transpires.

So, if you're a HUGE die hard Shannon Elizabeth fan (send me your address and I'll send you a get well soon card) ignore this rant and enjoy yourselves before they turn out the lights in your padded cells. The rest of you can move onto something that's more interesting...like watching paint dry.

SHANNON ELIZABETH is a young woman being stalked by a co-worker and there's no big surprise as to whom the stalker is once that plot development occurs. And the first half of the story is good enough to be convincing up until the point that something happens which destroys their relationship forever. No use going into the actual details which would spoil it for anyone watching for the first time.

After that, the yarn has a hard time seeming credible although the suspense is mild enough to keep the viewer watching. ANDREW KENNETH MARTIN is convincing as the woman's boyfriend who wants to find out who is stalking his fiancé and Christian CAMPBELL does a good job as the man who creates all the problems.

Technical credits are fine in this made-for-TV movie which strains believability but has enough intrigue to keep one guessing as to how it will all end. It all feels like something inspired by a Mary Higgins Clark novel--even the title.

You belong to Me is a stalking thriller with a supernatural twist. Shannon Elizabeth is Alex Wilson who works in a Seattle publishing firm. She fears that she is being stalked by her ex, Julian who is also the father to her son. Although settled with a new boyfriend Chris, Alex thinks Julian is hanging about in the background despite a restraining order.

At work she deals with a project with a new colleague Michael who also takes an interest in her. Things come to a head as Chris gets seriously injured in a mysterious incident and Michael reveals that he is seriously unhinged and falls off a cliff.

This does not stop Alex having an eerie feeling that she is still being watched. Her son is having mysterious conversations with someone. Is Julian still stalking or Michael whose spirit is stuck in some kind of limbo?

This is a badly written tosh full of clichés and bad acting. Elizabeth looks pretty and that is about it. The story could had gone in some interesting directions that would had made it at least average but resisted all temptation to be competent.