This is a psychological thriller par excelance, brought to life by Robin Williams in one of his best roles. The film is gorgeously filmed and executed. In fact, the two big stars here are Robin Williams as "Sy" and Writer/Producer Mark Romanek, with Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth winning "Best Supporting" role. The film looks and feels simple - deceptively so. The colors, visual and sound effects, and even some snippets of music are derivative of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey". But Romanek quickly takes us from wariness over these parallels to a comfort zone of acceptance, as he unfolds the similarities between Kubrick's "HAL 900" computer and the Sy as played by Robin Williams.
Sy, like HAL, is an intelligence so detached from the human race that he can not connect to others except through a third party communication medium - his pictures. Like HAL, Sy is excellent and precise at his job (photo developer), but becomes consumed by the perfectionism he perceives as required to fulfill his niche in life. Sy's progression towards insane actions accelerates when he is pushed over the edge by a trauma that threatens his world. He, like HAL, becomes completely immersed in his version of reality, to the extent that he no longer see nor understand the consequences of his increasingly radical actions as he focuses in on an isolated ideal that ultimately means the destruction of his carefully constructed immediately "family".
Be sure to arrive in time to see the beginning of this movie in order to be properly set up for the progression of events, as the beginning and ending make a satisfyingly complete loop, perhaps leaving us with a little more compassion and understanding after having met Sy.
Sy, like HAL, is an intelligence so detached from the human race that he can not connect to others except through a third party communication medium - his pictures. Like HAL, Sy is excellent and precise at his job (photo developer), but becomes consumed by the perfectionism he perceives as required to fulfill his niche in life. Sy's progression towards insane actions accelerates when he is pushed over the edge by a trauma that threatens his world. He, like HAL, becomes completely immersed in his version of reality, to the extent that he no longer see nor understand the consequences of his increasingly radical actions as he focuses in on an isolated ideal that ultimately means the destruction of his carefully constructed immediately "family".
Be sure to arrive in time to see the beginning of this movie in order to be properly set up for the progression of events, as the beginning and ending make a satisfyingly complete loop, perhaps leaving us with a little more compassion and understanding after having met Sy.