One Hour Photo is written and directed by Mark Romanek. It stars Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Gary Cole and Eriq La Salle. Music is scored by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek and cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth.
Sy Parrish (Williams) is a loner photo technician at SavMart's one hour photo shop who becomes obsessed with a family whose photographs he develops....
No one takes a photograph of something they want to forget.
2002 was a stellar year for Robin Williams, it saw him give two dramatically potent performances that dampen down the bile spewed up by those who haven't been able to forgive him his comedy excesses. Insomnia has (rightly) found a more appreciative audience since 2002 because of the rise of its director, one Christopher Nolan. One Hour Photo, though, still seems to be striving for recognition for its qualities, in fact, for its understated qualities.
It's evident now that many have gone into the film expecting some psycho stalker movie, and subsequently have been disappointed to find One Hour Photo is nothing of the sort. What unfolds is a sedately paced story of a fractured mind, of a loner who is so detached from society he imagines himself being part of a family, by way of his job, that he thinks is perfect. When the family of his selection turns out to not be a bastion of Americana, the little thread in his head clinging to sanity finally breaks, and then......
Here's the problem. This is no slasher, people need to understand that mental illness or isolation from society does not mean psycho death killer, and thus Romanek's film becomes an observational character study of someone detached from realism. Creepiness permeates the picture, big time, but you shouldn't be putting this in the horror genre. Romanek always holds the upper hand, structured as it is, we the audience find ourselves holding on to see just how far Sy Parrish went with his pursuit of family harmony? With that comes the question of if the finale delivers substance? Well that depends on if you want red blood histrionics or brainy grey area.
There were cuts and studio interference, and in the finale an explanation for Parrish's mental issues reeks of a writer being "handed" a solution by the studio paying his bills. Yet this is mature pot-boiling stuff, a film that dares to simmer and not let the pot spill over for multiplex appeasement. While Williams is nothing short of terrific, an edgy and understated performance that only makes us lament that he didn't do more of these portrayals at his peak. 8/10
