One Hour Photo Movie Review:


There was a time, not too long ago, when independant films were not shown at the same theatre as the blockbusters, and often they were difficult to find. Today it has been made possible for the small films to rise up. A lot of that has to do with certain stars taking risks. One Hour Photo was definately a risk for actor Robin Williams.

One Hour Photo is an intelligent look into psychology of a lonely and disturbed employee of a one hour photo developing lab. Sy Parrish is a dedicated employee and he takes great pride in his work. He puts an especially large amount of care in preparing the photos of the Yorkin family. Sy has been developing their pictures since before their nine year old son was born. In a kind of desperation to fit in somewhere, Sy fantasizes about being a part of this family. He even goes so far as to make an extra copy of all of their snapshots to take home with him. After a series of events that result in Sy losing his job, he becomes distressed and obsessed to an even further degree of the Yorkin family.

Though Sy is often shown doing insane things, he is portrayed by Williams in such a way that you pity him despite the lines he crosses. By the end of the film we are allowed a brief glimpse into the reason that he is insane but One Hour Photo never goes too far beyond subtle, making it creepy and depressing but realistic at the same time. This could very well open many doors for Robin Williams. His performance, in perhaps his most challenging role, is amazing.

One Hour Photo is obviously a film made for festivals rather than main stream audiences, but those with the inteligence and patience to sit through it may find themselves pleasantly surprised. It isn't a violent, or even a scary thriller, but more a psychological thriller in many ways. But however you would define One Hour Photo, it will give you something to think about before the next time you drop off your photos.

Ryan Izay

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