David O'ConnellOne Hour Photo: The Dark Side of Robin Williams
May 15th 2008 06:08
In the early part of this decade Robin Williams seemingly made a concerted effort to break free from the saccharine and sentimental roles which have dogged his career and drawn the ire of his staunchest detractors. The year 2002 saw a triple-header of much darker roles for him, and all were successful in erasing at least some of the memories of Bicentennial Man, Patch Adams, Father's Day and Flubber etc.......................... .........ok, maybe not Flubber!
My personal favourite of this interesting trio is Mark Romanek's directorial debut One Hour Photo, though the other two, Insomnia and Death to Smoothy - a true guilty pleasure - are also worthy of note.
One Hour Photo is a frightening portrait of a very delusional and lonely man's obsession with the lives of the people whose photos he develops in a photo processing booth within a huge department store. Williams is Sy Parrish - whose weird white hair should be enough of a giveaway that something's not quite right beneath his slightly odd facade - a man who has apparently no real friends, whose job is his sole dedication and obsession - and for a very good reason too, in that he's living vicariously through the snap shots of the people who bring their photos to him, imagining he's just another member of their extended families.
He's a trusted figure in the immediate community it seems, on friendly terms and a first name basis with most of these people. But there's a menacing, obsessional darkness lurking just beneath the surface of his frivolous exchanges with them all and in time it'll begin to blossom into something more ominous.
Soon the story begins to focus on his obsession with one particular family, the Yorkins, Nina and Will, played by Connie Nielson and Michael Vartan, and their son Jake (Dylan Smith). Sy slowly begins to ingratiate his way into their lives, arranging for chance meetings in public, and following them to learn their regular patterns.
All this attention on the Yorkins is having a detrimental effect on his other duties however as his quality of work begins to suffer and his job is soon under threat from his boss (the always great Gary Cole, who I'll forever associate with American Gothic).
His motives are slowly revealed as more sinister as time goes by and the rest of his life becomes more unstable. We begin to learn a few scary things about him and the state of his mind along the way through glimpses of his home life, most of which should be savoured by those watching the film for the first time.
Will Sy be able to curb his growing desires?
Will he be able to reconcile the delusional fancies of his internal world with reality?
Well of course it's probably all quite predictable how things turn out, but it's certainly a lot of fun getting there, seeing Williams play against type, and there are many memorable scenes along the way. Like when Sy breaks into the Yorkins house whilst they're out and imagines them coming home with smiling faces to embrace him, just another integral part of their perfect family!
And then there's that disturbing dream Sy has as things begin their spiral downward..................... .standing alone in a completely empty aisle of the store, his eyes closed before he opens them and they suddenly explode with streams of blood!! Excellent!!(;
I love the look of the film too - Sy's domain is a clinical one, and the stark, brightly-lit world of the photo booth and department store are very accurate representations of his internal processes. The production design and cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth (who also shot David Fincher's Fight Club with a very different palette) are perfect in depicting this, uncluttered by too much colour and saturating with whiteness a world where the darkest desires of one man are festering.
This is possibly my favourite Robin Williams role ever, though he just as effectively subverts the general public perception of him as an actor in Insomnia as well.
Director Mark Romanek, who is another in a long line to progress from the ranks of music video helmers, has yet to make another film since this but apparently now has another project in pre-production.
One Hour Photo may not be a great film or to everyone's taste but it's an enjoyable ride and a wonderful guilty pleasure for me.
My personal favourite of this interesting trio is Mark Romanek's directorial debut One Hour Photo, though the other two, Insomnia and Death to Smoothy - a true guilty pleasure - are also worthy of note.
One Hour Photo is a frightening portrait of a very delusional and lonely man's obsession with the lives of the people whose photos he develops in a photo processing booth within a huge department store. Williams is Sy Parrish - whose weird white hair should be enough of a giveaway that something's not quite right beneath his slightly odd facade - a man who has apparently no real friends, whose job is his sole dedication and obsession - and for a very good reason too, in that he's living vicariously through the snap shots of the people who bring their photos to him, imagining he's just another member of their extended families.
He's a trusted figure in the immediate community it seems, on friendly terms and a first name basis with most of these people. But there's a menacing, obsessional darkness lurking just beneath the surface of his frivolous exchanges with them all and in time it'll begin to blossom into something more ominous.
Soon the story begins to focus on his obsession with one particular family, the Yorkins, Nina and Will, played by Connie Nielson and Michael Vartan, and their son Jake (Dylan Smith). Sy slowly begins to ingratiate his way into their lives, arranging for chance meetings in public, and following them to learn their regular patterns.
All this attention on the Yorkins is having a detrimental effect on his other duties however as his quality of work begins to suffer and his job is soon under threat from his boss (the always great Gary Cole, who I'll forever associate with American Gothic).
His motives are slowly revealed as more sinister as time goes by and the rest of his life becomes more unstable. We begin to learn a few scary things about him and the state of his mind along the way through glimpses of his home life, most of which should be savoured by those watching the film for the first time.
Will Sy be able to curb his growing desires?
Will he be able to reconcile the delusional fancies of his internal world with reality?
Well of course it's probably all quite predictable how things turn out, but it's certainly a lot of fun getting there, seeing Williams play against type, and there are many memorable scenes along the way. Like when Sy breaks into the Yorkins house whilst they're out and imagines them coming home with smiling faces to embrace him, just another integral part of their perfect family!
And then there's that disturbing dream Sy has as things begin their spiral downward..................... .standing alone in a completely empty aisle of the store, his eyes closed before he opens them and they suddenly explode with streams of blood!! Excellent!!(;
I love the look of the film too - Sy's domain is a clinical one, and the stark, brightly-lit world of the photo booth and department store are very accurate representations of his internal processes. The production design and cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth (who also shot David Fincher's Fight Club with a very different palette) are perfect in depicting this, uncluttered by too much colour and saturating with whiteness a world where the darkest desires of one man are festering.
This is possibly my favourite Robin Williams role ever, though he just as effectively subverts the general public perception of him as an actor in Insomnia as well.
Director Mark Romanek, who is another in a long line to progress from the ranks of music video helmers, has yet to make another film since this but apparently now has another project in pre-production.
One Hour Photo may not be a great film or to everyone's taste but it's an enjoyable ride and a wonderful guilty pleasure for me.
The beautiful Yorkins have no idea what's coming............
Seriously, would you let THIS man develop your most intimate photos??!!??
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Comment by Glen Atwell
Computer Game
When the husband is photographed kissing the woman in the water, who took the photograph? Obviously not his wife, and obviously not him.
It's always puzzled me! Perhaps just a movie mistake / plot hole?
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
Comment by Nomad
Awesome Food
nomad
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I really ranked One Hour Photo too for it's non specific tension and camera work within concious set designs. A brilliant compendium too Michael Powell's challenging Peeping Tom.
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I think the ending is brilliant, and that stark, artificially bright set builds on the feelings of contrained frenetic unease.
Nice review - you used a word that is particularly apt for this film: festering.
Michaelie
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I loved this film too and must add to the chorus ... and that things aren't always as they seem. ONe of his best, although I really enjoyed Final Cut too... was that Williams?
going to check ...
Great review.
Lilla ...
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Hi Michaelie, I liked the ending too, it was inevitable but perfect somehow. He did have a childlike obsession of sorts and was just a sad, lonely man deep down which made him very sympathetic even if he was quite creepy at the same time!
Hi Lilla, yeah The Final Cut is another dark and serious role of his from just a couple of years later. I haven't seen it but have heard good things about it.........in fact, somebody gave me a copy of it on dvd a while ago I think - I really need to dig it out and watch it! Thanks for reminding me of that one!
Comment by Wayne F
Bucket Movies
Bucket Snipets
Comment by Jarrah
Back to the Eighties
Comment by Whitney
Gaming for Life
The Female View
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
I couldn't sit through a comedy with either of them now without wanting to gouge my own eyes out but in this and The Final Cut Robin Williams was very good.
Comment by cinemabanana
Makes you wonder why he slums it in such shite as Flubber etc.
Nice review
Comment by Michelle Sweeney
Competition Queen
Always Learning
Cinema Voyage
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic