One Hour Photo

Review by Clint Morris

It’s your typical day at the Williams house; only father Robin is a little more restive and twitchy than usual.

Seems he’s lost sleep over the magnitude of comical roles he’s done – and almost ripped the hair from his… ah, back, wondering why some of them tanked like a WWII peace offering.

Heading to the front porch to collect his mail, as he does each and every morning, Williams notices three scripts in wrapping.

One has ‘borderline psychotic film developer’ written on it, one has ‘borderline psychotic TV host’ on it, and another has ‘psychotic killer’ on it. Williams picks them up with pride, upon reaching for his cell phone to put a call through to his agent.

One Hour Photo is the ‘borderline psychotic film developer” offering. Like the other two films we will see Williams in this year – Death to Smoochy and Insomnia - it’s as different as anything we’ve seen him in before. And you know what? It’s refreshing, and he is superb.

Williams is ‘Sy the Photo Guy’, an ultra shy photo attendant, who finds solace in his lonely existence through the people in the photo’s he develops.

No one really knows him, but he is well aware of his customers and their routines, especially a young mother (Connie Nielsen) and her son Jason (Dylan Smith), whose photos he has developed for years. He has come to know them through their pictures and, in an eerie sagacity; he comes to feel like a part of their family.

Soon, they begin to recognise him for his precuneus around them and, with increasing uncertainty, for his somewhat omnipresent comments. Soon enough the family starts to realize they have an intermediate nut ball on their hands – but what to do, and is too late?

After all, this man has developed their photos for 9 years; he knows this family’s every memory, every treasured moment, and every indiscretion. And really, is Sy really the villain here?

Williams tells his tale like a soft-spoken Attenborough retracing the steps of one of his documentaries. He is immersing. From the top-notch make-up job required to make him look older or the character’s swinging personality split – this is the kind of movie that could get Williams another nod.

In addition, Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) is sublime in her role as Nina. She’s part sugary sweet mum and wife, part human defence shield – and she’s one of the film’s best elements.

Her character, as well as son Jake (Smith) and husband Will (Vartan) have been detailed to a T and it’s evident in the acquaintance we feel to them by the film’s middle half.

On a technical level, One Hour Photo is a marvel to look at, listen to and immerse you in. Nearly every one of its levels peaked at maximum creativity level. But in even broader conclusion, it’s a very real film that nearly everyone will realise they have a connection to in one-way or another.

3.5 out of 5

One Hour Photo
Australian release: Thursday January 30
Cast: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Gary Cole, Eriq LaSalle.
Director: Mark Romanek.
Website: Click here

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