The Safe House - Expositions

ONE HOUR PHOTO has already earned a lot of attention for Robin Williams' riveting performance as a lonely department store photo developer, and while his work is more than worthy of all the accolades, also quite deserving of recognition is writer-director Mark Romanek, whose efforts are every bit as impressive. The light of Sy Parrish's (Williams) family- and friend-less life is the Yorkin family--Nina (Connie Nielsen), Will (Michael Vartan) and young son Jakob (Dylan Smith)--whose existence outwardly appears to be every bit as perfect as the images printed on their rolls of film. But when Sy uncovers a dark truth about their life, he goes out of his way to preserve that ideal image in his mind.

The premise reads as a common psycho stalker thriller, but the film is actually more of a dramatic study of Sy's character. It's a credit to Romanek and Williams that Sy commands much sympathy; for most of the film he's convincingly played and treated as being odd and quirky but not necessarily threatening. That Williams has come to develop a warm-'n-fuzzy screen persona over the years works wonders for the character; not only does it make his loneliness palpable and relatable, it makes his inevitable eruption all the more shocking to behold--not to mention all the more disturbing, for it comes from a genuinely good, if obsessive, place. Romanek's fine work shines in other places aside from the Sy character and Williams' performance. The look of the film, from the sterile production design of the SavMart store to Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography, is absolutely striking, and unlike many feature efforts from music video veterans, ONE HOUR PHOTO's stunning visuals are not there for empty flash but are of a piece with the entire spirit of the picture. Romanek's writing falls a little short in places--particularly in his efforts to give some explanation for Sy's behavior, which would have been better left unexplained--but his masterful direction and Williams' unforgettable performance make ONE HOUR PHOTO linger under the skin long after the credits roll.

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