October 9, 2002

UK One Hour Photo Review

Thanks to Sponesix. :)

After all these years establishing himself as one of Hollywood's most quick witted funnymen, Robin Williams is now on a run of creepy roles.

From the ice-cold killer playing mind games with Al Pacino in Insomnia, he has moved on to an impressively detailed portrayal of an obsessive one-hour photo lab employee. And it could just be that with this character, who manages initially chill but then draw sympathy from the audience. Williams has turned in one of the performances of his career.

Hair dyed blond and cut short, and dressed in bargain-basement polyester. Williams cuts a pathetic figure as Sy the photo guy, a man who lives his life through the images of others.

Told in flashback while he is held in police custody, the film shows how, through processing their photos, Sy has become obsessed with a family who he imagines enjoys perfect happiness. They brighten his otherwise dull and lonely existence until, one day, he discovers that, in reality, their lives are not as unblemished as he had fantasised. The situation then spins horribly out of control as Sy carries out a chilling revenge.

There is a good performance from Connie Nielson (of Gladiator fame) as the wife in the seemingly model family, but the success of One Hour Photo is almost entirely due to a riveting performance by Williams.

© OK Magazine 2002

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