October 4, 2002

UK One Hour Photo Review

Thanks to Sponesix. :)

SY PARRISH is one of those quiet, unobtrusive guys who you see working in quiet unobtrusive jobs - in Sy's case, he's the manager of the one-hour photo booth at the local mall.

But there's something a bit creepy about Sy. And it isn't just because he's played by Robin Williams, who I've found to have a very unsettling screen presence for years - especially when he tries to be loveable.

Sy has no family and no real life to speak of, so he has instead fixated upon one of the families whose pictures he develops. He has a wall at home plastered with their snapshots and in some he's even added himself. So far so harmless, relatively speaking.

But when something happens that might disrupt the life of the family that Sy imagines is his own, the photo guy looks like he might go decidedly psycho.

One Hour Photo boasts a solid performance from Williams. The artist formerly known as Mork is far better at playing slightly weird outsiders than the cuddly man-boys he normally chooses.

Aside from that, this film isn't that hot. It's a little obvious and slow-moving and limps towards its rather deflated climax. Worth catching, but don't expect too much.

© Daily Mirror 2002

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