One Hour Photo (2002)

As I’ve talked about before, I’ve always been a fan of Robin Williams and I’ve always enjoyed anything with him in it. Nobody could make me laugh better than he could and nobody could make me feel the emotions when giving a dramatic performance either. I thought I had seen most of his best work over the years but that was until I watched One Hour Photo. I couldn’t believe that I had never heard of this movie until recently and when I finally watched it, I felt more uncomfortable than listening to loud noises in a restaurant. I didn’t think it would be possible to watch Robin Williams in a role that made me feel pity and be creeped out at the same time and yet here I am. I’ve never seen him in such a role before but now that I have, I feel like the man was capable of so much as an actor and unlike any other. This is another movie that I couldn’t really see myself watching a second time but it still made for a thrilling experience that you’re not sure which direction it is going to go. I have so much to discuss here so let’s get on with it.

     Robin Williams stars as Seymour “Sy” Parrish, a mentally unstable photo developer who becomes fixated on the Yorkin family – Nina (Connie Nielsen), Will (Michael Vartan), and their young son Jake (Dylan Smith) – who are regular customers. And I think that’s about all I need to say for anyone who hasn’t seen this movie yet. But I will say that Williams perfectly encapsulates a man who is lonely and longs for that perfect family life. Despite his intentions being completely disturbing, you can’t help but understand his plight. Normally, I’d say that loneliness and obsessiveness is something I could understand but in this character’s case, I’m actually really thankful I don’t have to make that comparison. The movie kept me in suspense throughout and one thing I appreciated about this movie was its unpredictability. I wasn’t sure how it would end but by the time it did, I was left with a pretty unforgettable movie experience that I so rarely get. The rest of the acting is good but it was Williams who absolutely stole this whole move. I’ve never seen a performance that could make me feel so many things all at once and this man succeeded. If you need any more proof that Williams was capable of more than just comedy then all you need to do is watch this movie and see just how talented he was. Now that I’ve watched this film, I can see that Williams had an acting range like no other. Well okay, I know there’s a lot of great performers out there but being that I’ve always been a huge fan of the guy, I can’t help but think of every compliment I could throw out. I might even be saying too much about him but when you’re someone like me, I guess short and simple just isn’t something that clicks for you most of the time.

     It was a real treat to see something different, both the movie itself and a Robin Williams role that was unlike any role I’ve seen him in. Again, this movie isn’t something I could watch again but that still doesn’t change my opinion. Having said all that, I would have to give this movie an 8 out of 10. So if you haven’t seen this movie yet, I would highly recommend it. Especially if you’re a fan of Robin Williams and want to see him play a character that’s probably unlike anything you’ve seen him play in his career.