ONE HOUR PHOTO
US, 2002, 84 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, Connie Neilson, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, Dylan Smith, Eriq la Salle.
Directed by Mark Romanek.
This is an impressive psychological portrait of a suburban loner, the one hour photo guy down at the developing shop in the local shopping mall. We know that something sinister has happened right from the start when we see Robin Williams being interrogated by police officer, Eriq La Salle. The film is a flashback, narrated by Williams, with many observations about why we take photos, why we choose pleasant subjects and why we rush to save them if an accident occurs to our house.
Williams is Sy Parrish, a single middle-aged eccentric, who has a very affable manner which covers personal rage - which is finally and alarmingly revealed. He is also a stalker, not that he would see himself as such but he is obsessed with a particular family, especially the wife (Connie Neilson) who has always been friendly and courteous over the years of delivering film for developing. He also dotes on her son who is now nine. They are, literally, the family of his dreams.
Williams, who made Insomnia with his portrait of a vicious killer at the same period, acts against his usual screen persona, speaking quietly and sometimes scarcely moving. This makes Sy Parrish quite credible in an eerie kind of way and is a tribute to Williams' versatility. Audiences who think they are coming to see an action thriller will find the pace of the film too slow. Those who are prepared to watch and study the fine detail of the film and the interactions will not be disappointed.
1.A Robin Williams vehicle? Different from his comic roles? Serious, still, intense, introverted? Violent obsession?
2.The film as a suburban nightmare? Scenes in the mall, houses, streets, restaurants, hotels? Audiences identifying with the family, family life – and the threats?
3.The significance of the visuals, the visual composition of frames and scenes? The credits, the photos, the police centre and its antiseptic and clean tone? The framing of characters? The clarity of colour? The different photos, the collection? Cy and his theory photos stopping time? The comment that the family had a life out of a magazine? Giving a visual tone to the film?
4.The tension, pace, editing? The different strands, Cy's story, the family’s story? The suggestion of what was going on, especially in Cy's mind, the visualising of his dreams and nightmares?
5.The framework, Cy being interrogated? The significance of his voice-over, his calm appraisal of what was going on, his theories about family life? His comments on the family? His tone, the range of customers and their involvement: the new parents, the woman with the cats, the insurance claimer, cosmetics before and after surgery, the individual pornographer? The photos giving a true picture of people’s lives? His observation that photos are what people wanted to save if there was a fire in the house? The return to the police interrogation, audience awareness of what had happened, understanding of Cy? His courtesy towards the interrogator? Asking him questions? About family, commenting on his kindness? His finally looking at the photos – and the irony that they were not of the husband and the girlfriend but rather of aspects of the furniture in the hotel room?
6.The portrait of Cy, at work, Yoshi and their collaboration, the family coming, the photos, his making three copies, keeping one for himself? Photographing himself and its turning up in the home? His diligent work, doing favours for the family, the size of the photos, the gift of the camera? The lights going out, his leaving work, alone in the restaurant? His observing, the car window and its being smashed? At home, watching The Simpsons on television, The Day the Earth Stood Still? The wall of photos and the collection of the family over its history?
7.The portrait of the family, the birthday party, relationships, the wife going to the shop, meeting Cy, not particularly interested in him but courteous? Jake and the computer games, playing at home, by himself? The wife looking at the photos? The fight with her husband, calling him emotionally neglectful? Jake, the football game with his father? A nice family – with tension?
8.The workplace, the mall, the developing machine broken and the crankiness of the tradesman? Bill and the discussion with Cy about eruptions in the mall? Letting him know his place in the food chain? Cy, at work, reading Depak Chopra as Nina was? The market, buying the old photo and passing it off as his mother?
9.Will, the visit to the mall, the encounter with Cy, his attitude, Cy seeing Jake wanting the computer game? Later giving it to him and Jake’s refusal?
10.Cy intruding in the house, watching the television, going to the toilet, it suddenly becoming a dream? Watching the football and supporting Jake against the referee? Offering the game, the gift? The overtones of the stalker, preying on children?
11.Maya, her visit to the store, her photos, Cy's discovery of the affair? The devastating effect?
12.Nina, following her, the discussion in the cafeteria, especially about the book?
13.Bill, his anger with Cy, the discrepancy about the number of prints made, letting him go? Cy's response, inner anger, abrupt with Nina? Breaking the camera? His leaving Yoshi, Yoshi’s thanks? His stealing the knife? His changing the photos, giving them to Nina, following in the car, watching her stop the car, Nina’s anger? The consequence of his bloodstained nightmare?
14.Watching The Day the Earth Stood Still – and the alien’s comments about life on planet Earth? Relevance to Cy's world?
15.The build-up to his vengeance, his comments about snapshot coming from hunting and quick shooting? His own hunting? Returning to the mall, Bill’s anger with him? Following Will and Maya?
16.The photos of Bill’s child, Yoshi bringing them, the police, trying to get in touch with Will, Nina’s phone calls and anger?
17.Cy going to the hotel, booking in, the room, the intrusion, the device of room service, his wanting to control both Will and Maya, naked, posing, the photographs? His escaping from the hotel, the pursuit, the car ramp and his arrest?
18.Everybody safe, Will not harmed physically, Maya in the bath? His shamefaced return home – the ambiguity of the future?
19.Cy's final speech, about family and the police, the dramatic recount of parents abusing children, his own life, his being photographed? The trauma and its effect on him? His own pictures – and the ambiguity about his future?
20.A film about an obsessive recluse, a traumatised growing into a traumatised adult, the dangers for family, preying and the possibility of being a predator while stalking children?
