Rating: 
Summary: Another extraordinary performance by Mr.Robin Williams!
Review: "No one ever takes a photograph of something they want to forget". This is one of the key lines that Robin Williams tells us, in the opening of "One Hour Photo", the new thriller from screenwriter-director Mark Romanek (who is famous for directing many music videos).The story revolves around Sy, the photo processing clerk (played remarkably by Robin Williams), who leads a very dull. Eventually, he alienates himself and starts imagining himself as a member of the Yorkin family, a seemingly perfect family, who have brought their photos to him over the years. He has developed their photos over the years and knows everything about them. Sy uses them as a escape from his dull life and appoints himself as Uncle Sy, a caring loving member of the family. However, when something goes wrong in the family that Sy finds out about, he goes about his way to see that the person is punished. Robin Williams characterization of "Sy, the Photo Guy" is brilliant; a chilling, eerie, humanizing and many-layered portrait of a deeply disturbed individual. Although, it gives a negative effect for Sy, you can't help but feel sorry for him, as he is not a bad person in any way, but because of his significant psychopathology, he looks at things a different way. To me, he ending is not too flat or anti-climatic either, which made me appreciate the storyline of the movie even more.
All in all, this is definitely a good movie to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Williams and his Oscar worthy performance
Review: Firstly, let me start this review by saying this film is certainly not for everyone. You either get it, or you don't...it's as simple as that. Robin Williams gives a stunning performance in this psychological thriller that is sure to at the very least, get him an Oscar nomination nod. Williams plays "Sy the Photo Guy" at a discount store Sav-Mart which, for all of us in America is all too familiar. Sy takes absolute care and pride in his work, to the point of obsession (the altercation with the photo processing technician gives you your first peak at just how seriously Sy takes his work). Sy becomes obsessed over one family in particular and dreams of becoming part of the family as "Unlce Sy". Seemingly harmless on the surface, you find that as the film progresses Sy may not be as harmless as one would think. In the opening sequence, Sy narrates a tale of his customers from the new parent with the endless rolls of film, to the amatuer pornographer, which at this point you start to think, "should I be taking all of my film to the same place to be developed?" Mark Romanek's theatrical debut as a director is stunnng. The camera work is exceptional, from the enormous glaring halogen staleness of the Sav-Mart, to the drab environment in which Sy lives in at home, to the warm inviting coloration of the family to which he has become, in his own mind, an important figure in. The set design, costumes and overall look and feel of this film is realistic, and yet has moments where the glaring sterility of everyday life for a middle aged single male practically smacks you in the face. Some people may find the film a tad slow, but every single frame of this is neccessary in order to fully develop the feeling, mood and the characters themselves. In particular, the ending is something that you absoluetly do not expect, but give yourself a couple of moments to think and it will become very clear as to what the motivation of the characters, screenwriter and director was. I admit this film is not for everyone, but if you find that you are searching for a film with a bit more depth and are willing to think your way through this, it is well worth the effort and money.
Rating:
Summary: "What the h--- is wrong with these people?"
Review: When Robin Williams utters that line, the whole audience burst into laughter. And why is that? Because there he is in his car, peering through his camera lens at an unsuspecting family--he's a stalker! Got to admit, I was hesitant to see "One Hour Photo" at the local theatre because the coming attractions made it seem quite violent. There are scenes of violence eventually, but by far most of the film is very self-contained. This is appropriate because it deals with an isolated man, Williams, who works at a one hour photo lab in a shopping mall. We see his constricted world and his lonely existence; seems sad but not all that unusual. But then there's a pullback and we see that the entire wall of his apartment is covered with extra sets of photos he has made of his favorite family, the Yorkins. He's become obsessed with them and their seemingly idyllic life, and he's about to go over the edge. What finally pushes him over? The discovery of trouble in Yorkin paradise, an adulterous affair. When he sees the photographic evidence of that, he is so outraged that he figures he has to take matters into his own hands, even if he has to balance a chef's knife with his camera in those hands. Kudos to Williams for a remarkable chameleon-like disappearance into the character of Sy the Photo Guy. He looks years older, and acts in a surprisingly understated fashion. But since we all really know that he is larger than life, we always feel that there's going to be an explosion of energy at some point, and we're not disappointed. Oscar should remember him next year. Take care where you send your photos to be developed next time!
Rating:
Summary: Williams' Magnum Opus
Review: Sy is the photo guy at the local Savmart. He has been processing the Yorkin's family pictures for at least 10 years. He's watched as their little boy grew up. He's watched as they experienced all of their happiest memories. Sy is lonely. He has no family, no friends. No one to care for, and no one who cares for him. To him, the Yorkin's are his family. He gets presents for little Jake. But, there's another part of Sy's life that not many people know about. A secret life. An obssessive, fantasy life. He fancy's himself as "Uncle Sy". He gets little Jake Yorkin presents for his birthday. He imagines himself in the Yorkin house, drinking a beer and watching the game on their television. Even celebrating Christmas with them. The Yorkin's, to him, are the ideal family. He finds comfort in imagining that he is a part of this perfect family. When blemishes begin to appear Sy's picture of what the Yorkin's are, though, is when things start going bad. This is Robin Williams best performance. I'm sure you've read many reviews that say the same thing. Nothing you've read will prepare you for how frighteningly brilliant Williams is. He delivers what is easily the best performance of the year. I realize the Academy, in it's infinite wisdom, will never give him the award he deserves, but he will at least garner a Best Actor nomination. Mark Romanek also proves himself as a directer. His shots, though occasionally bordering on cliche, are for the most part expertly set up. One particular shot that comes to mind is perhaps a nod to David Fincher. Sy is taking pictures, and the camera zooms into Sy's camera lens, then continues to zoom until it is like you are taking a journey past the lens and shutter and into the camera itself. It also bears mentioning that the music in One Hour Photo is taken (at least partially) from Requiem for a Dream's musical score. I noticed this because I recently saw Requiem for a Dream, and thought that the music in particular was brilliant. Apparently, directer Mark Romanek felt the same way. This is a film that will creep you out. You will find yourself thinking about it long after you leave the theater. It's one of those movies that has to be rewatched, in the same way that Taxi Driver must be rewatched many times, to fully appreciate all aspects of it. This movie will not let you down, but will instead surpass your expectations. A picture never lies.
Rating:
Summary: Beware of Sy the loser
Review: Martin Buber taught that we should never treat anyone in an abstract and distant I-It manner. The great philosopher instead advocated I-Thou relationships between ourselves and those who interact with us even in minor ways. Nonetheless, Buber might have changed his mind had he ever met Sy Parrish (Robin Williams). The one hour photo technician desires far more intimacy with his customers than is psychologically healthy and normally desirable. Sy is a loser who bewilderingly is content earning a mediocre income as a store clerk/film developer for a large discount chain store. He looks upon this pathetic job as a serious vocation instead of one barely paying a few cents above minimum wage. The only fault I could find in this great five star film is the portrayal of Sy as somebody able to afford a nice car, live in a fairly large apartment, and eat out on a regular basis. This is totally absurd. In the real world a Sy would barely be able to pay for a cramped efficiency apartment and a beat up older automobile. Sy focuses his unwanted attention onto the affluent and outwardly happy Yorkin family. The young couple and their nine year old son have no idea that Sy's world revolves around their own lives. We are sometimes tempted to turn our heads away from the screen while observing Sy embarrassingly making a fool of himself. Robin Williams is uncannily brilliant as a warped human being with nothing going for himself. And yes, Williams will almost certainly garner an Academy Award nomination for his brilliant interpretation of Sy. Williams' recent work in Insomnia as similarly a creepy weirdo may also earn him a supporting role nomination. Is it possible that Williams' earlier comedic roles will soon be forgotten? Will Sy Parrish be to Williams as Norman Bates was to Tony Perkins? Has Williams crossed a line in his career where there is no going back?
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable, Unsettling.......I LOVED EVERY MINUTE!!!!
Review: If you still had a doubt that Robin Williams could play a role of a psychopath, this movie will change all of that for you. After seeing "Insomnia," I was able to witness Williams break away from his traditional "nice-guy/funny-guy" roles and do some more serious and challenging roles. So, when I heard about this movie, in where Williams once again takes on a challenging role of a frightening psychopath, I had no doubts or worries about him not being convincing. "One Hour Photo" is a clever, unsettling, and unforgettable psychological thriller that is so brilliantly structured and layered that every little thing in the movie works. Robin Williams gives a chilling performance as Sy Parrish, a lonely one hour photo worker who has become obsessed with a particular family over the years. He has kept copies of their pictures for himself and fantasizes what it would be like to be a part of that family. And when he gets the feeling that the husband is taking all of his good fortune for granted, Sy starts to feel nothing but hatred for the man and is willing to open his eyes.....by any means necessary. The film was brilliantly written and directed. The cinematography was outstanding, giving us a sense of emptiness and loneliness that Sy feels. The acting is also something to see. Boy, if you ever had doubts that Williams can play a frightening psychopath, this movie will easily change your mind. What I admired most about the movie was the pace. It wasn't fast, but very slow and subtle. Now, this may be a major problem for some people, but the reason why the pace is so good and perfect is that as slow as it is, it's more frightening. You slowly see Sy break away from reality and being capable of doing harm to others that pose a threat to him. And this works because it is believable. The movie would not be as convincing if it were transformed into a mindless slasher flick where Sy kills everyone in sight. It's the subtle approach that really scares the hell out of us and makes us think, "This could really happen. There really are people like this." A great movie to compare this to is "Taxi Driver," as many people have said. That was a movie where De Niro's character didn't just break away from reality all at once. It was a slow and subtle process. And that's what made it that more disturbing and freaky. If you enjoy that movie, than chances are you will like this one as well. I really did enjoy this movie, as chilling and disturbing as it was. "One Hour Photo" is a clever psychological thriller with all of the right elements. I hope that Williams gets nominated for his role in this movie, if not for "Insomnia." In fact, his ability to play a disturbed psycho really shines more in this particular movie than in "Insomnia." Again, if pace is a problem for you, then you might as well just skip it, or just wait for it to come out to rent on DVD or video. "One Hour Photo" definitely gets added to my list of "Best Movies of 2002." It's suspenseful, chilling, frightening, and believable. Like one of the earlier Amazon reviewers said, after seeing this movie, you might want to switch to digital film. Who knows, there just might be another Sy Parrish handing you back your photos with an odd look on his face as he waves goodbye to you and says, "Hope to see you again soon."
Rating:
Summary: The defining argument for digital photography
Review: Williams plays Sy Parrish, a colorless middle-aged bachelor employed by the Savmart discount chain as a film processor in one of its store's ONE HOUR PHOTO department. Sy has no life outside work, but lives vicariously through the pictures he develops for a steady customer, the Yorkin family. Sy is particularly attracted to the family's young son, Jake (Dylan Smith), and the boy's mother, Nina (Connie Nielsen). Parrish's obsession is such that one wall of his apartment is completely covered with prints of the Yorkins snapped over the years. Sy fantasizes being part of the family - a favorite uncle, perhaps. This is all supremely creepy, but relatively harmless, until Sy discovers that the Man of the House, Will (Michael Vartan), is cheating on Nina. Things turn nasty. And what is Parrish going to do with that very large and very sharp hunting knife? (Russell Crowe's sword in GLADIATOR was only slightly larger.) The performance by Williams deserves an Oscar nomination. His role in this film, and that of the killer in the recent INSOMNIA, proves Robin's ability as a dramatic actor (if anyone had any doubts). The creators of ONE HOUR PHOTO were particular clever in contrasting Sy's sterile, lonely life with that "normal" existence lived by the Yorkins. While the latter's residence is stocked with the usual Stuff, both Parrish's downtown apartment and his workspace are compulsively neat, impersonal and soulless under harsh florescent lighting. (You can almost hear the bulbs hum.) Even the general merchandise aisles of the Savmart are curiously unpopulated, and the goods on the perfectly arranged shelves look untouched by human hands. The pressures building in Sy's psyche can only be guessed at, and there's one dream sequence that has him suffering a serious mishap in one of the Savmart's aisles that left the audience gasping. My only suggestion to improve ONE HOUR PHOTO would have been to totally eliminate the last scene in the police interview room. It seemed to me an unnecessary sop to the bleeding-heart philosophy that sometimes attempts to assign blame for one's actions on someone other than the doer. The film should have perhaps ended after the final scene in the Yorkin house. See this movie, and seriously consider converting to digital photography. Come to think of it, the photo guy at our local discount outlet has been awfully twitchy lately. And he's been staring at me rather strangely while holding a box cutter.
Rating: 
Summary: Robin Williams at his finest (and creepiest)
Review: Robin Williams carries this suspense film on his shoulders, playing an eerie role that may earn him an Oscar nomination. Williams plays Sy "The photo guy," a lonely man operating a one-hour photo lab who is obsessed with the seemingly perfect life of one particular family. Earning their trust, Sy secretly makes extra copies of all their photos for himself and begins to stalks them. At times, Sy's actions are so uncomfortable to watch you can't help but squirm in your seat. You don't want to watch anymore, yet can't tear your eyes from the screen. Williams nails this performance, even surpassing his role in Good Will Hunting, which earned him an Oscar. Although the end of the film degrades a bit by replacing much of the suspense with routine action and over explaining things in the resolution, it still maintains an edge over many other suspense films. Mostly thanks to William's chilling character. In another plus, One Hour Photo realistically portrays the photo lab, Williams narrates the chemical processes, creating metaphors for his obsession with the family life. As an amateur photographer, I appreciate the accuracy this film exhibits, as many films don't realistically portray dark rooms and photo labs. This is a great thriller you probably don't want to watch alone. And may make you think twice about getting your photos developed at your neighborhood one hour photo.
Rating:
Summary: I Think I'm Going to Switch to Digital
Review: After viewing this particular film, it made me think of the person behind the counter of the one hour photo. Perhaps he or she is learing into to my life or perhaps into my soul. The superb acting of Robin Williams in this film probably made others who have seen this movie ponder the same idea. If you're looking to be "creeped out" in a more subtle way than is offered in today's stereotypical horror movies, try and see this movie, it'll be one you won't soon forget.
Peace!
Rating:
Summary: Exemplary work, genuinely chilling, and on target
Review: Much of the attention this film receives will likely focus on Robin William's performance as Sy, a lonely, middle-aged man who works at the photo booth of a chain department store in what looks like California. Williams has turned in a melange of performances in twenty years: some gripping, and some cliche. He's good at extroverted bursts of energy; he can also soften his eyes and wrap himself around your heart. This, however, is his finest hour. He completely departs from his previous characters and creates a character that is fully realized, multi-dimensional, and psychologically on-target. It his breakthrough performance as a serious actor. It would be a shame, however, not to notice that this is also a very well-made film. A very sad but all-too-familiar story about loneliness and social isolation unfolds at a compelling pace, with a script that resists patronizing its subject or sensationalizing it. We have no choice but to notice the use of color to distinguish worlds; the flat, washed-out landscape in which Sy is imprisoned, and the lush, brilliant hues of the family life he aches for. As events unfold, we stick to Sy's personal tragedy and his rage rather than follow standard horror-movie cliches, making the suspense and the horror genuine and harrowing. Do not less this one pass by.
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