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One Hour Photo (Full Screen Edition)

One Hour Photo (Full Screen Edition)

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Very Impressive, Psychological Thriller
Review: Although no action, even during the ending, One Hour Photo is still a damned good creepy, psychological film. Williams is slack and the movies lack of intensity and action wears itself to boredom. He is perfect however as the usual, every-day kind of person anyone can meet, and this is what ups his performance to scariness. Terrible ending, boring performances and a little pointless script however, make this a not-to-terribly-enjoying film for everyone. However, as psychological lunacy goes, this film is up with Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Williams shines through the disturbing darkness
Review: Do not expect Robin Williams to make you laugh with this movie. This is not a comedy like a 'Patch Adams' or a 'Mrs. Doubtfire'. In fact, this is not a comedy at all. But Williams' character of Sy "the photo guy" is certainly one for the books; or at least one you can look at and shudder. He does a very good job as a quiet, would-be psycho who resides in the feeling of being part of an everyday family he is obsessed with. Anyone who enjoys Robin Williams' work, not just his comedy, will most likely enjoy the movie when it's all said and done. I think that's a fair assumption. I would not categorize this movie as a "horror" movie; it's more creepy and sinister than it is horrifying. But lord behold, there are numerous parts where you will shiver with fear (the bleeding eyes segment is particularly disturbing). Sadly, I think it's the laid back attempt to produce a disturbing atmospheric movie that doesn't allow for 'One Hour Photo' to become much more than average.

Sy gets his nickname, "the photo guy", because he works at the film counter of a SavMart (a sad attempt to parody Wal-Mart) where he processes people's film. He seems to take great pride in his work; and that really shows when he goes over each type of customer he gets. He makes note of the birthday party families, insurance agencies printing accident photos, and jokingly, the amateur adult entertainer. That might've been the only funny part of the movie. Sy takes a particular liking with the Yorkin family, a family that has been coming to him since their son Jake was born. A family that in Sy's mind is the idyllic family that holds the idealistic life style he only wishes he had. From the beginning, we see parts of Nina's, Will's, and Jake's lives through not only pictures, but thoughts and dreams in Sy's mind. And all those thoughts built up in Sy's imagination force him to drift away from his own life and, sometimes, his work. Watching Sy channel surf was reminiscent of an insomniac (the 'Simpsons' excerpt was short but funny). There is great turmoil between Sy and his boss (played by 'Office Space' actor Gary Cole). One thing that is continually disturbing about this movie is how incredibly uncomfortable it makes you. Not because it's scary, but because it's so darn creepy. And the music behind the movie really adds character (and eeriness) to what was already there. Sy, in all ways, manages to seem off-putting to his customers; which is something you see even the Yorkin family contemplating. I'm sure it was intended to be that way, yet still, it is a bit too strange of a feeling for some people to handle. But it's entertaining, to say the least. For the first hour or so, the movie seems to be coasting along; letting us think about what's going to happen. And as confusion within the Yorkin family and problems with Sy's work collide, the climactic point is reached. The director does a good job leading us up to that climactic point; as it's not too sudden and not too predictable. I won't spoil it for you. From the start to the point of the confrontation (the climax), the only thing that isn't covered is Seymour "Sy" Parrish's background. Again it was probably intended to be vague, but again it was somewhat confusing. And therefore so was the ending.

I never like to spoil movies for people, and I certainly won't do that here. I highly recommend this movie if you appreciate Robin Williams as an accomplished actor; not just a comedian. Even with good supporting roles by Connie Nielson, Michael Vartan, and Dylan Smith as the Yorkin's and the appearance by Gary Cole, Williams is really the only actor who shines bright. The back cover for 'One Hour Photo' states that this movie will do for photo processing what 'Psycho' did for showers. I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but still be sure to keep your kids away from this one. The slow-paced, subtle repulsion of this movie may keep it from becoming a classic, but it's certainly worth watching. This movie makes you think while entertaining you at the same time. Watch this. But know what you like beforehand.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Ninety Minutes to Nowhere.
Review: I like Robin Williams. I really do. I've seen most of his pictures (even the bizarre ones) and know that he's not just a great comic actor, but a great dramatic actor, too. However, if Williams wants to gain more recognition for his dramatic roles, he's got to start picking movies that have better "umph".

ONE HOUR PHOTO is a movie about a photo lab technician (Williams) who after years of developing pictures for the same family becomes obsessed with them and wants to enter their lives in a more intimate way. The concept is pretty creepy and seems promising. However, the movie never fulfills its promise. Instead, all the great acting, lighting, and scenery go to waste in a movie without any meaning or real plot. What could have been a great stalker film ends up getting lost in the art of filmmaking and the movie itself is lost in the process. So, basically, ONE HOUR PHOTO is a journey of ninety minutes to nowhere.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This movie was ok...
Review: I gave this movie only 4 stars because it was not that belivable to me, and while a movie does not need to be.... this one i was expecting to be almost based off a true life story.

Besides that though, this movie was relitivly a mild-paced movie, some parts were a little slow, and in the end there was a twist ending. This movie may not be the best movie to show to younger kids, because they may get afraid of the concpet of someone knowing their whole life and trying to kill people.

Robin Williams did a good job, and all the characters in this movie were very well played! There was not much of a plot, but what they did have was pretty well planed.

There was no "Thrilling" special/visual effects and no "Stand-Out" music, but that's ok because this type of movie does not require eaither.

This might be a movie to rent though, as it is one of those that you can see twice and be done with.

~Hope this helps

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chilling. Williams shows he can do anything.
Review: We usually associate Robin Williams with laughs, not screams and suspense. But we have it here. There are a few laughs, but "One Hour Photo" is not a conventional movie. Williams plays Cy "the photo guy." A mild mannered and shy photo booth operator who follows the rules. But he is shown to have not much of a life outside of that. Eating dinner alone in his kitchen, you feel pity for him, until you see the photos from a family plastered on his wall. You come to notice that he is a lonely man that has possibly one friend, the man which he works with. However, the plot starts to really get going when Cy notices that the family man is cheating on his wife, causing an outrage with Cy. He feels it is his responsibility to make a difference. This causes an uproar with the family and the police, as Cy goes after the husband. With a very chilling and tense ending that will then go to the happiest ending one could possibly imagine. This is a very good movie to show that Williams is not just restricted to comedies, as also shown with "Insomnia." A movie that will keep you on the edge of you seat.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: SO-SO
Review: one hour photo is a thriller type of movie starring robin williams as some annoying character named ( sy ), whos a lonely wierd man with no family so he develops a fixation on another family who he thinks is the ( perfect family).Sy wants to be apart of this family and starts to collect pictures of them.(sy) works in a photo lab thats how he obtains these pictures - he works at some sort of wal mart type of store in photo department but anyway - he starts to wish he was part of the family and developes fixation and goes crazy basically when he finds out thier not so perfect and he trys to (( fix)) it by doin somthin im not givin away ending so basically the begining of movie is dumb and i cant feel sympathy for sy or the stupid family - the lighting and atmosphere was very unique and great for the movie and the setting and story- ill giv them that they did good with the lighting though the lighting also annoyed me but still good effect.The plot was good up until the ending. Robin williams is a good actor and did do a good job portraying this sy character but the actors they used for the family annoyed me and didnt fit role as good as if someone else did that part.But the ending of movie wasnt that good - it was ok if you like a thriller i guess.I love thrillers but this movie just didnt do it for me.I would rent first if i were you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic and Exciting
Review: This movie was fantastic and Williams gives one of his best performances ever as Sy The Photo Guy. My only complaint is that there should be a little less pictures.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Visually stunning and suspenseful
Review: First off if you're expecting a thriller along the lines of "Insomnia"(also starring Robin Williams) you'll be disappointed. From the very beginning you know the end of the movie as most of the movie is a flashback. One Hour Photo is more about style and suspense than about what will happen next. In this aspect the film succeeds marvelously. By today's standards it's a slow paced movie to be certain but it builds suspense extremely well. It reminds me of the suspense movies of the late 40's and 50's. No explosions, no major action just a good solid story. The visuals are amazing. From the store where Robin williams character works to his home and the home of the family he becomes obsessed with. All of the visuals evoke exactly the emotions that they are supposed to. From alienation to compassion to obsession and everything in between.

In a sense the entire movie is an indictment of our society and the alienation it causes in keeping to ourselves. When the Yorkin's child feels bad for Cy the photo guy his parents reassure him that he is loved. Later they are shocked or irritated when he remembers who they are. Even telling their son not to "Talk to strangers".

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Acceptable, but never rises to greatness.
Review: One Hour Photo (Mark Romanek, 2002)

Mark Romanek's second feature film (following 1985 indie Static), One Hour Photo was released to almost universal accolades, then found itself skunked at the Oscars. Critics around the country expressed confusion and outrage. Everyone wanted to know why.

One Hour Photo is the story of Seymour Parrish (Robin Williams), a clerk at the local superstore who develops photographs. He has developed an unhealthy obsession with the Yorkin family: father Will (Michael Vartan of the TV series Alias), mother Nina (Connie Nielsen of Gladiator), and son Jake (Dylan Smith, seen more recently in Pirates of the Caribbean).

Therein lies the problem: laid out like that, you can see exactly where this is going. And while it's a good stalker tale, it never rises above just being a stalker tale. Even when Parrish is trying to do the right thing by the family, the scenes (and the emotions within them) could be from any of twenty other stalker movies. We've seen it all before, and while the production quality and the acting is certainly above the caliber of your average Lifetime Original Movie, the underlying plot, theme, and message are right in the zone.

Williams, like all gifted comic actors, does have the chops to play the psychotic, and shows them here well. But in order to truly shine, he'll need better material; his two forays into it so far (the other being Chris Nolan's execrable remake of Insomnia) have been hampered by bad script choice. In fact, it seems everyone in involved with this film, from Romanek right down to steadicam operator Elizabeth Ziegler (the last name in the credits), is capable of better. There are huge amounts of potential from every direction in this film; they just never manage to coalesce.

That said, as I inferred above, as an example of the stalker-film genre, it's not bad by any means. All the main performances are credible, with the arguable exception of Gary Cole, who plays Parrish's boss. He's a bit two 'I'm the evil upper management guy' two-dimensional. The pacing is a little uneven, but once the ball gets rolling, it works well enough. It's worth a rental, but not the awards so many people called for. ***

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Beware of the quiet ones
Review: Robin Williams adroitly plays Sy Parrish, a quiet, lonely, laid back yet marginally sociopathic photo film developer in the smoldering thriller One Hour Photo. Williams is obsessed with a young family with Connie Nielsen playing the mother, who are frequent customers in his Savemart store. He is enamored with Nielsen's young son imagining himself to be part of the family. We learn that this is in response to Williams own wretched childhood.

When Williams developes a roll of film belonging to an attractive young lady he detects the family's father played by Michael Vartan, having an affair with the gal. Williams though devastated decides to take matters into his own hands.

One Hour Photo plays like a symphony, starting slowly and building to a crescendo which is quite disturbing. Williams was excellent in his role.


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