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St. Cloud State University
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Diversions
‘Photo’ glossy, dark
By John Behling
Published:
Monday, September 30, 2002
“One Hour Photo” is now showing at the Parkwood 18.
This is a shining example of a true “premise” movie. Sy Parish is the polite, fatherly, old-fashioned photo technician who has been developing pictures at the local Sav-Mart for the Yorkin family for over 10 years.
Sy Parish desperately wants to be a member of the Yorkin family. Sy Parish has acted on his obsession. Sy Parish has gone way too far. This premise alone was enough to get me into a seat at the Parkwood 18 when “One Hour Photo” finally opened to St. Cloud audiences Friday. The only thing more intriguing than the concept is the cast. Robin Williams plays the role of Sy the obsessed photo clerk. And he portrays him very well.
Director/Writer Mark Romanec (known previously for his work in music videos, most notably Nine Inch Nail’s “Closer”) turns the comedic actor into the sociopathic wanabe-family-man just as easily as he turns a symbol of American family life into a vacant fluorescent hell.
Sav-Mart is an obvious and scary recreation of Wal-Mart, with its signature blue vests and customer friendly dogma. This setting becomes a mirror of the perfection Sy sees in the Yorkin family and also a mirror of the sterile emptiness in Sy’s life.
There isn’t a shortage of symbolism or foreshadowing in “One Hour Photo”. There is a scene where Sy watches the Simpsons and when Homer says “It’s always the one you suspect the least”, the camera pans away to show that Sy has almost completely covered a wall in his home with glossy 5 x 7’s of the Yorkin family.
Sometimes these hints are a bit dry, as is the delivery of the plot in some instances. “One Hour Photo” walks a thin line as it tells the audience early that Sy has gone too far, and that he has acted on his obsession, leaving the film’s power dedicated to finding out exactly what he has done.
The tension this builds is one of the most powerful elements of the film, driving you to find the conclusion: partially fearing for the Yorkin family, partially driven by the sick curiosity of wondering what Sy has done.
This leads, unfortunately, to a somewhat disappointing conclusion. The discovery of Sy’s manifestation doesn't nearly balance with the amount of tension and suspense it builds reaching the climax.
Also, in the ending scene, Sy gives a brief explanation for his actions that reflects on his own childhood. This seems sloppy and rushed and raises the question “Do viewer’s really need to know why Sy has become obsessed with the Yorkin family?” There is already enough support for this. The Yorkins are a beautiful, rich and successful family, a seemingly perfect one as seen from the perspective of the family photo collections. Sy is a lonely, depressed man, who has no family.
Although the climax and resulting confession do take a bit away from the power of the film, the last image does not. The final screen is covered by a happy family photo of the Yorkin family, including Sy standing with them, his arm around their son, smiling in typical photo fashion.
“One Hour Photo” is a good movie for people who like to see the dark side of the human mind, but it’s an even better movie for those who would like to see the dark side of Robin Williams. He will make you think twice about those innocent strangers who handle our photos at the local (Wal)Sav-Mart.
