One Hour Photo
By Greg Ursic
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife or thy neighbour's goods. One needn't be religious to accept the wisdom of these words, which although penned over 5000 years ago, hold true today. While everyone likes to think they're above such pettiness, we've all experienced it whether you're admiring your neighbour's new Porsche or your buddy's Baywatch clone girlfriend if only fleeting. In its mildest form these desires can lead to bitterness, at its worst, it may require a visit from the coroner.
Sy Parrish is an unassuming nebbish whose life is upholstered in beige: friendless, clueless and stuck in a nowhere job (he's a photo clerk at the local SavMart ) he readily fades into the background. While the customers who bring their film in for developing barely acknowledge him, Sy has an all access pass into their most private moments. W hen someone tampers with his favorite happy shiny family, the Yorkins, Sy's not prepared to stand by and watch as his vision of perfection is sullied.
It took Robin Williams - a Juilliard graduate and standup icon - nearly a decade to get accepted as more than a one trick pony (of course the drugs, alcohol and disastrous flops a la `Popeye' didn't help). With his breakthrough performance in The Dead Poets Society Hollywood finally began to take him serious and several acclaimed performances followed, culminating in his 1997 Oscar . Unfortunately the past few years saw Williams lapse into a succession of roles so banal and sickeningly sweet they had audiences reaching for their insulin. Whether or not this motivated his most recent choices deranged childrens show star in Death to Smoochy and killer in Insomnia is debatable (Williams claims it didn't). But with Sy, Williams reaches new heights (or more appropriately depths).
Within moments of Sy's appearance you forget that you are watching Williams: there are none of the classic mannerisms, indeed Sy is hyper subdued. It is also quickly apparent that there is something seriously amiss; Sy is the atypical bad guy, guided not by money or global domination, but a desire to `do the right thing' (however warped that happens to be). It is a tribute to William's talent that as Sy's descent into the sinister grows the audience is simultaneously squirming in discomfort and feeling sorry for him. While the supporting cast helps to provide perspective, it is the physical elements of the film that qualify as the co-stars.
The feel of the story is dramatically enhanced by the cinematography: the blandness of Sy's monochromatic existence appears even starker when juxtaposed next to the color flushed surroundings of the SavMart. Several shots mimic the through the lens view of a still camera, turning the viewer into a voyeur, and careful framing gives sections of the film a photo album quality . The final polish comes from the score which meshes flawlessly with the film, augmenting the dramatic elements without pandering to melodrama.
If you see only one Robin Williams film this year, make it this one.
By Greg Ursic
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife or thy neighbour's goods. One needn't be religious to accept the wisdom of these words, which although penned over 5000 years ago, hold true today. While everyone likes to think they're above such pettiness, we've all experienced it whether you're admiring your neighbour's new Porsche or your buddy's Baywatch clone girlfriend if only fleeting. In its mildest form these desires can lead to bitterness, at its worst, it may require a visit from the coroner.
Sy Parrish is an unassuming nebbish whose life is upholstered in beige: friendless, clueless and stuck in a nowhere job (he's a photo clerk at the local SavMart ) he readily fades into the background. While the customers who bring their film in for developing barely acknowledge him, Sy has an all access pass into their most private moments. W hen someone tampers with his favorite happy shiny family, the Yorkins, Sy's not prepared to stand by and watch as his vision of perfection is sullied.
It took Robin Williams - a Juilliard graduate and standup icon - nearly a decade to get accepted as more than a one trick pony (of course the drugs, alcohol and disastrous flops a la `Popeye' didn't help). With his breakthrough performance in The Dead Poets Society Hollywood finally began to take him serious and several acclaimed performances followed, culminating in his 1997 Oscar . Unfortunately the past few years saw Williams lapse into a succession of roles so banal and sickeningly sweet they had audiences reaching for their insulin. Whether or not this motivated his most recent choices deranged childrens show star in Death to Smoochy and killer in Insomnia is debatable (Williams claims it didn't). But with Sy, Williams reaches new heights (or more appropriately depths).
Within moments of Sy's appearance you forget that you are watching Williams: there are none of the classic mannerisms, indeed Sy is hyper subdued. It is also quickly apparent that there is something seriously amiss; Sy is the atypical bad guy, guided not by money or global domination, but a desire to `do the right thing' (however warped that happens to be). It is a tribute to William's talent that as Sy's descent into the sinister grows the audience is simultaneously squirming in discomfort and feeling sorry for him. While the supporting cast helps to provide perspective, it is the physical elements of the film that qualify as the co-stars.
The feel of the story is dramatically enhanced by the cinematography: the blandness of Sy's monochromatic existence appears even starker when juxtaposed next to the color flushed surroundings of the SavMart. Several shots mimic the through the lens view of a still camera, turning the viewer into a voyeur, and careful framing gives sections of the film a photo album quality . The final polish comes from the score which meshes flawlessly with the film, augmenting the dramatic elements without pandering to melodrama.
If you see only one Robin Williams film this year, make it this one.