the main draw on this movie for me was the director, mark romanek. he is/was a video director who is most famous for doing the "closer" video with NIN, among others.

this movie stars robin williams as "sy the photo guy". a photo shop worker at a convenience type store who becomes obsessed with a particular family through their photos. williams does give a pretty good performance as a lonely, albeit disturbed individual. but he never goes over the top. he is restrained and soft spoken through most of the film. which makes it all the more creepy. it would have been too easy for him to play a raving maniac.

but that is the way the whole film turns out. restrained. i like the touches that romanek puts into the film. sy's world is sterile bordering on antiseptic. from his work place to his home to his appearance. while the family and the "outside" world are all shot in warmer tones and inviting colors. all it takes is a crack in the windshield of sy's white colored car, used as metaphor, to show that all is not right in sy's mind. romanek was restrained as well. not like many of his music video directing counterparts. who use a rapid fire editing style even when it isnt called for.

while i enjoyed the movie for the most part. it left me wanting. wanting something more from it. like it wasnt all that it could have been. but i think romanek and williams did a good job even with what ends up as material that feels a bit slight after viewing. i would like to see what romanek is capable of doing with a meatier script, though. hopefully he will get the chance.