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.

Oh this sounds like the kind of movie I need to put at the top of my list for movies to see once I have money again. Thank you so much for this review, its very well thought out and descriptive.

A very good review. Has intrigued now. Must check it out when i can.

I am wasdisapointed with Insomnia, hopefully One Hour Photo does a better job using Robin Williams as a "bad guy." He really could play the part well.

i agree with you about INSOMNIA. i thought the performances were good enough but that was about it. it didnt get to me all that much.

there are similarities between williams' performances in these two films. but there are also subtle differences too. his character in INSOMNIA does come off as a bit more.....dangerous i guess you could say. but in ONE HOUR PHOTO the "sy" character is just a disturbed individual. you get the feeling that he is just swept along and a victim of his own obsession. i found myself almost feeling sorry for him. almost.

the story behind it was cool

..but it was soooo sterile n boring

does robin williams play a good bad guy??

i've never seen him in a role like that.

I finally saw a preview for this on tv but its been on my list sense the first post was posted...now it might actually be arriving to town.. Interesting..we usually get the first arrivals along with the "big" cities.