One Hour Photo | ||||||
SHADOWS MUST-SEE | ||||||
Romanek gets much of his style from Kubrick--white-on-white sets, stark composition, minimalist music, internalised performances. And it works wonderfully, drawing us in with the chilling familiarity of it all, but still capturing an emotional resonance that doesn't let Sy become merely a standard movie villain. Williams gauges the performance perfectly, starting out as a kind of Forrest Gump character but getting deeper and richer as the plot turns until we are both terrified of him and worried for him. There's a fine line here, and he somehow manages to stay right on it, which is where Hitchcock and, most notably, Psycho come in. Meanwhile, Romanek also gets under the surface of this handsome suburban family, while examining the importance of photographs in our collective memories and experiences. This is extremely clever, subtle filmmaking that resonates on several levels and provides a fresh, 21st century twist on the Fatal Attraction theme. Is Sy a moral crusader, a defending angel or a crazed psychopath? Brilliant!
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dir-scr Mark Romanek with Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Eriq LaSalle, Clark Gregg, Gary Cole, Paul Hansen Kim, Erin Daniels, Jim Rash, Nick Searcy, Peter MacKenzie release US 23.Aug.02; UK 4.Oct.02 Fox 02/US 1h36 Shopworn. Sy the Photo Guy (Williams) takes a break in the bed and bath department... | |||||
"**1/2 Robin Williams plays a creepy friendless photo processor who stalks a family. An OK Hollywood film but uncomfortable to watch." --Gawain McLachlan, Filmnet, Melbourne 14.Mar.03 | ||||||
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