I watched this movie as soon as the DVD came out. The Charlie Rose interview with Robin Williams and the director was probably one of the most hilarious things that I’m glad I got to see. By the way, it’s good to know before watching the interview that Charlie Rose recently had a heart operation to replace a valve.
One Hour Photo contains the most detailed attention to visuals that I’ve ever seen. This is not an action, gory, shot em up and bathe in their blood movie. A sizeable amount of time is spent at the photo mat located in a Target/Wal-Mart type of supercenter. It’s like looking at an overexposed picture with Williams being very pale, whitish blondish balding hair, off white pants that’ll belong in a retirement home, super high lit setting result from lights reflecting off the white walls of the store instead of direct light. Sometimes Williams just blends in with the store so much that it creeps me out.
It goes without saying that in the store musak constantly plays in the background. Check out the detoriation of the musak in certain scenes.
Michael Vartan (Agent Vaughn in Alias on ABC), Connie Williams and their young son Jake are the family that Williams’ character Sy Parrish obsesses over. He’s developed their pictures for 10 years. They’re young, hip, beautiful, everything Parrish is not.
The wall of pictures Parrish has in his house is so visually stimulating, honestly only one other scene is quite as compelling- empty store dream sequence- I dare you not to look at the screen when these scenes come on.
Also, if you’re interested in how to take better photos, pay attention to the snapshots they show during the movie. Framing and lighting are key! Great examples of how impromtu pictures are always great sometimes better than posed pictures. Also, when looking at the wall notice that good pictures are the results of taking more than one shot. More chances yield better results.
I was glad to see Williams do a roll that defies all his other roles, I had some mushy loveable father figure -fatigue. I recommend the other scary Robin movie Insomnia - great performances from Williams, Pacino, and of Boy’s Don’t Cry fame Hilary Swank.