Robin Williams has always been a fantastic actor. From his first dramatic role in the perfect “The World According to Garp” to his recent appearance as a killer in this summer’s “Insomnia,” Williams has shown the type of range that few Hollywood actors are gifted with. His is at a level where only Tom Hanks, Kevin Kline, and Emma Thompson reside. After a long string of disappointing touchy-feely movies which were unbearably sickly sweet, Williams has made some courageous choices over the past year, such as Danny DeVito’s wickedly black “Death to Smoochy.”
In his latest film, “One Hour Photo,” audiences get to see another dimension of Williams’ talent. In one of his best roles, in which he never depends on his ever present manic side, Williams delves into a disturbing character and pulls no punches. He creates a character that is at once troubling and gentle; he’s a nice guy you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.
Williams plays Sy Parrish, a one hour photo developer for a Wal-Mart type store. Leading a vacant and sad life, Sy attaches himself to one seemingly perfect family, who is one of his biggest customers. Living vicariously through the family, having seen all of their happy moments in the photographs he develops, Williams seeks ways to join in the bliss he witnesses. Though his actions may make the moviegoer cringe at times, his sincerity is pure; making for an interesting dynamic in which some may actually hope the family does accept him into their lives. But when he discovers an infidelity in the marriage, Sy’s world collapses and he lashes out. (It is never good when a disturbingly angry character storms through the sporting goods department and stops at the hunting knife counter.)
Writer-director Mark Romanek is very clever in his revelation of the horrors of Sy’s past. Without blatant explanation, Romanek leaves clues for the audience to interpret Sy’s motivations for his more disturbing actions towards the end of the film. The ends here are better explained than in some thrillers in which motivation is unimportant and the only action is senseless violence.
It is to William’s credit that the empathy the audience feels watching the film is towards Sy, and not the family that he stalks. Unlike other stalker movies where the family is threatened, Williams character is three-dimensional. In films like “Fatal Attraction,” “Cape Fear,” as well as the recent “Swimfan,” the villains are nearly unstoppable Terminators. Sy is more vulnerable, giving “One Hour Photo” a different twist on this tiring thriller premise.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the lack of empathy for the family is that they are not as developed as Sy is. They are a cardboard creation that never seems real. It is a true sign of William’s dementia that he would envy such a family of wooden characters. Thankfully the film doesn’t revolve around them, but around Williams.
“One Hour Photo” is definitely a disturbing experience, but worth it.