Cinema surveillance images are loading at the bottom of the page

One hour photo

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Sy Parrish (Robin Williams) is a mild-mannered photo lab technician who has worked his entire adult life at a discount store's one hour photo shop. A lonely man, Sy derives his self-esteem from his craft developing photos in the lab and lives his life through those same photographs. His fascination with the Yorkin family, whose pictures he has developed for years, turns into an obsession when Sy invents a familial connection and starts meddling with their personal life.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film thriller photography stalker

Persons of interest

Robin Williams .... Seymour Parrish
Connie Nielsen .... Nina Yorkin
Michael Vartan .... Will Yorkin
Dylan Smith .... Jakob Yorkin
Eriq La Salle .... Detective James van der Zee
Erin Daniels .... Maya Burson
Paul H Kim .... Yoshi Araki
Lee Garlington .... Waitress
Gary Cole .... Bill Owens
Marion Calvert .... Mrs von Unwerth
David Moreland .... Mr Siskind
Mark Romanek .... Screenwriter
Mark Romanek .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

Deauville Festival of American Film Film Festival 2002: Screening

One Hour Photo official movie site
One Hour Photo QuickTime movie trailers
Studios and distributors:

Fox Searchlight

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

One sad man.

If not for the sudden, gushing self-revelation that Sy Parrish was abused as a child (leading him to an interest in anti-social behaviour and photography, if there's a difference) One hour photo would be a tight little film about a John Howard-esque character's descent from mediocrity into hell. The development (sorry) of his fascination for the Yorkin family reveals an intensity of character that draws you in; at times you want Sy to be a part of the family, at other times you're just glad he's on a different continent.

Another unfortunate part is the soundtrack. Soundtracks should gently support everything else that comes on-screen (they are generally the last part of the film to be added to the mix because the music has to match the editing). Soundtracks should be subtle because non-verbal auditory clues work on the unconscious before the conscious. The "Danger! Danger!" bass notes of One hour photo are about as subtle as a Scud missile. In point of fact, this film could even have been shown without a soundtrack, not that Hollywood is ready for that kind of radical thinking.

Robin Williams is receiving all sorts of kudos from all sorts of critics for his performance, and I do have to say that it is probably his best "dramatic" performance, probably because he not only doesn't look like himself, but he doesn't use all those old tricks of his that everyone knows and recognises. That's a good thing because, to a film critic, the role is always more important than the actor. To studio executives (and some audience members) it's the other way round.

One hour photo is a depressing film about a depressing man with almost no action to relieve Sy's grey, maudlin, depressing life. In keeping with the main character, it's not a great film, but it will still leave you wanting to cut your wrists.