"One Hour Photo" is a chilling, intriguing thriller that achieves suspense without gore and never once stoops to the level of teen slashing or bunny boiling. It's an extremely unsettling nail-biter infused with art and humor, thanks to Robin Williams brilliant portrayal of "Sy the photo guy."
Sy is a lonely, disturbed film processor with dyed blonde hair and oversized glasses that relentlessly slip down his nose. At first, Sy seems to be a lonely-but-harmless man who throws himself into his work and manages to find importance in the mundane task of processing rolls of film at a one-hour photomat.
But Sy's character soon develops into someone scarier: A desperate stalker who is obsessed with one of his customers, Nina Yorkin (Connie Nielsen), and her seemingly picture-perfect family.
Sy has developed Nina's photos since her son, Jake (Dylan Smith), was born nine years ago, and he lives through her family photographs, often secretly making doubles or mentally super-imposing himself into the shots. Sy isn't sexually attracted to Nina, rather he dreams of being a member of her family and an uncle to Jake.
When Sy discovers that Nina's husband, Will, is having an affair, he becomes infuriated and completely loses his grip on right and wrong.
This surprising, original film blurs our image of Sy, making it unclear if he's a dangerous lunatic or a man suffering from extreme loneliness and existential dread.
Luckily, there are moments of humor to lighten the load, like when Sy describes his photomat regulars: older single women who only take pictures of their cats, new parents who bring in dozens of rolls of film at a time and amateur porn artists.
The film is shot in film noir style and the lighting is extremely effective. Whether he's at home or at work, Sy lives in an unbearably over-lit environment, whereas the Yorkin family basks in warm, glowing rooms.
Most interesting, the film shows how everyday snapshots can be used as weapons of destruction and humiliation. It also reveals how, by only photographing significant people and milestones, we overlook the simpler aspects of life as well as people like Sy who desperately need to be chronicled and remembered.
{INSERT_RELATED}"One Hour Photo" opens Fri., Sept. 13 at Landmark's Downer Theatre.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
