Although many are simply lumping Robin Williams' performance in "One Hour Photo" as just another film in his dark phase, "One Hour Photo" stands far apart from "Death to Smoochy" and "Insomnia" and could very well be the picture that the comedian wins his long-awaited Best Actor Oscar for.
In "One Hour Photo," everyone's favorite funnyman does a frightenly perfect 180 as Sy Parrish, a local one-hour photo clerk whose loneliness is temporarily forgotten when he takes an interest in a frequent customer named Nina Yorkin ("Gladiator"'s Connie Nielsen) and her family. As the years pass, Sy’s interest in the family continues to grow until one day his actions become more stalker-like than overly nice and welcoming. It isn't until he discovers that his picture-perfect family isn't so perfect after all though that Sy’s inner thoughts to step into the family himself take over, and the Yorkins find their lives jeopardized by someone who they never once thought of as anyone more than "Sy, the photo guy."
Writer/director Mark Romanek brilliantly makes the bold decision to cast Williams as Sy Parrish, and 15 minutes into the film audiences will find it impossible to picture anyone else as the mentally disturbed photo clerk. Williams literally transforms himself in the role, not only physically (he's almost unrecognizable under the bleached blonde hair and glasses), but also as an actor. Even with "Insomnia" and "Death to Smoochy" Williams has never showcased his disturbed side more than with "One Hour Photo," and the former Mrs. Doubtfire is so believable and creepy in the role that the public will never again simply label him as just a comedian.
Williams performance aside, “One Hour Photo” shines for the eerie yet bland atmosphere Romanek creates for Sy to live in, one that represents middle America's routine life quite well. Majority of the film takes place in the very spotless, bright and white SavMart convenience store where Sy works (think Wal-Mart, only blander), an environment that the character easy disappears in since he's so boring looking himself. Meanwhile, the photos he develops of the Yorkin family are filled with color and beauty, and represent a world Sy would easily stand out in but desperately would love to become a part of. Romanek uses this color contrast to bring Sy’s vision of the two worlds to viewers in a way they can understand, since most people can relate to seeing their own lives as routine, bland and boring whenever looking at someone else's photographs.
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