Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘One Hour Photo’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I would say for the most part, each and every one of us out there do our best to live our lives to the fullest and do everything we can to be a normal functioning member of modern society. But despite our best efforts to be that shining symbol of American life, trauma will always get in the way.  

Be it the loss of a loved one, or something else as equally as terrifying, at some point we all have to face it and while it will often bring us to our knees, we often rise to the occasion and recover, becoming stronger for having gone through hell. But some folks are lost in the mix, their trauma is never healed or dealt with, but they manage to move on. These people sometimes get by, and sometimes, their past comes bubbling up to the present and that latter example is front and center in the outstanding film, One Hour Photo. 

Seymour 'Sy' Parrish leads a simple life. He runs the one-hour photo booth at SavMart and believes in what he does. He feels that photos are precious memories and should be treated as such. But while it seems like Sy is a noble and everyday man...he is anything but. He is a man lost in solitude without friends or family, but more importantly, there is a secret that Sy is hiding, one that is disturbing to say the least. For this man without a family has discovered a way to enjoy family life, by printing a second set of one particular customer's photos and treating them like they were his own. But as his 'surrogate' family deals with trouble at home, the idyllic lifestyle they seem to lead comes crashing down, bringing Sy's world with it, forcing him to set things right whether the Yorkin family likes it or not. 

---

So, let's start off with the best part of this movie, the late Robin Williams. He is a complete and utter chameleon here, only resembling the man we have loved in cinema physically since he truly transforms psychologically into the disturbed and shattered Sy Parrish. This is a man truly lost in this world, and as the film unfolds his sad and tragic story unfolds with it and that's the magic of his performance. At first Sy is simply a lost soul, then suddenly he becomes this obsessed stalker, out to change lives in ways that may or may not be violent and it is only in the finale of the story, that we discover exactly what trauma and pain he has gone through to make him such a shattered man. 

But aside from that amazing performance, one that is terrifying at times, the film makes us question a great many things. It makes us question how we deal with trauma, especially since we see the mask that the Yorkin family puts on when it comes to the lovely memories they create in photographs. It makes us ponder on how we should approach the people we meet differently sometimes, not with judgment and fear but understanding and compassion because we never quite know what they have been through or how close to the breaking point they truly are. Something that is showcased late in the film with some scenes that will certainly unsettle you. 

Either way, this is a film that looks at a tough slice of life, of a man broken by his past and grasping at anything to lead a normal life. It's a true tragedy through and through, and a brilliant one at that. If you haven't seen One Hour Photo, I certainly encourage you to do so. If only to see the incredible performance that Robin Williams puts forth and to enjoy a raw and visceral film that takes us through the eyes of a man with nothing to lose and who is desperate to gain even a few moments of happiness. 

---