Writer/director Mark Romanek's quiet psychological thriller One Hour Photo allows funnyman Robin Williams to really channel his inner creepiness.
Williams portrays a painfully lonely man, who works in a department store photo lab, where he becomes disturbingly obsessed with a family who regularly gets their pictures developed with him.
Romanek creates a colorless world violently lit by fluorescent lights allowing Williams' character to disappear within the walls with a wardrobe that camouflages itself against the backdrop. While the premise is a little unique, the plotline itself isn't particularly uncommon therefore making Williams the main focus of the film and, boy, does he shine. His subtly threatening performance elevates the generic thriller into something far more than better than it would have been without him.
Williams portrays a painfully lonely man, who works in a department store photo lab, where he becomes disturbingly obsessed with a family who regularly gets their pictures developed with him.
Romanek creates a colorless world violently lit by fluorescent lights allowing Williams' character to disappear within the walls with a wardrobe that camouflages itself against the backdrop. While the premise is a little unique, the plotline itself isn't particularly uncommon therefore making Williams the main focus of the film and, boy, does he shine. His subtly threatening performance elevates the generic thriller into something far more than better than it would have been without him.
3½ snap-shots out of 5
