One Hour Photo

Year: 2002
Director: Mark Romanec
Writer: Mark Romanec
Genre: Drama, Thriller

I'd never seen Robin Williams in a "serious" role before. I don't know why but it just seems to have never been the case that I sit down with one. It may be partially related to this that the film really struck me. Williams had a character who was completely out of the realm I'd ever seen him as. At first I was like "how funny, that's Robin Williams" but as the movie continued I forgot all about the association. He was no longer Mrs. Doubtfire to me or anything like that but his character in this film. He was sad, disturbed, and incredible.

I adored this movie. I felt really nervous and antsy watching it, which believe it or not is a positive. It takes a certain kind of movie to make me feel that way and only a few have ever really managed it. Some other films like that for me were Hard Candy and Fatal Attraction. Fatal Attraction in particular is so bad that I will leave the room when the climax approaches.

Back to One Hour Photo though... It's a stellar film. There are some very gorgeous scenes, the music is perfect, and it is just a very taut piece of film making. Since I think it's better to leave first-time viewers without any ideas about this film, I won't discuss any plot points. I had no clue about what the film was really about, aside from maybe photos, and that aided my viewing.

The movie certainly won't be for everyone but it was perfect for me. In fact, I'm probably going to add it to my list of "must-watch movies" that I pass out to friends. That list is kept to a reasonable amount, so any new additions is always a cause for celebration. If you're in the mood to feel vaguely disturbed and worried for an hour and a half this is the film for you.