Why is it
that, in most cases, indie films are far more interesting than
the big budget piles of crap major studios pump out on a regular
basis?
Now, I don't want to say indie film is the source of true art;
in fact, most of the indie films produced are nothing more than
pointless esoteric exercises in student filmmaking. However,
when critics begin to speak about provocative and thought
provoking films, what do they mention next? A big budget studio
film? No, it's some indie that played for a week in one theater
out in Los Angeles. Mark Romanek's One Hour Photo is this
sort of film.
Have you ever
wondered what daily life is like for the poor, aged man who mans
the local One Hour Photo shop? For Seymour Parrish
(Williams), life is nothing more than a series of snapshots.
Your snapshots. Having nothing to really live for, except his
job, Sy lives vicariously through the photos that he develops
for his customers. His major fixation is on the Yorkin family
and their son Jakob. He wishes he were part of their family,
dreams of being welcomed in the household, sharing the holidays
with them, laughing with them in their pictures. Sy wants the
family as his own, and will stop at nothing to make it so.
What sounds
like a typical stalker/slasher film is far more than that. It's
a subtle psychological character profile about a man who is
fixated on what he cannot have. Robin Williams plays this
extremely well. The maniacal man we expect to see is gone, and a
serious actor has taken his place. Connie Neilson is fantastic
as the unhappy Nina Yorkin but Dylan Smith steals the show as
young Jakob.
I can't go
any further without mentioning Jeff Cronenwelth's beautiful
cinematography. He blends beautiful rich colors with cold
metallic in such an artistic way. This has been the best looking
film I've seen this year and hope to see an Oscar nomination for
the film this year.
One other
thing that must be said about this is how similar in feel it is
to Hitchcock's Psycho, both in tone and
performances. This is a really creepy film, and thanks go out to
both Romanek's wonderful direction and Williams' eerie
performance. And, like Hitchcock, we are given many red
herrings, the best being right in the beginning.
I would
love to say this is the best film of the year, however the year
isn't over yet. It's definitely the best film to have been
released up until this point. It's a shame that Fox hasn't
advertised this film to a larger extent. Find this film in its
select locations and take a chance on the art house film instead
of the studio schlockbusters. It just might surprise you.
