One Hour Photo on DVD

Most people probably don’t go through life thinking that everyone they meet is a potential stalker and that saying the wrong thing could set them off.

But as the saying goes, it’s always the one you least suspect. It could be your garbage man, a silent but schizophrenic coworker, or, as in One Hour Photo, the guy who develops your pictures. After all, he can see into the happiest moments of your life, and if he’s a lonely chap, could be insanely jealous.

Sy the photo guy has been developing photos for over 20 years. He knows the regulars, and seems to have taken a liking to one particular family, the Yorkins. He sees them as having the perfect existence: a happy marriage, a lovable son, and more memorable times than the average family. If there’s one thing Sy wants, it’s to be a member of the Yorkin family and share in their happy times.

When Sy finds out that the Yorkin lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as it appears in the photos, he stops being such a nice guy and starts to go slightly mad.

It’s clear with One Hour Photo that Robin Williams’ Oscar was not a fluke. He’s brilliantly vulnerable and creepy; we feel sorry for him even though we know he’s the bad guy. And the direction by music video veteran Mark Romanek (who also wrote the script) is absolutely phenomenal. Add to that the unique and intriguing premise, and a brilliantly eerie score by Reinhold Heil & Johnny Klimek and you have a very, very good movie.

Some may find it disturbing, especially those with a mild or major case of paranoia. The idea of someone you barely know obsessing over your family is not a pleasant one, but as long as you realize it’s only a movie you should be fine.

It’s an excellent suspense film with excellent individual elements. A very high recommendation for anyone who thinks they may enjoy it.

The movie did pretty well for an indie film, and this is a very nice DVD to go along with an excellent movie. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen is breathtaking. Part of the brilliance of the movie is in the color contrasts between Sy’s world and the Yorkins’, and the picture is clear enough to see the differences down to the smallest detail. Whites are strong, but they don’t look like you’re watching a movie; it looks as if you're there in the same room.

The audio track is equally impressive, with excellent surround use and the most obvious reason to have a subwoofer we’ve ever seen. The score is the most frequent user of the surround system, completely engrossing you in the movie. The dialogue stays to the front, allowing the other elements to take care of the rest.

In a rare treat, Robin Williams gets involved in the audio commentary with writer/director Mark Romanek. Williams is surprisingly reserved compared to the side we usually see when he’s not on screen. There is a half-hour plus Charlie Rose Show interview with Williams and Romanek that is as good as Rose’s interviews generally are, the Sundance Channel’s “Anatomy of a Scene,” a promotional making-of featurette, and the usual trailers and TV spots.

It’s one of the better discs to come out recently, which is nice to see for such a good film.

One Hour Photo, from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
96 minutes, anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) 16X9 enhanced, 5.1 Dolby Digital
Starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan and Eriq La Salle
Produced by Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, Stan Wlodkowski
Written and directed by Mark Romanek

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