ONE HOUR PHOTO

Year: 2002
USA: Fox Searchlight
UK: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, Eriq La Salle, Dylan Smith, Erin Daniels, Alec Boyadjian, Nico Boyadjian, Robert Clotworthy, Megan Corletto, Noah Forrest, Peter Mackenzie, Carmen Mormino, Andrew A Rolfes, Nick Searcy
Director: Mark Romanek
Country: USA
USA: 98 mins
UK: 96 mins
USA Rated: R for sexual content and language
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and moderate sexual violence
USA Release Date: 21 August 2002 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 4 October 2002

Synopsis

Sy Parish (Robin Williams, Insomnia, Good Will Hunting) has been developing photos at SavMart for over 20 years. Unassuming and diligent, Sy takes great pride in his work, and is dedicated to providing the best pictures possible for his customers. His favourites being the Yorkin family; Nina (Connie Nielson, Gladiator, The Devils Advocate), Will (Michael Vartan, Alias) and their nine year old son Jakob, the perfect American family who appear to enjoy the warmth, security and love Sy has always craved.

Over many years Sy has followed the Yorkin's lives through the hundreds of photos he has printed for them, watching Jakob celebrate every birthday and 'sharing' in the wonderful holidays the family have taken. But gradually Sy allows his interest in the Yorkins to develop into a much darker obsession, creating a fantasy world for himself as 'Uncle Sy', and desperately searching for another way into their lives.

Events turn sinister when Sy discovers a secret that shatters his picture perfect image of his adopted 'family', and as Sy's everyday life takes an unexpected turn, fantasy blurs with reality, sending him over the edge. Long-time loneliness and alienation has created an unpredictable and dangerous mind as Sy's obsession and anger has grown. It is a race against time for Detective Van Der Zee (Eriq Le Salle, ER) when Sy determines to expose the Yorkin's imperfections, taking matters into his own hands.

ONE HOUR PHOTO is the motion picture debut from writer/director Mark Romanek, who has previously worked on much-admired music videos for artists such as Madonna, REM and David Bowie. In Sy Parish, Romanek has created a haunting yet sympathetic portrait of a man living in a dangerous and disturbing fantasy world.

DVD EXTRAS

Certificate: 15
Running Time: 91 mins
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Wide-screen 16x9)
DVD Sound Quality: Dolby 5.1
DVD Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired
DVD Special Features:
Audio commentary by Director Mark Romanek and Robin Williams
Cinemax "making of" featurette
Charlie Rose Show, with guests Mark Romanek and Robin Williams
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