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Rating: I do not claim to be a die-hard cinephile or a film critic capable of spotting the luminous nuances of the candle in a Barry Lyndon or fully appreciating an Orson Wells movie; however, I am convinced that, in front of a work of art, like cinema is, it's not just about preparation, but also about the disposition to beauty, a vision perhaps more emotional and less analytical that allows one to enjoy the product nonetheless. For this reason, do not expect a review that analyzes the film from a purely technical perspective or that is structurally perfect.
With this necessary premise, let's get on with the actual film, released in 2002 worldwide, directed by Mark Romanek and featuring the impeccable performance of Robin Williams, the true star of the film. The film is essentially a thriller with a large introspective section on the main character, Sy Parrish (which some may notice shares his surname with another character played by Robin Williams, that of Jumanji), where there is a sort of reshuffling of roles:
Parrish is fundamentally the antagonist, the character who nonetheless throws a wrench in the works of the two distinctly less charismatic "good" characters, yet he cannot be summed up so simply: he is an unconventional antagonist, a weak individual, a lonely person obsessed with his work (developing photographs with maniacal precision in a supermarket chain) and his clients (about whom he knows everything, especially focusing on the family that unwittingly becomes his victim), acting driven by despair for his condition, not by innate malice.
The obsessiveness with which he cuts, observes, develops, and possesses his clients' photos, a move that will eventually lead to his removal from both his beloved workplace and real life itself, making him a mere projection, an automaton, is the focal point of the film, with action taking a back seat in the final part. A touch of class, however, is the voice-over by Williams himself, who expresses how truthful reflections on the relationship between human beings and cameras, emphasizing that no one ever photographs themselves in sad moments, how a photo is actually a way to say "hey, I was there too, I too was happy!"
The performance is, as noted, superb and perfectly communicates the protagonist's inner drama, conveyed through words but above all through small gestures, like how he tries to endear himself to the child of his "preferred" client couple, by how he deletes the child's father's face from all the photos in his possession after discovering that his idea of a man living a model life does not match reality. The finale, with the appearance of the police and actual action scenes, is instead a continuous crescendo of pathos.
There's little else to say except that it's not a classic popcorn film to watch lightly but with the intention of grasping its meaning, the message it wants to convey through the protagonist, which I believe is not to become obsessively attached to someone or something, creating a distorted view of reality at the expense of our social position or mental stability.
Four deserved stars, I would say.
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