‘One Hour’ lacks the ‘Signs’ of a thriller

Tricia Behle

‘One Hour Photo’ missing energy, tension

“One Hour Photo” focuses on a character who would normally seem

too uninteresting to be the center of a movie -- a clerk at the one

hour photo finishing lab inside a discount store. Seymour “Sy”

Parrish (Robin Williams) is a bland, nondescript, middle-aged man. He

takes his work very seriously, since he really has no other life away

from his job. The movie peels away Sy’s superficially normal exterior

to reveal the quiet desperation lurking within.

The emptiness of Sy’s life leads him to take an obsessive interest

in the family of one of his regular customers, Nina Yorkin (Connie

Nielsen). Nina, her husband Will (Michael Vartan) and their young son

Jake (Dylan Smith) seem like the perfect young family. The happiness

and love apparent in their family photos makes Sy long to be part of

it as a beloved “Uncle Sy.” When events occur to separate Sy from his

idealized family image, his world is shattered.

Williams is brilliant as Sy, turning in an understated yet creepy

performance. While Sy is scary because of his stalker behavior,

Williams keeps Sy human enough so the audience can’t help but feel

sorry for him.

The pacing of the movie is very slow in parts, which robs the film

of needed energy. For what is supposed to be a thriller, “One Hour

Photo” has a surprising lack of tension and suspense.

Everything about the sets, costumes, art direction and

cinematography is very well thought out. The movie makes great use of

color, for both its characters and locations. Photography is used

effectively as both a theme and a plot device throughout the film.

“One Hour Photo” is a generally well-crafted film, containing a

great performance by Williams. It is an interesting psychological

character study, but if you are looking for a gripping thriller, go

see “Signs” instead.

* TRICIA BEHLE, 31, lives in Newport Beach and works as a

software validator.

Second ‘Spy’ goes to the ‘Kids’

Things to do today: visit the local amusement park, have some

food, buy some souvenirs. Oh yeah, and save the president’s daughter.

Just another day in the life of Carmen and Juni Cortez, the elite

crime-fighting duo.

Last time around, Carmen and Juni had to save their parents (also

spies) and the world from creepy child robots. The latest mission:

find a missing island and figure out why people report seeing all

sorts of crazy monsters. Too bad Gary and Gerti Giggles get the job

instead. The Giggles have the latest gadgets and the latest

intelligence, leaving the Cortezes high and dry. But a quick hacking

job fixes things and we find the Cortezes on their way to the land of

the strange in “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams.”

Yes, Antonio Banderas is still around. And Carla Gugino is too.

Mom and Dad Cortez are back to get in the way, embarrass the kids and

provide comic relief. Grandma and Grandpa are even thrown in to add

another dimension to the family.

But “Spy Kids 2” is missing a couple things. Most of the cool

gadgets are gone, and the storyline is more a struggle between the

Giggles and the Cortezes, rather than any real mystery. It’s light,

it’s funny and cute, but it certainly isn’t better than the first

one. The original was a surprise, much more engaging than seemed

possible.

The kids, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara, are full of energy and

playful sibling animosity. The Giggles are extremely annoying. Steve

Buscemi is a pleasant addition to the cast as a reclusive scientist.

“Spy Kids 2” has a message -- think for yourself and believe in

yourself -- and pushes its theme as much as possible. Uncle Machete,

known for his amazing gadgets, bestows upon his niece and nephew the

one tool a spy needs the most: a rubber band. There’s tons of uses

for it, and it’s up to Carmen and Juni to figure it all out. The kids

scoff at Uncle Machete, and I rolled my eyes at his “innovation.”

“Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams” is much more a kids film than

a family film. It will go a bit slowly for parents or older kids. It

does have some fun animals and a group of crazy skeletons, and they

do help the movie a lot. It doesn’t hold a candle to “Lilo & Stitch,”

but it’s a nice way to spend an hour and a half.

* MELISSA RICHARDSON is a Costa Mesa resident and a junior at UC

Irvine.