7¾ Pies

Reviewed by Limey

Plot Summary

An employee of a one hour photo lab becomes obsessed with a seemingly perfect family.

Review

This is the most difficult kind of film to review. The reason for that has nothing to do with its genre, its stars, its publicity, or anything else along those lines. The reason is that it is nigh on impossible to write a review that is both interesting and also positive.

Now imagine how much harder it becomes when you actively love the film.

Does that mean it is a perfect movie? No.
Does it mean that this is my favourite movie of all time? No.
Is there anything that I would criticise? Yes.

But there is no room here for any biting witticisms or cynical observations, because the film reached me in a way that few others have so far done. This is a slow burning character study if ever there was one, though, ironically, one that divulges very little personal information about the characters that we meet.

We are aware of a few basic facts – Sy is lonely and has a passion for photography, for example – but we are privy to little more and their back stories remain a mystery.

Instead they serve as vehicles for a story that studies how our perception of others can colour our view of the world and how we respond when the reality of a situation is finally revealed to us.

This is why I love it. My one complaint comes right at the end, mere minutes before the credits, when someone behind the camera decided to forsake all this in favour of giving Sy the most tired back story in all cinema. Sure, it works better here than in some other movies, but I still cannot let it slide when it very nearly spoils all that came before.

Thankfully, it is only very nearly, thanks to a brilliantly ambiguous final image, and when you look back on the film as a whole, the positives easily outweigh that one negative and my love survives untainted.

This is indeed a slow burning character study. And we are the characters.

Quotes:

Sy Parrish: When people’s houses are on fire, what is the first thing that they save after their pets and loved ones are saved? Their family photos.

Sy Parrish: The shutter is clicked. The flash goes off and they've stopped time, if just for the blink of an eye.

Spook Factor: ½ Pie

Obviously, there are no traditional spooks to be found, but as a snapshot of the darker side of human nature, it will stir up a range of emotions.

Antagonist: 1 Pie

Everything about Sy Parrish is designed to evoke a particular response, as is every cinematic character. What warrants the full pie is the fact that his design is perfectly catered to the actor portraying him and for the world in which he resides and that is what makes him such an extremely effective character.

Story: ¾ Pie

If there were ever a movie that represents the expression ‘less is more’, it is this one, and it is when they veer from that simplicity that they lose a slice of pie.

Acting: 1 Pie

This is what Robin Williams is all about. Give him a strong character with defined boundaries and he will deliver a performance to match. What makes it even better is that every other actor holds up their end of the bargain. Lesser actors in any of these roles would struggle with the lack of character history on display, but not this team.

Directing: 1 Pie

It is incredible. Even more so is that Mark Romanek hasn’t directed anything since – this truly is a crazy world. The final sequence in the hotel is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen, with everything coming together to create magic.

Soundtrack: 1 Pie

I’m almost starting to feel redundant with this many full pies on the go, but the music propelling the drama in this movie is beautiful.

Special Effects: ½ Pie

Well, that balances things out somewhat. There are transition scenes that are probably accomplished via computer, but it could just be clever camera work. Either way, this isn’t a movie that relies on fancy effects, and is only subjected to this rating because CGI is so prevalent in the movies at large.

Gore: ½ Pie

There is a briefer than brief dream sequence that blindsided me with a sudden flash of red, in an otherwise dry movie. I appreciated it, but I’m glad there was no more.

Replay, Rewatch, Rewind: ¾ Pie

Most definitely, if only once every year or two in order to preserve its appeal.

Pros

The right actors, the right writer/director and the right composer all converge to create some hugely moving scenes.

Cons

A few moments in the very final scene come close to marring the overall picture.

Final Word

If you want balls to the wall action, this isn’t for you. If you want blood spilling brutality, this isn’t for you. This is a film that has something to say, and 99.9% of the time does so without resorting to typical movie tricks. Most people don’t make pictures of these things…