Hard Eight
1996 Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Synopsis
John has lost all his money. He sits outside a diner in the desert when Sydney happens along, buys him coffee, then takes him to Reno and shows him how to get a free room without losing much money. Under Sydney's fatherly tutelage, John becomes a successful small-time professional gambler, and all is well, until he falls for Clementine, a cocktail waitress and sometimes hooker. Paul Thomas Anderson's directorial debut.
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Finally, I've completed PTA's current filmography. I've seen all of his feature length films and rated everyone 4 stars or above until now. Hard Eight didn't quite make it but it's a strong 3 1/2. For a first film it's very good. The cast is excellent which has become expected in PTA films. The story is interesting as are the characters. You see glimpses of the masterful filmmaker Anderson has become. PTA is now on a very short list of directors that I've liked every film they've made. I definitely recommend this film and I can't wait for his next film Inherent Vice.
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As I've said countless times before, Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my new-found favorite directors of all time. With a impressive track record of epic masterpieces, such as The Master and Magnolia, to outstanding comedies, such as Punch-Drunk Love and Boogie Nights, PTA has proven himself that he has a very distinct style of direction and unique storytelling in all of his films, with some of them being accessible and others not so much. But with his first feature film, Hard Eight is the weakest out of his whole filmography.
The film follows John, a man who has lost all of his money. But one day, he meets Sydney, a veteran gambler, at a diner and takes John to…
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The last film I needed to watch from Paul Thomas Anderson was his debut Hard Eight and it was a solid start of his illustrious career. I liked how mysterious Philip Baker Hall's character Sydney is for the most part of the film, making you always wonder what are his real intentions with John. Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow give fine performances too, but none of their characters were likeable or very interesting for me, so I didn't really care for them. John and Clementine make some bad and even ridiculous decisions sometimes, so it's a bit hard to feel sorry for them when things so wrong. I enjoyed the big reveal of Sydney, being an…
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Philip Baker Hall is sensational as the lead character Sydney. He gives a mesmerising performance as the enigmatic ex-professional gambler who takes an innocent man under his wing and teaches him the art of gambling. However, Sydney’s true motive remains unknown until the film’s dramatic conclusion where an appropriately powerful sequence reveals that Sydney is atoning for past sins.
Hall’s performance is no fluke; Anderson is well known as an actor’s director. Even in his debut feature he gathers great actors and moulds career-defining performances. The same can be said for the support cast – John C Reilly, Samuel L Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow and even a brief appearance from Philip Seymour Hoffman – who are equally fantastic. These performances are…
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Great flick. Perhaps PTA wasn't quite the master he would become on his next film and grow to over his entire career (I mean really, how many masterpieces can one guy have) but he wasn't far off. It's stylish, it's cool, it's tough and pulpy, it's tender. It gives Philip Baker Hall a brilliant role and lets everyone else act the shit out of the material. It's got cigarettes and coffee and gambling and neon and shows us a lifestyle that doesn't really exist anymore (I don't think) but seems to me to be one of the most quintessentially American ones around.
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With Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film The Master approaching slowly but surely, I decided to watch all of PTA's films to get me even more amped up starting with the only PTA film I haven't seen, Hard Eight (aka Sydney).
I loved it. It may not be considered as much of a masterpiece as his other works, but in my eyes this is almost as amazing as his other films. PTA shows us some of the genius he would insert in later films, like his follow up Boogie Nights. For a debut, he gets some very impressive shots in, even tracking shots like he's use in future films. The acting is just as fantastic, especially from Philip Baker Hall who…
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As I've said countless times before, Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my new-found favorite directors of all time. With a impressive track record of epic masterpieces, such as The Master and Magnolia, to outstanding comedies, such as Punch-Drunk Love and Boogie Nights, PTA has proven himself that he has a very distinct style of direction and unique storytelling in all of his films, with some of them being accessible and others not so much. But with his first feature film, Hard Eight is the weakest out of his whole filmography.
The film follows John, a man who has lost all of his money. But one day, he meets Sydney, a veteran gambler, at a diner and takes John to…
-
Finally, I've completed PTA's current filmography. I've seen all of his feature length films and rated everyone 4 stars or above until now. Hard Eight didn't quite make it but it's a strong 3 1/2. For a first film it's very good. The cast is excellent which has become expected in PTA films. The story is interesting as are the characters. You see glimpses of the masterful filmmaker Anderson has become. PTA is now on a very short list of directors that I've liked every film they've made. I definitely recommend this film and I can't wait for his next film Inherent Vice.
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It's hard to say how just how much I would still find myself appreciating Hard Eight if it wasn't highlighted by the rest of Paul Thomas Anderson's illustrious career. Having seen it three times now, I can honestly say that I love it, despite the fact that it occasionally feels forced or rushed (though to my understanding, lack of creative control was a huge part of Anderson's frustration with the thing). I love the likableness of Sydney and John's relationship. I love the emotional baggage that Gwyneth Paltrow bears so convincingly as Clementine. I love Samuel Jackson's role as the antagonist, and I love Philip Seymour Hoffman's delightful little cameo.
Mostly, I love the opening shot.
Paul Thomas Anderson is…
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This is Paul Thomas Anderson's most straightforward film but that doesn't take away from the fact that it has great characters and an intense story. Although it feels like PTA was testing the waters with this one, it still has the impact of his other films. This is simply a great debut from one of my favourite directors.
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Despite a solid opening and setup, Hard Eight is a mostly dull affair. The pacing was off, and scenes that could have really scintillated often devolved into prolonged scenes of sub-par dialogue. There's enough right with the film to call it good, though, and you can certainly see flashes of PTA's style and directorial ability that would solidify in his following pictures. Gwyneth Paltrow was terrible, unsurprisingly, but John Reilly makes up for it. This is the only thing I've seen him in recently where he hasn't annoyed me to death.
Overall, interesting story, weak execution.
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While not my favorite PT Anderson film, it certainly is a great entry in his filmography. Along with great performances from Phillip Baker Hall, Paltrow, and Reiley, Hard Eight really shows off the skills we've come to associate with PT Anderson.
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Philip Baker Hall puts in an incredibly understated performance in this complex character study, showcasing PTA's immense potential as one of the greatest modern filmakers.
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Paul Thomas Anderson's first outing as writer-director tell's the story of 'John' played by john C Reilly,who's out of money and without a place to stay. He's found by 'Sydney' played by Philip Baker Hall who offer's him a coffee and a cigarette and maybe a way out of his predicament.
John and Sydney strike up something of a partnership with Sydney becoming something of a father figure to John.Things aren't quite what they seem though and Paul Thomas Anderson draws us deep into life just on the edge,where the casino is king and a living can be made if you know how to play the game.
With supporting roles from Gwyneth Platrow, as a hooker, and Samuel L Jackson… -
And thus my journey through Paul Thomas Anderson’s filmography is completed. And have it been an amazing journey? Yes, it was pretty fucking amazing. It never got worse than great.
Hard Eight is not Paul Thomas Anderson’s best piece of work. But hey, PTA’s worse is hell of a lot better than most others best. And seeing how it was his first feature film, I can forgive him for not making something on level with Magnolia. The only thing I wish Hard Eight had was a little bit more rewatch value, like the rest of his filmography has. But still, this was great.