Review of Hard Eight (1997) by Itamar K — 16 Mar 2011
Paul Thomas Anderson's debut shows off some of his talent - the excellent work he drives out of character actors in lead parts, effective atmosphere creation and great camera work. Hard Eight doesn't have the spark of There Will Be Blood, Magnolia or Boogie Nights, though, and the script feels half-baked; as a result, the fantastic actors do a great job with very flat characters, and neither them nor the story holds any interest.
The effect of this, ironically, is that the film's best scene is a five-minute nameless cameo by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Not surprising that he's had the most impressive career of these actors, while Philip Baker Hall is still to all intents and purposes Detective Bookman.
This review of Hard Eight (1997) was written by Itamar K on 16 Mar 2011.
Hard Eight has generally received positive reviews.
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