Review of Hard Eight (1997) by Caleb M — 20 Jul 2009
The smooth, sultry, dark humored debut of a young genius. It's unconventional structure and heavily faulted characters create an abnormal atmosphere for the crime genre. John C. Rilley absolutely shines, playing a slow-witted loser to comedic perfection.
It is definetely one of his strongest performances. Baker Hall is terrific in his warm but mysterious leading role, Gwenyth Paltrow shows off her range, and The PSH brings down the house in what is quite possibly the greatest cameo of all time.
Surprisingly the only actor that is sub-par is Samuel L. Jackson, who rides on his final monologue as if he's Jules Winfield. It's quite unfortunate. The directing is smart and traditional, often reflecting the craft of Hitchcock and Welles with slow reveals and traveling cameras.
The look and design of the film is modeled after an older, classier era of the casino world, a world that the protagonist represents. If you love P.T.A., then you'll dig Sydney.
This review of Hard Eight (1997) was written by Caleb M on 20 Jul 2009.
Hard Eight has generally received positive reviews.
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