Review of Hard Eight (1997) by Katie R — 01 Jun 2009
â??Hard Eightâ?? is a classic gem from the mid-nineties that stars several big name actors, including John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gwyneth Paltrow. John C. Reilly is incredible as a down on his luck gambler named John who turns his life around when Philip Baker Hallâ??s character, Sydney, begins to mentor him and become his father figure.
This relationship between Sydney and John is the center of the film. â??Sydneyâ?? was the original title for the film, but due to studio decisions beyond P.T. Andersonâ??s control, it was retitled â??Hard Eightâ?? prior to its release. Sydney takes John in after buying him a cup of coffee and offering him $50. He teaches John how to gamble and to trick casinos out of money. John begins to mimic Sydney and accept him as a mentor in his life. When John and his lover, - Paltrowâ??s character Clementine - get caught up in a hostage situation, Sydney helps protect John as he goes on the run. This leads to a brilliant plot twist that will remain unspoiled.
DO NOT read the back of the box. This is one of those awful DVDs that gives away the entire plot on the boxâ??s synopsis. I have seen too many cases that do this, and it aggravates me to know what the awesome twist is before seeing the film. Still, this is a lost gem of the nineties that few people I know have seen.
The style is the usual Paul Thomas Anderson, including long bits of dialogue, and long cuts. The standard tracking shot that he uses in every one of his films is also used very effectively in a couple different scenes. The other P.T. Anderson touch is the use of Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and even an appearance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. They also appear in â??Boogie Nightsâ?? and â??Magnolia,â?? the following two films by P.T. Anderson.
On the historic note, for anyone looking to buff up your film trivia, â??Hard Eightâ?? is based on a short film by Anderson, entitled â??Cigarettes & Coffee.â?? The short was featured at Sundance Film Festival, and garnered enough acclaim for Anderson to be invited to a filmmaker workshop, where he developed the feature-length script for â??Hard Eightâ?? and even shot some scenes with Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly.
Go search out this debut picture and enjoy the mystique of filmmaking. Happy viewing.
This review of Hard Eight (1997) was written by Katie R on 01 Jun 2009.
Hard Eight has generally received positive reviews.
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