Hard Eight

Rating:
Summary: Off-beat casino drama
Review: This is also known as "Sydney" (director Paul Thomas Anderson's original title) after the name of the movie's central character, a somewhat mysterious casino gambler (and murderer, by the way) played by veteran Philip Baker Hall. The new and more commercially-viable title comes from the game of craps in which the dice player can roll an eight with a six and a two or with a five and a three or with two fours. Since probabilistically the hardest way to roll an eight is with two fours, that's called a "hard eight." Such a choice occurs twice in the movie, and symbolically a "hard eight" may represent the gambler's psychology.

Co-starring as Sydney's protege is John C. Reilly as John Finnegan, a kind of loveable schmuck who falls in love with a Reno waitress/prostitute named Clementine, played quirkily by Gwyneth Paltrow. Samuel L. Jackson has a modest but very convincing part as a casino security sleaze.

Anderson's direction of these very talented actors was excellent. I wish I could say the same for his script. Most viewers I suspect will find this a bit dull; and, as it unfolds and we find out why Sydney is playing guardian angel to John, viewers may even be disappointed. I know I was. I had expected something original as Sydney's motivation, but what we learn in the last reel is quite ordinary (as movie motivations go).

What kept me watching was of course trying to figure out what makes Sydney tick and why and how he can spend his time so aimlessly gambling (and almost always losing), and where his money comes from. I also was intrigued by the originality of Anderson's treatment as opposed to his story per se. The stylized, slightly "off" dialogue, especially well-suited to Reilly's studied interpretation and Philip Baker Hall's inscrutability, reminded me of something that might have been written by David Mamet or even Quentin Taratino. Finally I was interested in seeing how Paltrow would play a role seemingly quite removed from her screen persona. I thought the delicate and very winning star of Shakespeare in Love (1998), etc., worked hard to create the sort of lower-class, uneducated, "victim" of the Las Vegas/ Reno casino culture that Anderson had in mind, and I thought she did it well. However, hers was not a sympathetic role and it did not test Paltrow's range as a actress, although playing a prostitute is something many actresses find interesting. I am thinking of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (1990) and Elizabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995) or even Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour (1967).

Bottom line here is that this is a studied, "arty" movie well worth seeing because of the performances and as an example of Anderson's unique style, but not something for a mass audience or for those viewers looking for a diverting thriller.

But see this for Philip Baker Hall, one of those rare actors to actually find his best roles and do his best work in his sixties. Indeed, his performance here revitalized a career that had long languished. In this regard I am reminded of the Swedish actor Victor Sjostrom who gave perhaps his greatest performance in Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries (1957) when he was 80 years old. Although I have seen little of Hall's work, I am willing to bet that this was one of his greatest performances.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie
Review: A little slow for those with a shorter attention span. I'm suprised by how many reviewers thought the movie was set in Vegas(considering early on it states 2 years later in Reno). So it isn't a part of the Vegas craze. It isn't about the gambling so I wouldn't expect that. If you liked True Romance I think you will like this (minus a lot of the action, mainly the love story).

Rating:
Summary: A MINIMALIST INDEPENDENT MOVIE.
Review: The first thing that you can notice when you see "Hard Eight / Sydney", is its great cast: the movie has talented actors like Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson and the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow. And the director is the critically acclaimed Paul Thomas Anderson.

However, "Hard Eight" is not his best movie, and even though it's very interesting, the plot is not very complex, and this movie gives the impression that could have been a better movie. The characters are original, but after a while the movie offers little to get excited about.

Although if you are fan of PTA's work, you definitely should see "Hard Eight", but if you have never seen a movie directed by PTA, start with "Boogie Nights", "Magnolia" or "Punch-Drunk Love". "Hard Eight" is a good movie but nothing else.

Rating:
Summary: One of the worst movies I have ever seen
Review: Saw this on the box last night. I sat through the whole thing just to see if it would improve - it didn't. I kept wondering whether this was a radio play that someone had decided to film. The dialogue is wooden, the plot is pathetic, the whole set-up is unconvincing. It looks like something the actors did in a couple of days due to contractual obligations of some sort or maybe to cash in on the whole "Vegas" craze - which ranges from CSI to "The Cooler". (Incidentally, "The Cooler" is another one to avoid.)
I would give this zero stars if I could.

Rating:
Summary: Hard To Stay Awake...
Review: Don't get me wrong here. I am a fan of Anderson's work in general, especially Boogie Nights and Punch-Drunk Love. But I just could handle Hard Eight. Usually Anderson's slower pace is a welcome change for me as I really enjoy character driven dramas. The acting was pretty good, but I just thought the script lacked anything of interest. Maybe next time, but I can't recommend actually buying this one unless you want a complete Anderson collection.

Rating:
Summary: an overlooked little gem
Review: A film by Paul Thomas Anderson

This was the first film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love), and it seems to have improved with age. It has the slower, deliberate pacing that seems to be a P.T.A. trademark, and it is a dark little movie. The more I watch it, the more I find interesting about it. It doesn't quite pop off the screen the way Boogie Nights and Magnolia did, but I feel that this one is worth a look.

This is the story of a man named Sydney (Philip Baker Hall). Sydney is at a roadside diner when he sees a man sitting alone outside the diner. The man, John (John C Reilly) looks to be incredibly down on his luck with no idea of what to do next. John doesn't even have a clue of what he can possibly do next. Sydney offers John a cigarette and a cup of coffee. He then offers John a hand to get back on his feet. Sydney offers John a ride to Vegas, fifty dollars, and offers to teach him how he can use that money to get a room. We see the beginnings of a mentor/student relationship. What we don't know is why Sydney is doing this for John.

Flash forward two years. We are still in Las Vegas. John seems to be doing better and he is still with Sydney. The mentor/student relationship feels more like a father/son relationship. We are introduced to Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a waitress at a casino. She knows Sydney and seems to like him. She is worried about doing something wrong to disappoint John. We're now unsure about how Clementine fits into the equation, where she will impact the lives of Sydney and John, but we know she will. We are also introduced to Jimmy (Samuel L Jackson), a friend of John's. John likes Jimmy, but also seems to be led by Jimmy, overpowered by Jimmy. It is obvious that Sydney does not like Jimmy.

For a good portion of the movie I was unsure of where the film was going, but I was very interested in how it was going to get there. I suspect that Hard Eight is not a movie for everyone, even those who normally like P.T.A.'s other work. You can tell it is an independent film (it does not have the polish you are likely to find when a studio puts up a larger sum of money), and it is a slow moving one. It also features some fantastic performances by Philip Baker Hall, John C Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow. I would like to especially note the work done by Philip Baker Hall: exceptional. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. This is not a slick Hollywood movie, but it's a fine piece of work and an often overlooked one.

Rating:
Summary: An Overlooked Diamond
Review: This film is a slow character study set in the poor gambling world on the outskirts of Nevada. It doesn't start strong, but over time there is a buildup of surprising power. Sidney, the old gambling pro, takes his young protege into his heart and lets himself feel deeply for the younger man.

It is a rare and mysterious act of altruism that is unexplained until later in the film.

Gwyneth Paltrow comes in later as a waitress/occasional hooker, who's personal weakness steers the characters into great danger.

I really felt the love - that Sid would do anything for his adopted son, despite his flaws, and that this relationship had given his empty life a new meaning and purpose.

The theme here is of losers, trying desperately to join hands and bring themselves a new life and a brighter future, despite their great problems and psychic devastation. This is a story of internal growth that we all emulate.

The dialogue style is also very distinctive and powerful, rather like David Mamet.

This was one of Gwyneth Paltrow's early films - It wasn't widely distributed, but it certainly lead to major roles later. She's obviously a very powerful talented actress - and it's more obvious here because this isn't a beauty-queen role. If anything it's the opposite, but she shines through it.

On the strength of this movie PT Anderson finished Boogie Nights two years later and is now an international star, if not yet a box-office hero.