Hard Eight (1996) Review - Director Series
Last year, I did a director series reviewing every movie Eli Roth directed. I wanted to see if his films still held up for me, as they were formative to my love of horror.
When I was deciding which director to focus on next, I thought, What better choice than my favorite director?
Paul Thomas Anderson is my favorite filmmaker. I know I’m not breaking new ground with this, he’s many people’s favorite director.
He has a new film coming this year, One Battle After Another. So, what better time to analyze why PTA is my favorite director and review all of his films leading up to his 10th feature film?
Anderson made his first real project, Cigarettes and Coffee, a 20-minute short following a 20$ bill and the people it encounters. Hard Eight is an expansion of one of these stories. Disputes over the final cut and title of the film led to conflict.
Eventually, Paul got his version of the film released while having to relinquish the naming rights originally from Sydney to Hard Eight.
Hard Eight follows Sydney, portrayed by Phillip Baker Hall, a mysterious man who seemingly meets John (John C. Reilly) randomly outside of a diner. Sydney offers to help get John on his feet and show him how to make a casino work for him to make money.
Eventually, Sydney introduces John to Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow). John’s friend Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), who is also an acquaintance of Sydney’s past, brings about problems for Sydney’s quest to right the wrongs of his past.
One of the many things I love about Paul Thomas Anderson’s films is how different all of them feel while touching on similar subjects.
Specifically, the theme of found families. People lost in this world searching for someone to make a connection with.
John is a lost lamb, looking for someone or something to follow. Sydney gives John that direction seemingly at random. We later learn Sydney has ulterior motives for wanting to get John on his feet.
It’s a wrong that Sydney tries to overcome by betting large on a Hard Eight roll in craps. It is mentioned by Jimmy early in the film and then we get a centerpiece scene at a craps table as Sydney places a $2,000 bet for a hard eight.
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s collaborative efforts with Paul Thomas Anderson begin here, as a shooter at the craps table opposite Phillip Baker Hall.
Hoffman is on fire in this scene, as stated by Baker in an interview, Hoffman improvised every line of dialogue.
Sydney’s attempt to hit on that Hard Eight bet is a stand-in for his need to right his past wrongs. Just like all the other times, his bet does not hit. As if he can never undo what he has done. It could also be a way for Sydney to self-punish.
Sydney can’t fix how he affected John’s life before they met. Even if he helped John and Clementine start a family, the blood of the past will always stain his cuffs.
Anderson’s first effort is a pretty great feature film debut. It’s the kind of film that feels specifically tailored to me.
A gambling film that takes place in an old school casino. Makes me want to go to Reno, hang out in a smoky-filled casino, and bet Keno all day while I sip whiskey.
It’s a clear sign that I will and was always going to be on Paul Thomas Anderson’s wavelength.
4/5 Stars
