Hard Eight (Special Edition)

Hard Eight (Special Edition)
by Paul Thomas Anderson

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: F. William Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Brand: Sony
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Daniel Lupi
Producer: Fran?ois Duplat
Producer: Hans Brockmann
Producer: Helene Mulholland
Producer: John S. Lyons
Producer: Keith Samples
DVD: 2 Sides, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-10-05
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures

Movie Reviews of Hard Eight (Special Edition)

Movie Review: Quiet and unnerving, yet regrettably flimsy...
Summary: 4 Stars

Paul Thomas Anderson became a household name in 2007 when his very dark, very poignant masterpiece known as `There Will Be Blood' swept the critics circle and delivered to Daniel Day-Lewis is second Best Actor Oscar. Sure, Anderson had made a dent in the late 90's with `Boogie Nights', but to be honest it wasn't until that shocking bowling pin scene in `Blood' that the world opened their eyes and realized that this mad had something to say.

Rewind back to 1996, before `Boogie Nights' fever was ignited.

`Hard Eight' (or `Sydney') is a small and quiet film about one mans search for redemption. In the films opening scene Sydney approaches down-and-out loser John and offers him help. It's a mystery as to why Sydney would care about this stranger, but we (the audience) play along and wait for all to be revealed. Sydney and John high-tail it to Vegas where John falls in love with Clementine, a cocktail waitress that sells her tail on the side. John also befriends Jimmy, a sordid fellow who knows too much information for his own good.

The film is really a blank canvas, allowing the actors to do what they do best; act. The entire cast (or should I say, the four main stars) all do a remarkable job with the material. John C. Reilly is one of my favorite supporting actors working today. He just has this naturalness about him I adore, and here he has it in spades. He's like a puppy dog, the way John walks around Sydney with apparent admiration. The final phone conversation ("I love you too") is heartbreakingly telling of this mans true talent. Gwyneth Paltrow also delivers a strong performance here, playing off her own restrained sense of charm; and Samuel L. Jackson proves once again why he was probably the best supporting actor of the 90's (I mean, really; between this, `Jungle Fever', `A Time to Kill', `Pulp Fiction' and `Jackie Brown', he was on fire).

But this movie is all about one man; Philip Baker Hall. With a restrained sense of emotional compliance Hall finds the soul of Sydney and manages to show us everything he stands for and everything he longs to become. His performance is so subtle, so controlled yet it bleeds with realism and it feels so complete. He offers us a look at a man detached from himself, for it is the only way he can cope with his own actions.

But, the films downfall, like I mentioned, is that it is a blank canvas. The plot is very thin, to a fault almost. The film works, mainly because of the performances within it, but to be honest I really would have liked a little more meat on the bones. Because of the fact that there are very few moments of real action and not a lot of character to develop the film can tend to drag in areas.

Overall the film is well worth watching, for Hall alone even. It is a rewarding film that marks the beginning of Anderson's fruitful career. It may be his least impressive film overall, but it is still a very good film and it sports a slew of dynamic performances.

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Summary of Hard Eight (Special Edition)

Special features: full screen and widescreen versions subtitles in english and spanish two audio commentaries deleted scene making-of documentary talent files and theatrical trailers. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 05/13/2008 Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow Samuel L. Jackson Run time: 101 minutes Rating: R

Before hitting the big time with his second film Boogie Nights, young filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson impressed critics with this deftly conceived, low-budget film noir chamber piece. With its minimalist plot, deliberate pacing, and brief, but shocking bursts of violence, Hard Eight won't please everyone, but Anderson and his first-rate cast were clearly working on the same authentic wavelength. It's a mystery at first why a solemn professional gambler (Philip Baker Hall in a captivating performance) cares for a down-and-out loser (John C. Reilly) and a dimwit, Reno cocktail waitress (Gwyneth Paltrow). But his motivations become clear--and the movie packs a quietly effective punch--when the gambler faces blackmail by a small-time crook (Samuel L. Jackson). This unheralded film seemed like a closely kept secret itself, until it showed up on the 1997 top-10 lists of several prominent critics. In tandem with Boogie Nights, it marked the arrival of a new filmmaker whose talent is as impressive as that of that other '90s hotshot, Quentin Tarantino. --Jeff Shannon

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