Hard EightThe feature is scattered among few dramatic and chaotic sequences that upbeats its scale to a whole new level with enough material to feed the audience for around 100 minutes of its runtime. Its a rare character driven feature that has quiet a good pace that holds the audience on the edge of their seat which usually isn't the case. Paul Thomas Anderson aces on creating such amusing characters that tackles their way up and through his knockout execution skills, he has got this round covered. Philip Baker Hall has done some of his career's best work amng other cast that has thoroughly supported him like John C. Riley, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson. Hard Eight hits hard and fast and knocks it right out of the park where despite of having brilliant performance on its side, the feature endorses Paul Thomas Anderson and its skills that is visible all over the screen.

As a directorial debut from one of America's finest living directors, Hard Eight is an excellent film that demonstrated Paul Thomas Anderson's skills as a filmmaker. With a simple plot focusing on Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), an elderly gambler deciding to teach the tricks of the Las Vegas trade to the young and naive John (John C. Reilly). Whilst the film is known as the debut of its director, the movie is certainly the quietest and lowkey out of all his films. Like all of Anderson's films though, he certainly gets the very best out of his actors, particularly Phillip Baker Hall. He plays the role with a quiet and straight-laced intensity that almost seems like this is just one small story in Sydney's life. It's almost a shame that Hall didn't get as juicy of a role as this prior but it's good to see that he became a great character actor. Fantastic turns from both Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow (the object of John's desires) make this an utterly compelling and interesting character study. To quote Stephen Holden, "it is not a movie that wants to an make a grand statement". It's a film about its characters, with less of the showy cinematic traits and themes that would mark some of Anderson's later films. It certainly lacks the depths and emotional intensity of his future films but as a small, simple thriller, it showed Anderson was already a talent to behold.

I didn't expect much from this film, hoping to find something on cable - and this surprised by standing out. Philip Baker Hall is the main character here and he's a great and often overlooked actor that shines as a former gambler gone right, trying to straighten out the seemingly go nowhere life of a young man. Hall takes him in, teaches him the right path, but unfortunately the young man isn't too bright and his limitations and insecurities get the best of him, leaving Hall to make some difficult choices as his unexplained protector.This takes you through the life of making small but decent money by smartly playing up the casinos. It always keeps you interested, even if Gwyneth Paltrow is the weaker link in this film. Samuel L. Jackson does his usual character and he's good with it.A fantastic sleeper film. I enjoyed it.

Hard Eight (1996): Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson / Cast: Phillip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, Philip Seymour Hoffman: Intriguing view of guilt presented as the game Hard Eights itself. Phillip Baker Hall invites a depressed John C. Reilly to coffee. Reilly claims to need $6000 to bury his mother and offers Hall fifty for a trip to Vegas where he is taught how to win at the slot machines. Reilly meets a waitress played by Gwyneth Paltrow and not long after they are married. Director Paul Thomas Anderson employee many surprises including an ending that solves nothing. What works is intriguing well written characters that elevate above the plot. Great performance by Hall smitten with guilt over the death of Reilly's father. This is an opportunity for Reilly to play a lead. He plays an individual broken by family loss and attempts happiness with this sudden romance that turns ugly when prostitution plays a factor. Paltrow is interesting as a waitress who marries Reilly only to end up with a stranger handcuffed to the bed in a prostitution scam. Samuel L. Jackson is excellent as a blackmailer who knows Hall's past and the secret he conceals. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes an appearance as a craps player. Anderson gambles simple setups yet comes up with the winning hand on a screenplay that addresses guilt and the ever conscious need to hide sin. Score: 8 / 10