Hard Eight (1996)

Hard Eight

• In light of ‘One Battle After Another’ coming out in a few weeks, I thought it would be a great idea to start a Paul Thomas Anderson run. I’m not very familiar with his filmography, other than ‘There Will Be Blood’. Therefore, no place to start but the beginning with his first feature film. I think it’s a very solid and strong start to what seems to be a very impressive filmography. Now with this film, it’s very casino centric, and I have absolutely zero casino/gambling experience, but it’s still something anyone can enjoy. With a 102 minute runtime, it’s just long enough to fully flesh out character relationships and plot ideas, but it also doesn’t overstay its welcome at all. It’s not the most entertaining film ever made, but it certainly kept my attention the entire time. Such wonderful writing and direction from PTA, especially for his first film. Story wise, this is a great study of the relationship between two men, and how they rely on each other in a common yet stressful environment. Then, you throw in Paltrow and Jackson (and the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman), and the cast becomes very well rounded and complete. All the performances are pretty good, especially from Philip Baker Hall. John C. Reilly is also a treat, as usual. Visually, I loved most of this, entirely because of the Vegas setting and casino lights. It makes it feel very alive and very comfortable, which is a nice compare/contrast to the story ideas. The cinematography certainly reflects the tone of each scene in a nice way. Lastly, the score was phenomenal, using elements of jazz to compliment the time, setting, and mood. It makes the atmosphere feel very smooth and mellow, until the film progresses and…..well, you’ll have to see. Overall, this is an awesome start for PTA, and I’m extremely excited to see what he has in store next, and how this film potentially influences his next projects. I would recommend this to most crime/noir fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!