Film Review - Hard Eight (1997)

Long before the pudding, oil, and poisonous mushrooms, now acclaimed writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson was rolling dice with some early-on collaborators in his directorial debut, often considered the weakest of his filmography. Character study Hard Eight can't seem to get much of a break, bombing pretty badly on an already small budget upon release and not seeing a ton of additional traction since, despite Anderson's growing acclaim and fandom. So, normally, most who haven't seen it would possibly consider it a growing pain that many great directors have early on, like Stanley Kubrick's Fear and Desire or Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha, but there's far more to Hard Eight than what it may be given.

What's perhaps most noticeable about the film is how much of a stacked cast Anderson was able to accumulate for his first film, with famed comedic actor John C. Reilly, future Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, and cheeseburger loving Pulp Fiction star Samuel L. Jackson all present and giving solid, memorable work. But the name up front in Hard Eight is the lesser appreciated Philip Baker Hall, who is simply incredible here as a fatherly and mysterious gambler in a performance that almost single handedly carries the film with his effective and unforgettable approach.

Notice how I say "almost single handedly" there, because Anderson clearly knew how to make a captivating and unique picture from the very start. The film's is oozing with energy in scenes where characters are working to get things done, creating for ever so satisfying build-ups through sharp editing and use of fantastic score by Jon Brion and Michael Penn. And in other scenes of uncertainty and suspense, tension is created excellently purely through the cast's efforts and dialogue that make sense of the gravity of the situation while still showing how their character's own flaws are crucial to how things are resolved.

Though, as a directorial debut, some issues are inevitable, particularly with some plot points being finished up, albeit not in the most satisfying ways, and the pacing may come off as jarring in the second half. But such problems, while still present, are more forgivable with how the film revolves around Philip Baker Hall's character, Sydney. His personality and deeper character are shown excellently with his interactions with others and his approach to them, demonstrating a softer person beneath as well as a darker side to himself that he prefers to keep to himself at all costs. He makes for an unforgettable lead character that Anderson's later work would be known for and built upon.

Even with a shakier reputation than most of the films from Paul Thomas Anderson, Hard Eight is no bad bet, as it offers an engaging and fascinating experience as one would expect from one of the best working today. One can only hope that its love grows overtime, hopefully to the point where it actually gets a Blu-Ray release, but for now at least a great film is still before us.

Final Grade: A