Hard Eight Movie Review 1996

Performances are the highlight of this low-key story set in Reno, Nevada. Sydney (Hall) is a professional gambler who decides to take under his wing the destitute John (Reilly) and teach him the trade. John falls for waitress/hooker Clementine (Paltrow) but there has to be some snake in this gambler's would-be paradise and it shows up in the malevolent form of the scary Jimmy (Jackson), who the dim John befriends despite Sydney's warnings. Debut for writer/director Anderson.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 101 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Contemporary Noir, Gambling, Waiters & Waitresses, Buddies

Screenplay

Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast

Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, F. William Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nathanael Cooper, Wynn White, Robert Ridgely, Michael J. Rowe, Kathleen Campbell, Melora Walters

Cinematography

Robert Elswit

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson

Music

Michael Penn, Jon Brion

Producer

Robert Jones, John Lyons, Keith Samples, Hans Brockman, Francois Duplat, Rysher Entertainment, Samuel Goldwyn Company