source: Hard Eight

Paul Thomas Anderson's debut is clearly an attempt to capitalize on the then-new film style that the highly overrated Quentin Tarantino brought. This flick is a light, low key "Pulp Fiction"/"Reservoir Dogs" wannabee, complete with Samuel L. Jackson and two main characters who are molds of Harvey Keitel, and Quentin Tarantino himself. The fast atmosphere of Las Vegas is brought to a torturously slow pace in this movie as Paul Thomas Anderson attempts to create an Ingmar Bergman atmosphere with no avail. Paul Thomas Anderson obviously tried to find quick success as a newcomer by copying the style of Tarantino, but Tarantino has now disappeared off the face of the earth, and so should this kind of filmmaking. Gwyneth Paltrow is, of course, lovely and gorgeous here, but that's all this movie has.

I love Paul Thomas Anderson's films. There all original and they all have an excellent meaning to them and I have fell in love with his films. I saw Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch-Drunk Love before, so I wanted to see his first film, "Sydney," or "Hard Eight." It's not exactly a very popular film and didn't catch to many audiences but it caught my attention. The performances for "Sydney" were really good and PTA does an excellent job in delivering good performances and fine dialouge for the characters that you begin to care for. The script is of course great because PTA did it and it comes out really clean in the film. The only down side I can give to this film was that it was a little slow and needed a little more build up to it, but above all a fine little film that I recommend. Hedeen's Outlook: 8/10 *** B

Maybe more style than plot. Any moral this movie had was wrapped up in professional gambler (Sydney Philip Baker Hall).

Very good crime drama film that is well directed and well acted by a good cast.This film is a great example of simplicity with skill.Does not over do anything and flows very well.Could have been a masterpiece if it had a better screenplay and cinematography.The ending,although adequate was too quick and leaves the viewer wanting more.A good sequel would be nice.Paltrow shows off her star quality and is a delight to see.Only for crime drama fans and big fans of the lead actors......

Paul Thomas Anderson's debut shows off some of his talent - the excellent work he drives out of character actors in lead parts, effective atmosphere creation and great camera work. Hard Eight doesn't have the spark of There Will Be Blood, Magnolia or Boogie Nights, though, and the script feels half-baked; as a result, the fantastic actors do a great job with very flat characters, and neither them nor the story holds any interest. The effect of this, ironically, is that the film's best scene is a five-minute nameless cameo by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Not surprising that he's had the most impressive career of these actors, while Philip Baker Hall is still to all intents and purposes Detective Bookman.

Hard Eight is a very good film. The films draws you in from the excellent opening scene right to the end, which returns to the location of the first scene. The characters are all very interesting, particularly Sydney. The actors are good, Samuel L Jackson manages to give his character a prescene in almost every scene of the film. The script is humerous and also very interesting. The 'cigarette matches' stands out. All in all, its a very good film and well worth a watch. 8/10

I just saw this film after many years and it reaffirms my belief that PT Anderson is a once in a lifetime talent. He'd have been barely 25 when he made Hard Eight and yet you see the dexterity and assuredness you'll find only in legendary filmmakers. Hard Eight starts with an old man offering a cigar rete and coffee to a random young man. After a brief chat they head to Vegas where the old man takes the young under his wings. There isn't much happening in the movie and you could say the first half is dragging, but it only adds to the complexity of Hard Eight. This is a great character study and all the actors involved give towering performances. From Philip C Baker to John C Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow this is a fine display of thespian skills. Do not be put off by the indie tag, or the lack of big names. Hard Eight is a masterful film by a master filmmaker.

Well told story, good acting reasonably dramatized story. Good acting by Philip Hall and John C Reilly.

Great debut with a lot of style. He became one of the best directors working today and he didn't even finish film school. Great cast and Seymour Hoffman stole his 2 minutes.