Hard Eight P. T. Anderson's Noir Character Study Review By Bruce Cantwell P. T. Anderson's (BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA) first feature film is his best. His quartet of performers, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel Jackson all hit precisely the right notes in this mercurial little gem of a chamber piece. John (John C. Reilly), a down-and-out gambler in his late twenties or early thirties, sits outside a 24-hour coffee shop when Sydney, a well-dressed man in his sixties offers him coffee and cigarettes. It's the beginning of a fascinating conversation that writer Anderson develops as they ride across the desert toward Vegas and Sydney shows John the ropes. It's a genuine pleasure to watch Sydney's subtle manipulation of John and cocktail waitress Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow looking like she was run over by a Chevy Suburban). What does Sydney want from John and Clementine. Why does he try to keep John away from Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson). The gambling establishments of Reno serve as the backdrop for the film's action. Drunken men listening to lounge jazz and treating the cocktail waitresses like the hookers that most of them are. Sydney has lost his taste for this world. Much of it sickens him. All of P.T. Anderson's films are character driven but the longer and more elaborate they've grown, the less time he's had to spend with his characters. The DVD version of the film features two commentary tracks, trailers and scenes from the Sundance Institute workshop for the film.	Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/bruce20/public_html/myenvoy/movies/reviews/hard_eight.php3 on line 30 Warning: include(http://myenvoy.com/movies/side.php3) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/bruce20/public_html/myenvoy/movies/reviews/hard_eight.php3 on line 30 Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://myenvoy.com/movies/side.php3' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php') in /home/bruce20/public_html/myenvoy/movies/reviews/hard_eight.php3 on line 30
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