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Hard Eight (Sydney) (1996)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Reviews Counted: 33
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 6

No consensus yet.

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 2

No consensus yet.

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Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 9,479

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Movie Info

Before his commercial breakthrough with Boogie Nights (1997), writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson made this low-key drama. John (John C. Reilly), a half-bright loser stranded in Reno, is down to his last few bucks when Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), taking pity on him, buys him breakfast and offers him a few tips on making money in the casinos. Two years later, John has become Sydney's partner, but his lack of common sense goes from problematic to dangerous when he falls in love with Clementine

R, 1 hr. 41 min.

Drama

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson

In Theaters: Jan 20, 1996 Wide

On DVD: Oct 5, 1999

MGM

Hard Eight (Sydney) Trailer & Photos

Cast

Critic Reviews for Hard Eight (Sydney)

All Critics (37) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (6) | DVD (12)

Anderson coaxes top-notch performances from the male leads and also from Gwyneth Paltrow.

January 22, 2002 Full Review Source: Washington Post

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Kevin McManus

Washington Post

Top Critic

Has ... meaning and truth, not to mention scarred humanity.

January 1, 2000 Comment

Bruce Westbrook

Houston Chronicle

Top Critic

It is really little more than a small resonant mood piece whose hard-bitten characters are difficult to like. But within its self-imposed limitations, it accomplishes most of what it sets out to do.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment (1)

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Top Critic

It's hugely refreshing to watch a movie populated almost exclusively by character actors.

January 1, 2000 Comment

Mary Brennan

Film.com

Top Critic

This being an acting piece, the four performances are of a very high order.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee

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Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Top Critic

There's something almost hypnotic about the way Hard Eight develops -- even in its slowest, most tedious moments, it keeps our attention.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

...a low-key yet sporadically fascinating drama...

December 20, 2007 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

This minor Vegas-set drama, about a loser and his older mentor, shows the features that will mark Anderson's better films: love for his characters, taut dialogue at the expense of plot, and fascination with the possibilities of the film medium.

October 26, 2007 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Estr�ia de Anderson, mostra que o diretor sempre teve talento para contar hist�rias, embora ainda n�o tivesse confian�a o bastante para criar as belas tomadas e movimentos de c�mera que marcam seus trabalhos posteriores.

July 25, 2003 Comment