Hard Eight (Sydney) (1996)
Average Rating: 6.9/10
Reviews Counted: 34
Fresh: 28 | Rotten: 6
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.1/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 2
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 10,249
My Rating
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
Jan 20, 1996 Wide
Oct 5, 1999
MGM
Cast
-
Philip Baker Hall
Sydney -
John C. Reilly
John -
Gwyneth Paltrow
Clementine -
Samuel L. Jackson
Jimmy -
F. William Parker
Hostage -
-
Melora Walters
Jimmy's Girl
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (38) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (28) | Rotten (6) | DVD (12)
Anderson coaxes top-notch performances from the male leads and also from Gwyneth Paltrow.
Top CriticHas ... meaning and truth, not to mention scarred humanity.
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.
It's hugely refreshing to watch a movie populated almost exclusively by character actors.
This being an acting piece, the four performances are of a very high order.
Movies like Hard Eight remind me of what original, compelling characters the movies can sometimes give us.
A near-classic in a minor key, and a must-see for fans of later work.
...a low-key yet sporadically fascinating drama...
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.
Estréia de Anderson, mostra que o diretor sempre teve talento para contar histórias, embora ainda não tivesse confiança o bastante para criar as belas tomadas e movimentos de câmera que marcam seus trabalhos posteriores.
Audience Reviews for Hard Eight (Sydney)
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Hard Eight (Sydney) yet.
Latest News on Hard Eight (Sydney)
September 18, 2012:
My Week With PT Anderson, Day One: Hard EightYeah, yeah, I know. How could I possibly have spent the last seven years working for one of the...
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Weekly Ketchup: Fox and Marvel Both Courting Quicksilver for Comic Blockbusters 11
- Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh 58
- Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More 0
- Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews 0
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 48
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 13
Top Headlines
-
Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past
0
-
Toby Jones Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier
1
-
The Poltergeist Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
16
-
Will Forte Promises MacGruber 2
2
-
Universal Plans Timecop Reboot
2
-
Return of the Jedi Turns 30
1
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Foreign Titles
- Hard Eight (DE)
- Hard Eight (UK)
