Hard Eight (Sydney) (1996)

82% of critics liked it
(33 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(9,508 ratings)

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… More 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 (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress who isn't above turning a few tricks when she needs to make money -- and isn't any brighter than John. Hall and Reilly, both first-rate character actors, are cast in rare leading roles, and Paltrow is cast strongly against type as a part-time prostitute with a serious lack of street smarts. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 20, 1996 Wide
On DVD: Oct 5, 1999
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Kevin McManus, Washington Post
Anderson coaxes top-notch performances from the male leads and also from Gwyneth Paltrow.
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle
Has ... meaning and truth, not to mention scarred humanity.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
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.
Mary Brennan, Film.com
It's hugely refreshing to watch a movie populated almost exclusively by character actors.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
This being an acting piece, the four performances are of a very high order.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
There's something almost hypnotic about the way Hard Eight develops -- even in its slowest, most tedious moments, it keeps our attention.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a low-key yet sporadically fascinating drama...
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
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.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
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.
Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Anderson, who developed this first feature at the Sundance Institute, builds his characters well -- and the casting is perfect.

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

A commanding performance by Philip Baker Hall is the highlight of P T Anderson's character and mood driven debut.
Lucas M

Shocking and entretaining, Hard Eight is a film with good acting and terrific screenplay.
Kase V

Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film 'Hard Eight' is a twisty little film that continually satisfies the patient viewer. Anderson was able to flesh out amazing performances from all his actors, and they had a pretty well-developed script to follow as well. The… More
Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film 'Hard Eight' is a twisty little film that continually satisfies the patient viewer. Anderson was able to flesh out amazing performances from all his actors, and they had a pretty well-developed script to follow as well. The cinematography is also excellent, but we now know that as something of a template for most of his films.This is a brilliant debut thriller, a true sign of things to come with PT Anderson
Lewis C

"Bottom line, Sydney. No matter how hard you try...you're not his father." I consider myself to be a die-hard Paul Thomas Anderson fan. I love the guys work, I think he's a brilliant writer and director, and There Will Be Blood, Punch Drunk Love, and Magnolia are… More
"Bottom line, Sydney. No matter how hard you try...you're not his father." I consider myself to be a die-hard Paul Thomas Anderson fan. I love the guys work, I think he's a brilliant writer and director, and There Will Be Blood, Punch Drunk Love, and Magnolia are all among my favorite movies (Boogie Nights is up there, too). With that said, Hard Eight didn't do much for me. I just didn't find it interesting. Maybe it was the characters, or maybe the casino setting (which always has a hard time interesting me in any movie). Maybe his writing skills just weren't fully developed, yet. Whatever the reason, despite great actors like Philip Baker Hall, Samuel L. Jackson, and John C. Reilly, Hard Eight is the only P.T.A. movie that I haven't enjoyed. I didn't hate it, but I probably won't be watching it again any time soon.
paul o

Being a first movie for Paul Anderson, this was an directorial achievement! The story was genius, the acting was cleaver, and the overall film was just well executed. Underrated but a classic!
Steven C

Paul Thomas Anderson's impressive debut, "Hard Eight", is a lofty character piece but as a crime/drama it hits some familiar notes. What makes the film ultimately work is that Anderson can coax such strong performances out of his cast.
Conner R

It's not as personal or well constructed as his later works, but it's a very, very impressive crime drama/character piece. I love almost every single performance, aside from Philip Baker Hall (but it's not really the movie's fault). It's got above average… More
It's not as personal or well constructed as his later works, but it's a very, very impressive crime drama/character piece. I love almost every single performance, aside from Philip Baker Hall (but it's not really the movie's fault). It's got above average cinematography and beautiful storytelling that is surprisingly touching. I think the main problem and only problem with it is really that it isn't quite that ambitious. It doesn't quite go where it theoretically should. However, it's not something Paul Thomas Anderson should be ashamed of.
Cassandra M

Paul Thomas Anderson's first movie and wow what an entrance to make. Its refreshing to see a film maker making films with characters that you care about and fine dialogue. Why dont people talk in movies any more? If you think the same watch this film. This film is an absolute… More
Paul Thomas Anderson's first movie and wow what an entrance to make. Its refreshing to see a film maker making films with characters that you care about and fine dialogue. Why dont people talk in movies any more? If you think the same watch this film. This film is an absolute treat right from the opening scene, a true hidden gem which didnt even get a release in the UK!!! You will see some of the finest performances in film and be warned you will remember these characters for the rest of your life.
Jani H

Paul Thomas Anderson's debut feature might be a disappointment to those who are fans of his work but haven't seen this one yet. 'Hard Eight' aka 'Sydney' is very slow paced, calm in fact. P.T Anderson is a talented screenwriter, his following movies are… More
Paul Thomas Anderson's debut feature might be a disappointment to those who are fans of his work but haven't seen this one yet. 'Hard Eight' aka 'Sydney' is very slow paced, calm in fact. P.T Anderson is a talented screenwriter, his following movies are proof of that. The dialogue in 'Hard Eight' is also similar to his other movies but pretty much everything in this movie; the script, dialogue, cinematography, pacing etc is a showing of things to come. John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall in the lead roles and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who does a short appearence as a gambler, have continued, as of today, their co work with Anderson. Reilly has improved his acting a lot from this movie. I'd even say that he is the weakest of 'em all in 'Hard Eight'. Hall is very good in the lead as Sydney but I would've enjoyed to see more of Hoffman, who's a favourite of mine. The story is simple and unsurprising. But like I said earlier, all of this is proof of things to come. P.T Anderson does show glimps of his talent with some slick camera work and excellent use of music. I've always enjoyed the music in his films and 'Hard Eight' was no exception. I did enjoy 'Hard Eight' but I guess it's no surprise to you that I love his work. 'Magnolia', 'There Will Be Blood', 'Boogie Nights' are all excellent films. So, if you're a fan of his work, please do give this one a look but don't expect to see another masterpiece.
Derek D

A good start for then-young filmmaker Anderson. Features his regulars Hall, Hoffman and Reilly and even Samuel L Jackson. If you get anything out of this film, it's good ways to take casinos for free rooms and shit like that.
Robert C

As a "debut feature film", this is remarkably well done. As a Paul Thomas Anderson film it is plainly just his "first steps" towards brilliance. No one can tell a story which encapsulate the troubled (often tragic) reality of the human condition like Anderson.… More
As a "debut feature film", this is remarkably well done. As a Paul Thomas Anderson film it is plainly just his "first steps" towards brilliance. No one can tell a story which encapsulate the troubled (often tragic) reality of the human condition like Anderson. As far fetched and bizarre as his characters can sometimes seem at first glance...there is always something frightfully familiar in their flaws and pain. That's the magic of his work. The cast here is amazing as is the writing and direction.
Jason S

While I liked the characters and was interested in what was going to happen to them I felt the end fell off a lot. As with all of this directors movies, he doesn't seem to know how to end a story. They all just seem to stop in awkward spots.
Christopher M

Philip Baker Hall is my hero. As is Paul Thomas Anderson. And this film, originally titled Sydney but then changed to Hard Eight, was Anderson's feature-film debut. He has since gone on to pad his filmography with some amazing films, including a couple that I consider… More
Philip Baker Hall is my hero. As is Paul Thomas Anderson. And this film, originally titled Sydney but then changed to Hard Eight, was Anderson's feature-film debut. He has since gone on to pad his filmography with some amazing films, including a couple that I consider masterpieces (Magnolia & TWBB). This film is very indicative of the style Anderson goes on to establish more firmly in Boogie Nights. The film, set among the bright and voracious lights of Reno, sets off in a very cool way. We see John (played by John C. Reilly, who rocks in this) sitting outside a diner, in distress over having lost all his money and having to pay for his mother's funeral. He stumbles across a dapper man in a dark suit named Sydney (the indomitable Philip Baker Hall), who offers to help him out. The film is admittedly narrow in its scope, focusing on a few characters in one location, but it doesn't seem to detract. Among all the cigarettes and the cups of coffee, bathed in the constant flitter of the casino lights, emerged an intensely cool film, that is a very fun watch, and not without its dose of pathos. The cast really adds a lot to the film, as does Anderson's unparalleled focus. And if you like any or all of his other films (and why shouldn't you?), this is one to seek out.
Aaron N

John Finnegan: I will fuck you up if you fuck with me, ok? I know three kinds of Karate: Jujitsu, Aikido, and regular Karate. The first film by writer-director P.T. Anderson. This, like his other films, shows what he is good at, developing characters and letting us listen to solid… More
John Finnegan: I will fuck you up if you fuck with me, ok? I know three kinds of Karate: Jujitsu, Aikido, and regular Karate. The first film by writer-director P.T. Anderson. This, like his other films, shows what he is good at, developing characters and letting us listen to solid dialog. This will be done even better in his later films like Boogie Nights and Magnolia, but this is still a simple and effective film. It stars Philip Baker Hall as a man named Sydney, who befriends John C. Reily's character, John. Sydney shows him the ropes of working his way in a casino and they eventually become good friends. A couple years pass and Gwyneth Paltrow as a cocktail waitress and Sam Jackson as a security man/small time crook come into play. Even Philip Seymor Hoffman with a mullet comes into a small role. There is no real plot to this movie until almost two thirds of the way in, but it doesn't matter, because it's nice just to see these characters interact with each other. Sydney in particular is a great character. It seems like he has just stepped in from 20 years of Noir work and is taking it easy for the time being. He has some history, a lot not explained, but we find out a few things towards the end, having wanted to know since the beginning. It also helps that the movie is has a solid direction in terms of making good use of the environment and the classy soundtrack that goes with it. A nicely written, character/crime drama. Sydney: Never deny a man's courtesy.
Ken S

PTA's first film is a stong beginning to an amazing carrer.
Tim S

This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Stella D

p.t. anderson shows much promise in his directorial debut which i've just gotten round to seeing. great performances by the whole cast in a noirish film about the cost of redemption
xGary X

An assured debut from Paul Thomas Anderson that lacks the humour of Boogie Nights and the dramatic impact of Tarantino, but it's an interesting low key crime drama with a quality script and cast.
Michael S

Great debut from PT Anderson.
Michael G

Not amazing, but still good.