Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, F. William Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nathanael Cooper, Wynn White, Robert...
Sydney is a veteran gambler in his sixties who still spends his time at the casinos. When he meets John, a loser with no money at all, he sees him as a son and tries to help him. He takes care of him and teaches him all the tricks of his work. He also helps him to make a relationship with Clementine, a young girl who works at the casino as a waitress. John doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that Clementine is also a hooker, but soon something happens that turns their lives upside down.
AMAZON.COM REVIEWS FOR SYDNEY (1996): Before hitting the big time with his second film Boogie Nights,young filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson impressed critics with thisdeftly conceived, low-budget film noir chamber piece. With itsminimalist plot, deliberate pacing, and brief, but shocking bursts ofviolence, Hard Eight won't please everyone, but Anderson andhis first-rate cast were clearly working on the same authenticwavelength. It's a mystery at first why a solemn professional gambler(Philip Baker Hall in a captivating performance) cares for adown-and-out loser (John C. Reilly) and a dimwit, Reno cocktailwaitress (Gwyneth Paltrow). But his motivations become clear--and themovie packs a quietly effective punch--when the gambler facesblackmail by a small-time crook (Samuel L. Jackson). This unheraldedfilm seemed like a closely kept secret itself, until it showed up onthe 1997 top-10 lists of several prominent critics. In tandem withBoogie Nights, it marked the arrival of a new filmmaker whosetalent is as impressive as that of that other '90s hotshot, QuentinTarantino. --Jeff Shannon Hard Eight (Special Edition) (dvd):
Amazon.com video review:Before hitting the big time with his second film Boogie Nights,young filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson impressed critics with thisdeftly conceived, low-budget film noir chamber piece. With itsminimalist plot, deliberate pacing, and brief, but shocking bursts ofviolence, Hard Eight won't please everyone, but Anderson andhis first-rate cast were clearly working on the same authenticwavelength. It's a mystery at first why a solemn professional gambler(Philip Baker Hall in a captivating performance) cares for adown-and-out loser (John C. Reilly) and a dimwit, Reno cocktailwaitress (Gwyneth Paltrow). But his motivations become clear--and themovie packs a quietly effective punch--when the gambler facesblackmail by a small-time crook (Samuel L. Jackson). This unheraldedfilm seemed like a closely kept secret itself, until it showed up onthe 1997 top-10 lists of several prominent critics. In tandem withBoogie Nights, it marked the arrival of a new filmmaker whosetalent is as impressive as that of that other '90s hotshot, QuentinTarantino. --Jeff Shannon
:
- Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
1997
Won
BSFC Award
Best New Filmmaker
Paul Thomas Anderson
Also for Boogie Nights (1997).
- Deauville Film Festival
1996
Nominated
Grand Special Prize
Paul Thomas Anderson
Festival title: Sydney
- Independent Spirit Awards
1998
Nominated
Independent Spirit Award
Best Cinematography
Robert Elswit
Best First Feature
Paul Thomas Anderson (director)
Robert Jones (producer)
John S. Lyons (producer)
Best First Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Male Lead
Philip Baker Hall
Best Supporting Male
Samuel L. Jackson
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