Hard Eight

This isn't Paul Thomas Anderson's first film, but you may think it is because it's so spare. I gather that this was a Sundance Institute film, developed at the Lab and endorsed by the Institute (where filmmakers learn tricks of the trade and make necessary contacts). And while there's no glitz or glamour to the film, it's not needed. Anderson consistently tells us stories about down-on-their-luck characters who make wrong moves, but he loads his films with hope and honesty and enlightenment. This one tells the tale of a man who's lost all his money and is taken in by a kind-hearted professional gambler. There's a love story and a twist, and all the actors are faboo. Probably the best role each of them has had, except maybe Gywneth Paltrow, whose best role to date was in Flesh and Bone. If you haven't seen an Anderson film, I would start here and move chronologically through Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. The last one might be too overly weird for you, and I still vacillate between loving it and hating it, even though it's been a year since I saw it.

year: 1996
length: 102 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119256/combined