Professional gambler Sydney recruits transient John outside a diner and teaches him how to make a living cheating casinos. Two years later, Sydney becomes wary of John's new friend Jimmy. Stars Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and released in 1997.
Movies with older protagonists aren't as common as you might think, and it sometimes feels like every time I see one, it's possessed of an immediately distinct atmosphere. Hard Eight isn't a movie about getting old, but only an old man could be the main character of this film. Plus, it's Philip Baker Hall, who I'm beginning to think would read the phone book with depth and subdued passion. Hard Eight is the feature debut of writer/director Anderson, but it doesn't miss a single beat. It's another movie that has too much going on in it to be about any one thing, and it's plodding, low-key delivery makes every scene seem very thoughtful and methodical. Anderson's trademark tenderness for his characters is really the spotlight here, and the film is stronger for it. A fascinating first entry that is clearly his own without ever trying too hard.
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