So, I was hoping this event would start a lot sooner and that I could complete it a lot faster than it appears is possible. At this point, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to actually watch all 6 movies and give my thoughts on them before I leave the country, but I'll get as many as I can done (THE MASTER is the only other I know for sure). That being said, I did get to watch Anderson's first ever feature film, HARD EIGHT.
And it's an interesting little film. Made in 1996, it tells the story of John (John C. Reilly), a down on his luck schlub sitting outside of a diner who is confronted by a mysterious, middle-aged stranger offering to him a cigarette and to buy him a cup of coffee. As we come to find out, the stranger is Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), a professional gambler, who asks John what he would do if he were to be given 50 dollars. Turns out John is just looking to make 6000 dollars to pay for his mother's funeral. Though Sydney says it won't net him the 6 grand, he offers to show John a few tricks that might net him a room and some food. John obliges and they set off for Vegas.
When you compare HARD EIGHT to some of Anderson's later work, it seems much smaller in scale, story and it's overall ambition (that's not a knock). The 20 minute prologue (stated above) takes place 2 years before everything else and is remarkably subdued. It's pretty much exactly what I've described, two men sitting in a diner and talking about themselves and what the future might hold. And even when the film picks up after the introduction of Gwyneth Paltrow's (dimwitted waitress and occasional prostitute, Clementine) and Samuel L. Jackson's (sleazy "security guard" for a local casino, Jimmy), it is still very intimate. But I think that's the point. I don't think it is surprising that Anderson chose Reno for his setting instead of opting for the larger, more glitzy Las Vegas.
Like other PTA films that would follow, HARD EIGHT isn't really about the plot per se. It's about the characters. Paul Thomas Anderson cares immensely about his characters; perhaps more than any other director working today. Every single character in his films is treated with respect in the way he or she is presented. It doesn't hurt when you have actors like Phillip Seymour Hoffman who can come in and do a quick 2 minute bit part, but with the attention Anderson pays to his characters, it would be this way no matter who was playing them (Kristen Stewart and Cody Horn notwithstanding). But as superb as the minor cast is, it's the film's stars who really deserve the attention.
All four of the main actors give amazing performances. Gwyneth Paltrow is great, as is Sam Jackson. But those two are also only supporting characters. The core of HARD EIGHT (and the main reason to see it), however, is the dynamic relationship between John C. Reilly and Phillip Baker Hall. Hall as the titular character (the film is also known as SYDNEY is some areas) is especially noteworthy. Played pitch-perfectly, Sydney exudes an old school confidence and his assured manner and calmness in all situations makes it easy to see why John looks up to him, wants to be just like him. But it's not long before we start seeing the deep-seated desperation and loneliness eating away at Sydney. Phillip Baker Hall portrays this subtlety through a carefully modulated performance that is masterful and is the main thing that sticks with you once the credits roll.
HARD EIGHT is not Anderson's best, not that that's something you should expect from a director's first offering. The film does however demonstrate the assured filmmaking, strong dramatic characterization, and unconventional plot that would become PTA staples. Admittedly the film does become slow at times, but it evokes a particular mood so vividly while managing to avoid all the cliches of the Vegas/casino genre that even it's slowest parts have this inexplicable magnetism that is almost hypnotic.
