Sept. 07, 2002 - 12:40 am
a.k.a. Hard Eight. the second Gwyneth Paltrow weekend continues. i knew basically nothing about this film when i checked it out other than the fact that she plays a hooker in it. something i couldn't imagine her doing very easily. then i noticed that it was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. you'll probably remember him as the director for Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999). i never was a huge fan of Boogie Nights, but i loved Magnolia. the fact that he wrote and directed this film before either of those two got me instantly excited to be watching this.
it starts out with john c. reilly sitting outside a coffee shop looking depressed. then Philip Baker Hall comes up and asks him if he wants a cup of coffee and a cigarette. he takes him inside and starts asking him what's wrong. he offers to take him to Reno, give him 50 bucks and show him how to get a free room for the night. so they go and 2 years later Sydney (Hall) has become a sort of father figure to the man. they spend lots of time together and Sydney introduces John to Gwyneth Paltrow who works at a casino that they go to regularly. she usually just works tables and brings drinks. but sometimes she goes home with gentlemen to make some extra money.
the Sydney character is really interesting. he seems to know how to make everything safe and comfortable for everyone. you feel like he can protect all of the weaker characters that he comes in contact with. like they're good people, but just don't know the ways of the world. but Sydney's there to keep them safe. Gwyneth Paltrow is one of those characters. she's not very bright and puts herself in some really bad situations, but you just get the feeling that she's one of those amazingly good people that just doesn't know any better because of all of the crap that life has put them through.
i tried to avoid the pun...giving this film an 8 rating when it's called Hard Eight, but i couldn't help it. that's what it deserved, so don't think i'm being a moron about it. awesome script and acting. expect another new entry tomorrow night as Gwyneth Paltrow weekend number 2 continues...