Film Review no. 2: Hard Eight (1996) ★★★☆☆
5 word summary:
Gambling won't make you happy.
5 sentence review:
After watching Boogie Nights, this was a bit of a disappointment.
It was a very slow film (based on the Noir genre which I can't claim to be a fan of) and it focused on fairly unoriginal plot about four people who get entangled in a fairly minor crime (for cinematic standards).
The film felt like an indie film, with techniques used such as shots of items on a diner table and the dialogue simply played over the top, and this was enjoyable to watch (because I don't watch a lot of indie films).
Despite the indie feel, I also found some moments very Hollywood, especially when Samuel L. Jackson reveals something about
Philip Baker Hall character's past which just seems oddly forced and over dramatic.
The messages were slightly crooked and I didn't know how I was meant to take the ending, however its enjoyable moments were enjoyable but there was a lot that could be improved (for my personal need-thrills-every-scene taste).
5 good things:
1. The cast.
2. The casino rate card trick.
3. Small group of characters (only 4 major).
4. It's only 101 minutes.
5. Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't always look perfect.
5 bad things:
1. Everyone smoking constantly.
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman's character only being in it for a tiny scene and with little explanation.
3. The big reveal of Sydney's motives
4. The title seemed unnecessary and any scene that mentioned a 'hard eight' didn't seem overly important to me. (Although apparently PTA wanted to call it Sydney).
5. How often they hit the hostage man.
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