Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Hard Eight
1996
***
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Ridgely, Melora Walters

Paul Thomas Anderson's offbeat feature debut is heavy on atmosphere and light on plot. It tells a Las Vegas-set story about an elderly con artist and his new protégé. The cast is great but the film isn't terribly memorable.