Hard Eight - 6

This is P.T. Anderson's first film, which also goes by the name Sydney (his others are: Boogie Nights - 4, Magnolia - 7, and Punch-Drunk Love - 6). This film is about an older man, Sydney, who mentors a poor younger man named John in the art of gambling and wisdom of street smarts. The film keeps the story coming at you by strategically placed pieces of information. It allows for the first and last scene to be almost exactly the same while the audience has two different perceptions of it. As the story and characters develop the complexity of the situation turns Sydney's past actions from a sort of virtue into vice. The film seems to be a commentary on how situations play into decision making and ultimately the actions taken. The film also asks whether good ends or good means are better if one cannot do both in the given situation, which usually result form bad choices to begin with. It is not so much a moral tale as it is an insight into the human longing for healing relationships.