Originally titled Sydney and renamed only after a protracted fight with the studio, Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1996 debut feature is a tightly wound neo-noir about unlikely friendship, loyalty and second chances. Philip Baker Hall plays the mysterious Sydney, a veteran gambler who takes John (John C. Reilly), a down-on-his-luck young man, under his wing after finding him sitting dejected outside a diner in Reno. Two years later, John has found stability with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress, but their relationship draws the attention of Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), whose arrival threatens to unravel Sydney’s carefully constructed life.
Anderson's characteristic assured dialogue, offbeat characterisation and visual precision is already in place in his remarkably mature first film. Philip Baker Hall gives the film its enigmatic centre, while the cast includes early appearances by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Melora Walters. Jon Brion and Michael Penn’s atmospheric score adds to the smoky, nocturnal mood.