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Amazon.co.uk Review
David Mamet's 1987 directorial debut House of Games is mesmerising study of control and seduction between two kinds of detached observers: a gambler who is also a con artist and a psychotherapist who is also an emerging pop-psych guru in the book market. The latter (played by Lindsay Crouse) meets the former (Joe Mantegna) when one of her clients is driven to despair from his debts to the card shark. Mantegna's character agrees to drop the IOUs in exchange for Crouse's attention at the seedy House of Games in Seattle, a mecca for conmen to talk shop and hustle unsuspecting customers.
The shrink gets so caught up in the arcane rules and world view of her guide over subsequent days that she observes--with no false rapture--various stings in progress inside and outside the club. Mamet's story finally becomes a fascinating study of two people protecting and extending their respective cosmologies the way rival predators fight for the same piece of turf. The psychological challenge is compelling; so is the stylised dialogue, with its pattern of pauses and hiccups and humming meter. Mostly shooting at night, Mamet also gave Seattle a different look from previous filmmakers, turning its familiar puddles into concentrations of liquid neon and poisonous noir. --Tom Keogh
DVD Description
It’s the shrink vs. the shark in the ultimate mind game! Starring Oscar nominee Lindsay Crouse (The Insider) and Joe Mantegna (Godfather III) as an unlikely team of con artists, this witty and devious psychological thriller is Oscar nominee David Mamet’s directorial debut. When a suicidal patient reveals that his gambling debt has him at the end of his rope, dedicated psychiatrist Margaret Ford (Crouse) enters into the shadowy underground world of gaming to help him out. At a seedy casino, she boldly confronts Mike (Mantegna), the con man who holds her patient’s markers. Duped into a high stakes poker match, Margaret becomes intoxicated by Mike’s mastery as he both cheats at the game and charms her. She quickly falls for him, turning a blind eye to the fact that he’s a swindler who can’t be trusted. And before long she finds herself sparring in a mental poker match of the heart … with deadly consequences.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm not going to say too much about the plot of this film, as I think the Amazon summary does a pretty good job (plus it's the sort of film, where giving too much away will spoil your enjoyment)
Let's just say that if you enjoy films like The Sting, or the BBC TV series Hustle then you will probably also enjoy this.
The plot has plenty of twists (OK the ending itself is slightly predictable & personally I don't think it's that good an ending, but up until that point it keeps you thinking and is a really strong story)
At times the direction does feel a bit like you're watching a film of a stage play. But this maybe due to the films low budget and the majority of the cast (particularly Mantegna) give very good performances.
The film has aged slightly (some of the clothes and hair styles look a bit dated) but I really wouldn't let that put you off watching what is something of a cult classic.
Picture quality is probably as good as can be expected for a film of this age. The image isn't quite as sharp as modern films & there is an occasional sparkle, but there's no noticeable grain, reasonable black levels and colours are vivid.
The soundtrack is just stereo, but as this film is very dialogue based, it really doesn't matter much.
In summary, an interesting/very entertaining film, with a strong story & some good acting, but slightly too many flaws to be an all time classic.
I can strongly recommend renting it, if you haven't seen it before & given it's low price you may want to just go ahead and buy it without renting.
Let's just say that if you enjoy films like The Sting, or the BBC TV series Hustle then you will probably also enjoy this.
The plot has plenty of twists (OK the ending itself is slightly predictable & personally I don't think it's that good an ending, but up until that point it keeps you thinking and is a really strong story)
At times the direction does feel a bit like you're watching a film of a stage play. But this maybe due to the films low budget and the majority of the cast (particularly Mantegna) give very good performances.
The film has aged slightly (some of the clothes and hair styles look a bit dated) but I really wouldn't let that put you off watching what is something of a cult classic.
Picture quality is probably as good as can be expected for a film of this age. The image isn't quite as sharp as modern films & there is an occasional sparkle, but there's no noticeable grain, reasonable black levels and colours are vivid.
The soundtrack is just stereo, but as this film is very dialogue based, it really doesn't matter much.
In summary, an interesting/very entertaining film, with a strong story & some good acting, but slightly too many flaws to be an all time classic.
I can strongly recommend renting it, if you haven't seen it before & given it's low price you may want to just go ahead and buy it without renting.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This is an absolutely mesmerizing film. A wonderful addition to that genre known as "film noir", the movie is superlative in every way. In his directorial debut, David Mamet shows a keen understanding of the concept "less is more".
The two main characters in the film are a well known psychiatrist with a best selling book, Dr. Margaret Ford, played with chilly determinism by Lindsay Crouse, and a slick con man, known only as Mike, brilliantly played by Joe Mantegna with a sinister, charismatic charm. She is stiff and formal. He is casual and seemingly easygoing. Each is involved in a field of endeavor that requires a keen understanding of human nature.
From the moment they meet, there is a latent, sexual tension between them and an aura of danger and seduction that permeates the air. Intrigued by him, she is drawn into his world, where things are not always what they seem. There are many twists and turns in this most unusual film, which deftly manipulates the viewer.
The film is tautly crafted, and the dialogue itself is highly stylized with its own peculiar cadence. This serves to add to the air of mystery and suspense which infuses this film. There is an excellent supporting cast whose strong performances contribute to the overall quality of this multi-layered film. There is even a small cameo by William H. Macy. It is with good reason that this film was touted by critics as one of the best films for 1987. It meets the high standards set for this genre of film by the late, great director, Alfred Hitchcock. It is simply a stunning tour de force
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
How super to find this on DVD. I remember being entranced by it in '88 (?) - sat through it twice.
Great to find it again so easily.
It has dated but I did enjoy the real-life Hustle element of it this time, rather than sitting dazed by the double-dealing.
Great to find it again so easily.
It has dated but I did enjoy the real-life Hustle element of it this time, rather than sitting dazed by the double-dealing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Who's The Real Winner In 'House of Games'?
The acid test of a great film is whether you are so drawn into it that you forget the rest of the world - the first time I watched this I was indeed transfixed. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Ima Kant
'The necessity of dark places to transact a dark business'
Mamet is hard-boiled,a subtle user of language games,to enact transactions.He takes individuals from 2 tribes,one from psychiatry and one from the the world of shysters and con-men... Read more
Published on 29 May 2010 by technoguy
Con games within con games, and nicely done
On one level, House of Games is a fascinating con game, complex and convoluted. On another level, it's a little cold-blooded. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
Youre a bad pony and Im not going to bet on you
Directed and written by David Mamet (his directorial debut) it's a strange, moody film due mainly to the principle character's (Lindsay Crouse) stagnant emotionless performance... Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2004 by "marcusmuck"
Anamorphically Gone Wrong!!!
THIS RATING IS FOR THE TRANSFER MISTAKE. this dvd shows more of the frame than the US region1 and is anamorphic instead of letterboxed, but one catch-the anamorphic image we see is... Read more
Published on 20 July 2004 by i2mpbs
Was that it?
I heard it had a twist, and I like films that surprise me. So I went along for 100 minutes or so, waiting for a revelation that wasn't blindingly obvious. It never came. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2004 by Dylan
Catharsis
HOUSE OF GAMES presents the audience with one who craves relief from a life of quiet desperation.
Lindsay Crouse is Dr. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2003 by Joseph Haschka
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