House of Games (1987)

"We can't hide what we are. We may or may not do what we want to but our body "tells." Mike

A celebrated psychiatrist gets to try out her theories in the "real world" in House of Games, by first-time director David Mamet.

Lindsay Crouse (The Verdict, The Insider) is a psychiatrist with a best selling book, a thriving practice, and an unfulfilled personal life. Dr. Ford's specialty is obsessive-compulsive behavior and she reveals very little insight into curing these problems as she is a chain smoker herself. She decides to help a patient who is threatening to commit suicide rather than be murdered over a gambling debt, getting him to hand over his gun in return for her intervention with the gambler he owes money to. She is successful in her quest by agreeing to help the oily gambler Mike (Joe Mantegna - Godfather Part III) scam a Las Vegan in a high stakes poker game, by looking for his "tell" - an involuntary behavior that will reveal if he is bluffing. There are many developments, but suffice it to say that Mike is not a gambler at all and the card game is a scam, but on who? Dr. Ford is strangely uplifted by her experience only to return to her normal life of frustration. She confides in her mentor (Lilia Skala) her emptiness and is told to find some joy for herself, instead of working all the time. This leads her back to the House of Games, the seedy bar where Mike plans out his confidence tricks...

Having decided that writing is what she enjoys most, she proposes to write a book about con artists, enlisting the help of Mantegna. "You want to see how a real bad man plies his trade?" he asks. After revealing a few of his tricks he advises her "Don't trust nobody." As the plot progresses, we see the smart psychiatrist get way over her head, but provide some surprising resilience of her own. At the end we are left wondering just who was in charge of all the stuff we've just seen. In order not to spoil the suspense for first-time viewers, that's all I will tell you about the story.

House of Games benefits from an original story and an intelligent script. The lines are well read by leads Lindsay Crouse (Dr. Margaret Ford) and Joe Mantegna (Mike). While I have read lots of negative comments as to Crouse's wooden delivery and not too flattering appearance, her character (a psychiatrist) is such that she must tone down her personality in order not to clash with or threaten her patients. Through too much routine and too many failures with treatments she has become consumed with self-doubt, uptight, and repressed, and her character perfectly reflects this. Notice how she begins to unwind and shine as the pressure mounts, finally coming into full bloom in the stunning scene in the restaurant. Joe Mantegna is mesmerizing as the ultra smooth yet edgy Mike, a real dazzler of a performance of a really unlikable guy that we like nonetheless. Supporting cast includes old reliables like William H. Macy (Fargo), J. T. Walsh (The Grifters), Ricky Jay (Heist), and a few unknowns who also fulfill their duties with aplomb.

The direction, by David Mamet (Spartan, Glengarry Glen Ross), who also wrote the screenplay, is like much of his material; stagy, yet his story thread remains intact and drives relentlessly for the payoff, which may or may not be what you think. The dialogue is crisp and staccato and rattles off the actors' tongues. I was marvelously impressed back in 1987 and in my recent re-viewing of the film on DVD. The result is a stripped down film with nothing out of place and not a lot of frills. But stylish - and it makes you think. Some viewers may be put off by this because it lacks explosions and car wrecks, however, as psychological thrillers go, House of Games has stood the test of time. Cinematography by Juan Ruiz Anchia (Glengarry Glen Ross) makes the most of the seedy backrooms of Seattle. Original Music by Alaric Jans is punctuated by a few period pieces. All in all an impressive, if not flashy effort.

The MGM DVD comes in a dual-sided disk with both 1.85:1 theatrical format and 4X3 (television format) versions of the 101 minute film. As usual, MGM has only graced the DVD with a minimum of extras, including the theatrical trailer, Spanish and French subtitles, and similar audio language choices. For those who enjoy a psychological thriller that makes you think I highly recommend House of Games. For similar viewing I would also urge you to see Michael Douglas in The Game and John Cusack in The Grifters.

Enjoy a good film tonight!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening