House of Games [Criterion Collection]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

In his directorial debut, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet creates a stylish cinematic puzzle of games within games, as con men are joined by a psychologist in creating the perfect caper. Dr. Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse), the writer of psychological self-help books, meets Mike (Joe Mantegna) as she attempts to help a patient who owes heavy gambling debts. When she herself is the victim of a con, she becomes intrigued by the psychological drama of the con game and joins in a complicated scam involving a suitcase of cash. Mamet directs his extremely complicated plot with skill and complete control until it is impossible to tell who is the con and who is the victim. The suspense builds to an amazing surprise ending which is both reasonable and believable but completely unpredictable. Crouse and Mantegna are outstanding as are all the supporting performances. Mamet and his cinematographer Juan Ruiz-Anchia create a visually stunning, compelling film that does justice to Mamet's superbly written screenplay ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (Alternate Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Features:
  • New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Juan Ruiz Anchia
  • Audio commentary by director David Mamet and consultant and actor Ricky Jay
  • New video interviews with actors Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna
  • David Mamet on "House of Games"
  • Storyboard detail
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Plus: an essay by critic Kent Jones and excerpts from Mamet's introduction to the published screenplay

AWARDS

• Venice International Film Festival

•     Won Osella for Best Screenplay - 1987 (David Mamet)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Lindsay Crouse - Dr. Margaret Ford
       Joe Mantegna - Mike
       Mike Nussbaum - Joey
       Lilia Skala - Dr. Littauer
       J.T. Walsh - Businessman
       Ricky Jay - George/Vegas Man
       Willo Hausman - Girl With Book
       Karen Kohlhaas - Prison Ward Patient
       Jack Wallace - Bartender "House of Games"
       G. Roy Levin - Poker Player
       Bob Lumbra - Poker Player
       Andy Potok - Poker Player
       Allen Soule - Poker Player
       Ben Blakeman - Bartender, "Charlie's Tavern"

• Director:

  David Mamet

• Producer:

  Michael Hausman

• Screen Story:

  Jonathan Katz, David Mamet

• Screenwriter:

  David Mamet

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alaric Jans

• Editor:

  Trudy Ship

• Production Designer:

  Lee R. Mayes, Michael Merritt

• Art Director:

  Michael Merritt

• Set Designer:

  Derek R. Hill

• Costume Designer:

  Nan Cibula

• Special Effects:

  Robert Willard

REVIEW:

• David Mamet's dialogue has a particular rhythm. His best pieces, when delivered properly, are like music. House of Games is one of his best screenplays and allows Joe Mantegna and Lindsay Crouse the opportunity to duet for 90 minutes. Their performances bring to life a very psychologically complex relationship. There is much going on in the minds of these characters, and their performances maintain a perfect balance between revealing themselves to each other and the audience. In one scene, Mike teaches Margaret, as well as the audience, about "tells." Tells are physical actions which "tell" an observant person what the person performing the action is thinking. After demonstrating some examples, Mike takes Margaret's hand and places his fingertips against hers and tells her to, in her mind, choose a finger. He shows her what finger she was thinking of, and she informs him he was correct. He then asks her if she wants to sleep with him. The audience realizes that Mike, a master at reading tells, already knows the answer. But the real question is whether or not Margaret has learned enough to manipulate Mike. Slick, seductive, and compulsively watchable, House of Games succeeds in getting the audience inside the minds of con artists, but not until they have been put through a psychological and emotional wringer. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi