House of Games

A psychological thriller about a psychiatrist specialising in obsessive and compulsive disorders who finds herself drawn to a con man – an astute and streetwise student of human behaviour. He involves her in a shadowy world of deceit, where lies are performed as theatrical productions, and what you see is hardly ever what you get, David Mamet’s debut feature is a superb cinematic con trick with Lindsay Crouse as a psychologist counselling addicted gambler Steve Goldstein. Tricked into feeling guilty for his debt, she goes to his casino where not only does she learn the truth about his debt but also gets drawn into a scheme to swindle a high-roller. She’s fascinated despite herself but who is conning whom?, A female psychologist investigates a den of crooks who operate elaborate con-tricks, convinced she can analyse their motives. Instead, she is seduced by their leader and becomes another pawn in their deadly games., Playwright David Mamet’s directorial debut House of Games is a tense psychological thriller about a uptight psychiatrist (Lindsay Crouse) who falls prey to a smooth-talking con-man (Joe Mantegna), and then proceeds to turn the tables on him., An uptight female psychiatrist (and best-selling author) attempts to intercede with a con man on behalf of one of her patients, a compulsive gambler who owes him several thousand dollars. She is sucked into a world of mirrors where nothing is what it seems…, A psychological thriller about a psychiatrist specialising in obsessive and compulsive disorders who finds herself drawn to a con man – an astute and streetwise student of human behaviour. He involves her in a shadowy world of deceit, where lies are performed as theatrical productions, and what you see is hardly ever what you get., A psychiatrist is swayed by a charismatic con man., ‘Dark places are necessary to transact a dark business’. This ominous bit of dialogue sets the tone in David Mamet’s startling psychological thriller. And no place could be darker than the smoke-filled back room that Mamet creates in his House Of Games. It’s a world of deceit and seduction, a world about to claim a new victim. Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna are the main players in Mamet’s unforgettable depiction of life as one continuous hustle. Mike Nussbaum, Lilia Skala and J. T Walsh also figure in the intricate proceedings at the House Of Games … where the ‘games’ are always well-calculated and sometimes deadly.