It’s too damned clever for its own good.
I have argued the "con" case to this con-job, but "House of Games" has its high points as well. Out of all the strange performances, Joe Mantegna creates the most convincing character as the charming bad guy Mike. And any film that sports Ricky Jay in its cast can´t possibly be all bad. The moody noir-ish photography by Juan Ruiz Anchia also makes use of some very limited spaces to create a genuinely murky atmosphere for these hoods to operate in, making "House of Games" the best looking film in Mamet´s oeuvre; Anchia delivered similarly excellent work on "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992), written by Mamet, but directed by James Foley.
It´s rare that I complain about a film primarily based of its plot, but so much of the "pro" case for "House of Games" relies on the alleged cleverness of the scam. I not only failed to find it clever; I thought it was downright idiotic producing a series of "Oh come on!" moments for me. Then again, I feel exactly the same way about another allegedly "clever" film, Bryan Singer´s terminally silly "The Usual Suspects."
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The transfer is excellent, though perhaps only second-tier by Criterion standards which, as we all know, is first-tier (or better) for just about anyone else. The image quality is suitably dark and I didn´t notice any degradation or debris; only a slight decline in the usual razor-sharpness of the image keeps this from being a top-flight Criterion release.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the English audio, and are occasionally helpful in deciphering Mamet´s machine-gun rapid dialogue.
Extras
The main attraction is the lively, occasionally hilarious full-length commentary track by David Mamet and Ricky Jay. I don´t always like Mamet as a director, but as a writer and speaker, he´s always engaging, and Ricky Jay is simply one of the coolest cats in town. I once took a piss next to him in the Men´s room at the Egyptian theater.
"David Mamet on ´House of Games´" is a documentary shot during the making of the film by producer Michael Hausman and his wife Pam. The 25-minute "behind the scenes" featurette shows both Mamet and lead actress Lindsay Crouse (who was also Mrs. Mamet at the time) talking about the film and Mamet´s transition to directing. It´s nothing special, but still of some interest.
The DVD also includes interview with Lindsay Crouse (2007, 15 min.) and Joe Mantegna (2007, 15 min.)
An intriguing oddball feature is "The Tap" which shows story-boards of a scene originally in the film, but later replaced by Joey´s rendition of "The Flue."
The insert booklet includes an essay by Kent Jones and Mamet´s introduction to his published screenplay, in which he talks about his experiences as a first-time director.
Film Value
"House of Games" has its legion of fans. I am not among them. This film is a tedious grind from start to finish. But the DVD is great with a super transfer and some nifty extras that fans will appreciate. It is miles ahead of the anemic 2000 DVD release by MGM. It is well worth the upgrade for anyone who likes this film a whole lot more than I do.
It´s rare that I complain about a film primarily based of its plot, but so much of the "pro" case for "House of Games" relies on the alleged cleverness of the scam. I not only failed to find it clever; I thought it was downright idiotic producing a series of "Oh come on!" moments for me. Then again, I feel exactly the same way about another allegedly "clever" film, Bryan Singer´s terminally silly "The Usual Suspects."
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The transfer is excellent, though perhaps only second-tier by Criterion standards which, as we all know, is first-tier (or better) for just about anyone else. The image quality is suitably dark and I didn´t notice any degradation or debris; only a slight decline in the usual razor-sharpness of the image keeps this from being a top-flight Criterion release.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the English audio, and are occasionally helpful in deciphering Mamet´s machine-gun rapid dialogue.
Extras
The main attraction is the lively, occasionally hilarious full-length commentary track by David Mamet and Ricky Jay. I don´t always like Mamet as a director, but as a writer and speaker, he´s always engaging, and Ricky Jay is simply one of the coolest cats in town. I once took a piss next to him in the Men´s room at the Egyptian theater.
"David Mamet on ´House of Games´" is a documentary shot during the making of the film by producer Michael Hausman and his wife Pam. The 25-minute "behind the scenes" featurette shows both Mamet and lead actress Lindsay Crouse (who was also Mrs. Mamet at the time) talking about the film and Mamet´s transition to directing. It´s nothing special, but still of some interest.
The DVD also includes interview with Lindsay Crouse (2007, 15 min.) and Joe Mantegna (2007, 15 min.)
An intriguing oddball feature is "The Tap" which shows story-boards of a scene originally in the film, but later replaced by Joey´s rendition of "The Flue."
The insert booklet includes an essay by Kent Jones and Mamet´s introduction to his published screenplay, in which he talks about his experiences as a first-time director.
Film Value
"House of Games" has its legion of fans. I am not among them. This film is a tedious grind from start to finish. But the DVD is great with a super transfer and some nifty extras that fans will appreciate. It is miles ahead of the anemic 2000 DVD release by MGM. It is well worth the upgrade for anyone who likes this film a whole lot more than I do.
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