Independent Films, Film Profiles

House of Games

House of Games is David Mamet's 1987 motion picture directorial debut. Mamet wrote the screenplay from a story he devised with Jonathan Katz. The film's cast includes Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay, and J.T. Walsh.Margaret Ford (Crouse) is a psychiatrist, among the most preeminent in her field. She has just published a book, Driven: Compulsion and Obsession in Everyday Life, which has made her financially well-off. One day, she's in a session with Billy, a compulsive gambler who informs her that his life is in danger. He owes 25 thousand dollars to a criminal figure — money he doesn't have — and if he doesn't pay, he will be killed.Margaret visits a pool hall and bar called the House of Games and confronts the man Billy owes, Mike (Mantegna). After a brief conversation, Margaret sizes Mike up as a tough talker, but not a violent gangster. Mike reveals that Billy's debt is only eight hundred dollars and agrees to forgive the debt if Margaret accompanies him to a high-stakes poker game as his girlfriend, using her to help spot the "tell" of another gambler (Jay).Exhilarated at the chance to take part, Margaret even volunteers $6,000 of her own money to back up Mike's bet because she’s spotted the tell that Mike’s opponent is bluffing. Things go wrong. Not only does the player have a winning hand, he also brandishes a gun, demanding the $6,000 she promised as collateral. It is only when Margaret sees a drop of water fall from the pistol barrel that she realizes the whole setup was a con – designed strictly to take her money. Mike and his men see that the jig is up, and nonchalantly pack up the con. Mike apologizes, saying it was “only business … nothing personal.”Back in her normal routine, Margaret continues to think about her night at the House of Games. She returns, proposing to Mike that she follow him around, learn the ins and outs of his world, perhaps write a book on the experience. Mike is skeptical but agrees. He shows her first-hand how a con game works. Her fascination grows. The pair end up going to a hotel room and making love.Mike mentions that he has a role in another con that night. Margaret begs to tag along. Mike, his associate Joey (Mike Nussbaum) and their mark (Walsh) come upon a briefcase of money that someone seemed to have accidentally left on the street before getting into a cab. With no clear notion of what is ethical let alone who gets the money, the three men take a hotel room to stick together and discuss what to do with the cash.Mike confides to Margaret that the $80,000 in cash is real, borrowed from the mob and due back the next day. The plan is to have the mark propose paying Mike and Joey a percentage in exchange for taking the briefcase, but then they will switch the case at the last minute.The mark does as planned, but Margaret sees and hears what no one else does — that he has a gun on his belt, and that he is planning with others to arrest the trio over a two-way radio. Margaret warns Mike and Joey that the mark is working with the law and it's a trap, and she is desperate to not get caught herself. A scuffle develops and the cop/mark is killed when his gun discharges. Mike makes a run for it with Joey and Margaret. They steal a car and escape. But the happiness doesn’t last. The briefcase is nowhere to be found — it's been left behind in the commotion. Mike must leave the country fast because the mob will turn them all in for the murder if they fail to return the mob's money. Margaret, who has now fallen for Mike and fears for his safety, as well as her own, offers to replace the $80,000.Overwhelmed by the experience, Margaret is visited by Billy, her patient, but is too distressed to have a session with him. By sheer chance she sees that Billy’s car is the escape vehicle used during the hotel getaway. Margaret puts the pieces together. She spies on the con men and confirms that everything was a ruse to swindle her out of $80,000 — making love to her, Mike says, was "a small price to pay."Margaret has a gun (the gun she, ironically, took from Billy in their earlier session.) She knows when Mike is leaving town and lies in wait for him at the airport. At first she puts on an act, pleading to travel with him with the additional $250,000 she has brought. Mike coaxes her into a deserted dock of the airport where they can be alone. When she misspeaks, Mike realizes that Margaret knows the score. He tells her there's nothing she can do about it and turns to leave. Margaret pulls out her gun and dares Mike to beg for his life. He refuses and she shoots him repeatedly until he dies.Much later, we see that Margaret has gone on with her life, a changed woman, now able to "forgive her self". She shows no sign of guilt or remorse for murdering Mike. She steals a gold lighter out of the purse of another woman in a restaurant and relishes the acquisition.