House of Games

Seriously, I thought that it was a play within a play at first - like in that scene in Annie Hall where Woody Allen has the two actors on a stage playing Alfie and Annie. The acting was about that quality - the dialog was what you'd expect from a college playwright. Even if Mamet did mean to have stylized dialog and acting - it doesn't work at all - at best coming off as pretentious - at worst just plain silly. As for the plot - well, Paper Moon, and the Film-flam man covered the con-man angle far better and the psychology was very 80's, and not very convincing. Very disappointing - I had expected much better from a man of Mamet's stature. Maybe that's what happens when you put your friends and lovers in your work. However, there is a nice cameo from a young William Macy...