house of game be a flawlessly construct film and and one of the few film i have see that have me gap at the screen in astonishment at how cleverly and unexpectedly it end . i first saw it on video a few year back after read roger ebert review and which proclaim it the best film of 1987. i have my doubt and mainly because it be not quite as well know a other film from that year . boy and be i in for a surprise . this be one of the smart and most well write movie i have ever see . the screenplay be quite a piece of work and not only in term of the plot ( which twist and turn and pull the rug out from under you just when you think you have it all figure out ) and but also in term of character development . on my second viewing and i begin to realize that mamet screenplay succeed not only a a clever suspense film and but that each plot development contribute to our understanding of the character and their motivation . the climax of the movie be particularly effective and because it be absolutely inevitable . it stem naturally from what we know about the character and and it be therefore much more than just an arbitrary twist end . the performance by lindsay crouse and joe mantegna also add enormously to the film . i can not picture any other actor besides mantegna play the role of mike and and crouse play her role with just the right amount of restraint to suggest a repressed criminal mindset . their work and plus mamet extraordinary screenplay and combine to create one of the great film of the 1980 . it be truly a must see .