david mamet write the screenplay and make his directorial debut with ` house of game and a character study fraught with psychological overtone and in which a psychiatrist be lure into the dark world of the confidence game . margaret ford ( lindsay crouse ) have a successful practice and have write a best selling novel and driven . still and she be somewhat discontented with her own personal life while there an emptiness she can neither define nor resolve and and it prim her vulnerability . when a patient and billy hahn ( steven goldstein ) and confide to her during a session that he owe big money to some gambler and and that theyre go to kill him if he doesn not pay and she decide to intervene on his behalf . this take her to the ` house of game and a seedy little dive where she meet mike ( joe mantegna ) and a charismatic con man who waste no time before entice her into his world . instead of the ` twenty five large that billy claim he owe and mike show her his book and and it turn out to be eight hundred dollar . and mike agrees to wipe the slate clean and if she will agree to do him one simple favor and which involve a card game he have go on in the back room . in the middle of a big hand and mike be go to leave the room for a few minute while while he be go and her job be to watch for the ` tell of one of the other player . by this time and not only margaret and but the audience and as well and be hook . the dialogue and and mamet unique style and the precise cadence with which his actor deliver their line and be mesmerize . a mike lead margaret through his compelling and surreal realm of existence and and introduce her to the intricacy of the con game and we be swept right along with her . from that first memorable encounter and when he demonstrate what a ` tell be and how it work and to the lesson of the hort con and to the stunning climax of this film and mamet keep the con go with an urgency that be relentless . and nothing be what it seem . in the end and margaret learn some hard lesson about life and human nature and and about herself . she change while and whether or not it for the good be open to speculation . mantegna be absolutely rivet in this film while he lend every nuance possible to a complex character who must be able to lead you willingly into the shadow and and do . crouse also turn in an outstanding performance here while you feel the rigid and up tight turmoil roil beneath that calm and self assure exterior and and when her experience with mike induce the change in her and she make you feel how deeply it have penetrate . she make you believe that she be capable of what she do and and make you understand it and as well . the dynamic support cast include mike nussbaum ( joey ) and lilia skala ( dr. littauer ) and j. t. walsh ( the businessman ) and ricky jay ( george ) and william h. macy ( sergeant moran ) . ` house of game be the quintessential mamet while he write and direct a number of high caliber play and film since and and will no doubt grace u with more in the future . but this film will be the one that define him while and you can go to the dictionary and look it up . you will find it under ` perfection . this be one great movie you do not want to miss . i rate this one positive .