David Mamet on House of Games (2007)

• 83%
• 2007
• Documentary
• Pam Hausman
• David Mamet
• Lindsay Crouse
• Ricky Jay

A documentary of sorts that is made up of video footage shot during the making of the film. It includes interview segments with Mamet and Crouse, and then footage from the set and shoot are placed in. Amazingly half of the documentary focuses on poker. Mamet and his friends are poker enthusiasts and Mamet was obsessed in shooting the best poker sequence he could. During the shoot he and his poker buddies, who he flew out to Seattle, would get a few games in and we get some footage of their games. There's also a primer in "card lingo" which explains some of the curious lines in the film, and an amusing anecdote about translators trying to translate the film into Italian. The rest focuses on Mamet's spare style in writing and directing and even offers footage of him working with his actors (the style of acting in his films is "unique" and it's interesting to actually watch him work with the actors to get the tone he's going for.