La muerte toca la puerta

Stylish photography, very well acted and very well written and directed thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Katherine Ross and James Caan as the bored kinky NY couple are outstanding in one of their early roles. Made in 1967 this film was way ahead of it's time with it's themes. If you like offbeat mysteries "Games" is a game you will want to play! Hard to find on tape, not on DVD and rarely on TV. Too bad because this film is like one of those lost cinematic gems. Hopefully a DVD distributer will release in a (hopefully)widescreen. Recommend this one highly.

Simone Signoret does a great job. that is the first verdict and for a fan of French cinema , it is not a surprise. the film has a rare virtue for horrors - it is fascinating. more than scary or spectacular. using not an original idea, it is example of beautiful precision for each detail. and the play with old themes has the entire story great. a film about a visit and an eccentric family. about fears and trust and games. nothing special. but the balance between pieces, the acting, the music, the use of ambiguity as basic tool are pillars for an American movie who respects traditional European recipes. a film who could be interesting for many viewers. because not the story itself is the axis but the art of each actor. and, sure, the nuances who builds the role of Simone Signoret.

When I was a kid living in southeast Missouri in the early '80s, this movie was frequently shown on television; there was a cable station out of St. Louis, I believe, that would show this. It would be shown as an afternoon movie from around 2-4 p.m., maybe, and then AGAIN in the evening, from 8-10. Captivated me the first couple of times I saw it, with its slick, stylish production values and quiet, slowly-escalating suspense, but I have to admit I got a little tired of seeing it. So I don't know what all this talk about it not being on TV is about. Well worth seeing if you never have, though, or if it's been awhile. All the performances are top notch, the story keeps you hooked and guessing--at least if you haven't seen a lot of these kinds of movies, I guess; to be honest, I think even as a kid I had a vague idea of how it would turn out. But getting there is fun.

It's a shame this is not easily available on DVD. It was a really cool thriller, well plotted, well acted.

This film reminds me of "Sleuth", the movie based on a play by Anthony Shaffer released in 1972. Like in "Sleuth", people play games on each other and do not reveal their alliances, their true intentions or their true self. The story is acted like in a theatre play. The sets, representing a New York town house in a prosperous neighbourhood, are nicely done and give a vivid impression of the middle sixties' trends in fashion design and interior decorating - again you can compare it with the lavish set and the different costumes used by the protagonists in "Sleuth". For once, James Caan plays a slick urbanite, and he does it quite well. Don Stroud has a small part, a good actor whose screen presence and performance are always memorable. And then there is Simone Signoret ... as always she is absolutely riveting, and she puts a lot of charm in her rather pityful character. She uses her French accent very much to her advantage! "Games" is an elegant, suspenseful thriller for people who like to see a play now and then. Only right at the end you will know who has won!