Glengarry

I cannot believe this film has been out there all these years and I just now saw it for the first time this week. I rented it on a whim and I've watched it four times since Monday.

Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of a failing real estate office in which four agents are told they'd better get some property sold quick, or they'll be out of a job. By the end of the month, the top seller will win himself a Cadillac, the guy who finishes second will win himself a set of steak knives. The other two jokers will be out on the street. The problem is that the good leads are locked away in a filing cabinet in the office manager's room. They won't be distributed until the end of the contest. The guys are left with only leads that likely won't pan out at all.

The four salesmen are each very memorable individuals. Al Pacino plays the best of the bunch. He's smooth and confident, and he seems to be the only guy making any good sales recently. Jack Lemmon is the old lion of the bunch. He's a good talker, but he's been on a stretch of terrible luck both professionally and personally. It's looking like he is now obsolete, and could be one of the guys let go. Ed Harris is a brooding; scheming character also on a streak of bad luck. His plan is not to make sales, but break into the office and steal the good leads. Alan Arkin is a meek fellow who cannot even dial the right phone number or carry on any type of meaningful conversation. Each actor has their character down perfectly.

The story unfolds in less than a 24 hour period. Alec Baldwin is a hotshot salesman from "downtown" who shows up at the beginning of the film and lets the guys know how worthless they are. He lays down the terms of the contest in some very colorfully profane language that sets the tone for the rest of the script. Profanity can be monotonous and gratuitous, but not here. Mamet's script is like a piece of art formed by interlacing all the fine swear words in the English language together with a touch of ironic gloom. And how often do you hear the word "c*cksucker" said with the articulate dignity of Jack Lemmon? We see each character for what they are, and each actor is allowed to show us why they are so famous. I believe this film to be a landmark piece of cinema for this generation. As much as 12 Angry Men was in its own time. How often do you see such a cast get together with such a fine script? Not often enough, I'd say.

The Kevin Spacey character has a special place in my heart. I also work at a job where I have to deal with a bunch of pompous salesmen. I suppose it comes with the job, but salesmen always seem to think they are more important than they are. What they don't seem to understand is that different people can be hired to sell the same goods and services. More often than not, it is the company that retains or loses customers. That said, sales is a ballsy profession, and it does take genuine skill and luck to be successful at it.

For those out there who either are salesmen or like them, then this film will also be a treat. There is one beautiful scene in particular when Jack Lemmon has just made what he thinks is a huge sale to break his slump. He bursts into the office and happily demands his sale be noted on the board with everyone else's. Nobody but Pacino seems interested (Harris for example acts jealous and spiteful) in hearing the details. Pacino comes over and sits by Lemmon and listens to how the old master was able to pull it off. The camera subtly backs off and lets the two share the moment together. That was very well-done.

Due to all the profanity in this film, it is basically not possible to show it on network television. This may be the primary reason the film has slipped through the cracks over the years, and not made many top 100 lists and so forth. If you want to see some great actors doing what they do best, then DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

10 of 10 stars

the Hound.

For those who are fans of action, explosions and flashy special f/x--this is not your movie. For those who are fans of extraordinary acting, strong characters, a great plot and priceless dialogue--it just doesn't get any better than this! When I say you're in for a treat, I mean it with the utmost certainty. Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey are on my list of favorite actors. The rest of the cast isn't quite on there, but they're all actors that I highly admire and some of which come close to being on my favorites list. First of all, it's hard to not be at least somewhat interested by a film written by David Mamet. He is simply the master when it comes to pacing and sharp dialogue. He truly has a style like no other. There's a million lines in this movie that I love to quote, many of which are in Alec Baldwin's opening speech. "F**k you, that's my name. You came here in a Hyundai, I drive a 80,000-dollar Oldsmobile--that's my name." And Kevin Spacey's "Go to lunch" speech is great as well. Every time I watch that scene I think back to when he read those same lines with a student on "Inside the Actor's Studio." Mamet's dialogue is delivered a lightning-fast pace, which I find fascinating. It makes you feel like you're watching an old movie, only in color and with an abundance of cuss words. This film brought tears to my eyes, not because it's incredibly sad, but because it's so intense. Watching actors like Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon share a scene is like a dream for any true film buff. Lemmon gave one of the best performances of his entire film career in this movie, and that's saying a whole lot! Needless to say, we suffered a tragic loss when he died. It's a surprise that he didn't receive an Oscar for his work in "Glengarry." Pacino also gives one of his best performances, in my opinion. In his recent films like "The Recruit" and "Simone," he hasn't gotten the chance to show off his acting chops to the fullest extent. His performance in this movie is an example of Pacino in full gear. Spacey is perfectly slimy in his role, and I despised him every minute he was on screen. Everyone who's ever had a job is familiar with some secretary or assistant manager, who's uptight and constantly plays by-the-book, just so he can maintain the respect of the boss whose butt he kisses every minute of the day. We've all encountered scumb*gs like him, and that's why it made it so easy for me to hate his guts. Every character is multi-dimensional, and I was able to feel either a deep sympathy or a deep hatred towards each of them. Some have criticized this film for being visually unimpressive, since it takes place mainly on one location. That didn't bother me one bit. When you have actors this engaging, setting is definitely not the issue. People always feel that when a play is adapted onto screen, it has to take place in many different locations, to "take advantage" of it being a motion picture. I always feel that good writing and good acting are the key elements of a good movie. If you want to see great visuals, go rent the whole "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But for those begging for something of substance should love this movie. I'm constantly on the edge-of-my-seat when I watch this movie. All aspiring actors should be required to watch "Glengarry Glen Ross" as a prerequisite, because all you need to know about great acting is in this movie. A DON'T MISS!! (10 out of 10)

... involving characters with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I don't know how anyone could watch this entire movie and think that it was a celebration of capitalism or a model for human life. The characters are by various degrees dishonest, manipulative, vindictive and disloyal, and by competing them against each other it serves only to bring their negative traits out further. Also watching this would be a good incentive to learn a trade - plumbing, electrician, accountant, nursing, engineering - so you don't wind up selling for a living and swimming among sharks like those in this film.

It's about a real estate sales outfit and one office in particular with four salesmen played by Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris and Alan Arkin. The office has been having flagging sales. Towards the beginning ace salesman Blake (Alec Baldwin) comes to the office to give what is supposed to be a pep talk but just ends up dehumanizing and demoralizing the sales force. He sets up a competition that ends up making the company worse for it in the long run or even the short run. He announces that during the next month that the top salesman gets a Cadillac, the second gets steak knives, and the bottom two get fired.

The Baldwin scene espouses the individualistic capitalist dream, but it is his words and actions that cause the moral degradation of the office. Whilst someone might sit on top of the ladder and get a cadillac, the office as a whole is a microcosm of the American capitalist business system. The top guy gets richer on good leads whilst the middle guys compete for scraps and the loser gets fired. This leads to the social structure of the office falling apart as individuals resort to immoral acts to get ahead and actively try to hinder each other's progress. The result is a net loss for the office rather than any collective gain that could have been achieved by working together.

I can't believe I happened to watch this movie 30 years later. What a wonderful movie !! The depiction of a real estate sales office. The cut throat competition. Jack Lemmon was simply superb. Al as usual was very good. Very good movie to watch.

Those who must rely on their wits to make a living are often prone to desperate measures born of the insecurities inherent in their field of endeavor-- a straight commission salesman, for example; or in this instance, a real estate salesman, in particular. And under pressure, to what will one in such a position resort to stay afloat when times are tough? A legitimate question that every consumer would no doubt like to have answered before signing the dotted line and committing some big money to a purchase. Well, hold tight, because help is on the way, as writer/director David Mamet goes to great lengths to answer it in `Glengarry Glen Ross,' an unflinching, hard-edged film that examines the motivations of those who would readily and eagerly separate you from more than a few of your hard earned dollars, and whose least concern, apparently, is the value of their product or that parcel of land, which according to them is situated just this side of Shangri-la. And if you've ever trusted a big-ticket salesman in your life, after visiting Mamet's film, it's doubtful you ever will again.

Very simply, the story is this: The Company wants results; the hierarchy expects their salesmen to produce, and they don't care how. Toward that end, a `motivator' (Alec Baldwin), has been dispatched to this particular office to put things into perspective for those who would sell their wares, as it were. The deal is, that at the end of a given period of time, the salesman whose name is at the top of the tote board will get a new car; those who fail to meet their quota are out the door. End of story. They will, however, be supplied with `leads,' but from the `old' file. The new, `fresh' leads are reserved for those who first prove themselves worthy, those who can do whatever it takes to make the sale, without qualm, reservation or conscience. But the prospect of being put on the street in the wake of the give-no-quarter edict only serves to drive one amongst them to an act of desperation-- an irrational act from which there can be no forgiveness and no redemption. A tough verdict, but then again, nobody said life was going to be easy.

In adapting his own play for the screen, Mamet returns to one of his favorite themes by exploring yet another variation of the `con' forever being perpetrated somewhere, on someone, in one way or another. In Mamet's world (in films such as `House of Games' and the more recent `Heist') nothing is ever as it seems, and the confidence game is always afoot, the causes and effects of which make up the drama of his stories. And this film is no exception. Whether it's the smooth and savvy top-dog of the office, Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), schmoozing a client into handing over a check, or a veteran loser like Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) showing up at someone's door on a cold call at a most inopportune and inconvenient moment and refusing to leave, Mamet convincingly maintains that the con-is-always-on, and the result-- especially in this film-- is a bleak, but riveting commentary on the human condition, delivered with an intensity that will keep you on the very edge of your emotional seat right up to the end.

The cast Mamet assembled for this offering is superb: Al Pacino is in top form and extremely effective with a comparatively tempered performance; the scene in which he lulls his customer (played by Jonathan Pryce) into complacency is absolutely hypnotic. This is the salesman you hope you never encounter, especially if something like the Brooklyn Bridge is being offered, as such overtures as those proffered by Ricky Roma are just too hard to refuse. And Pacino not only sells it, he closes the deal, as well.

Ed Harris, as Dave Moss, is outstanding, also, creating a character whose bitterness seems to flow from the inside out, and has long since overwhelmed that ability and better part of himself that could've made him a successful salesman, had he but turned his energies to more positive concerns and away from the self-defeating, self-pity into which he has descended. While at the opposite end of the spectrum is George, played by Alan Arkin, who unlike Dave (who though unable to act upon it, at least had promise at some point in his career) has nothing but insecurity and empty dreams to sustain him. As wonderfully realized by Arkin, he's the proverbial duck-out-of-water, who belongs anywhere except in a job as a salesman.

The best performance of all, however, is turned in by Jack Lemmon, who in Shelley Levene creates a character so steeped in despair and hopelessness that's it's almost tangible. You have but to look into Lemmon's eyes to understand the turmoil and depth of Shelley's desperation, and Lemmon successfully conveys the complexities of this man in terms that are believable and incredibly real. He makes Shelley a guy you can feel for without necessarily sympathizing with him. It's simply a terrific piece of work by a terrific actor.

Another of the film's strengths is the performance by Kevin Spacey, as John Williamson, the office manager. It's an understated, but pivotal role, and Spacey does a good job of making it convincing, which ultimately heightens the overall impact of the film, especially the climax.

The supporting cast includes Bruce Altman (Mr. Spannel), Jude Ciccoledda (Detective) and Paul Butler (Policeman). Mamet builds and sustains a tension throughout this film that drives the anxiety level through the roof; at times, it's exhausting to watch. In the end, however, `Glengarry Glen Ross' is a satisfying experience, involving very real situations with which many in the audience will be able to relate, and delivered with a high-powered energy equal to the subject matter. And once you catch your breath, it's one you're going to appreciate even more. It's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 9/10.