Glengarry Glen Ross [1992] - ITV DVD

Five Starred Movie

This film is one for the businessman.

It is a collection of Hollywoods elite who all took pay cuts to be in this film. Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris.
Interested yet?

It is a film about one night and one day in the life of a sales company that is classic direct sales. Lemmon plays the down on his luck Shelley Levigne, who is having a series of no-sales. He is desparate for a change of fortune, however he can get it. Spacey is Williamson, the office manager whom the salesman detest because he hands out the leads for them to close. Pacino is Ricky Roma, riding high after a series of sales. Ed Harris plays a character who is disillusioned with the life of sales and enlists George, played by Alan Arkin in a plan to break free from the tough life of sales. There is a break-in at the office, and uneasiness all round as the police investigate who is to blame for it.

Full of Profanity, this is not a film to share with the kids! Anyone in business, especially sales, will appreciate the realities portrayed in this movie.

A very good film, produced very well. It is obvious it is based on a play adaptation, due to the small amount of scene changes and massive amount of dialogue.

Well worth watching and especially for Alec Baldwins motivational sales speech which is an infamous piece of film, and has been used in NFL Superbowl by a coach to spur his team on to victory. Cannot recommend this film highly enough to be honest.

Enjoy!

superbly acted drama

If you ever wanted to know about the brutal reality of selling then watch this movie. With a superb script and acting we are treated to a savage take on the competitive world of selling and making money.
All actors deliver virtuso performances with a notable cameo from Alec Baldwin as an unforgiving boss, also the movie is mostly set in the office and this increases the tension as each actor argues with another.
Al Pacino is very good especially in the scene where Kevin Spacey messes up a sale.
Good support from the rest of the cast but Jack Lemmon stands out as a sympathetic but also callous salesman, i would have given this 4 stars but add one more star for Lemmons performance.
The language is crude but essential to the movie highly recommended.

Lemmons best.

This is fabulous film, with a brilliant cast and an equally brilliant screenplay by David Mamet based on his own stageplay. Glengarry is a film about Real Estate salesman - sounds dull - it isn't. Its one of my favourite films and the cast all give stand-out performances:
Alec Baldwin has never been better than his cameo role at the start of this film. The part was specially written for him and was never the original stage play - "Always be closing!"
Al Pacino is as always excellent, and Kevin Spacey in an early role shows why he went on to become one of the top actors of the 90's.
However, Jack Lemmon tops them all. He plays a desperate man, and consequently resorts to desperate measures in order to try and remain top of the selling game. A marvellous performance that will remain with you long after the film is over.
This film doesn't have any special effects, explosions or super-heroes but I guarentee you this has more memorable scenes than any blockbuster you will watch this year.

Amoral, melodramatic, sharp, dark and witty.

Glengarry Glen Ross is awesome. At first glance the film could be seen as typically nineties, in this sense aged. I would tell those fools suggesting such a thing, simply, that it isn't.

The film is dark and like another reviewer pointed out claustrophobic, in it's set. The broody almost aggressive atmosphere in this film really compliment the ferotious performances given by this brutally amazing cast. Where was Al Pacino's oscar? The little man with a big heart can not only pack a big performance punch but could eat his rivals alive with his sharp tongue and merciless, offensive wit.

Each character so well written, each actor so beautifully cast. Jack Lemmon's performance is also breathtaking, the amount of arse- smooching hilarious. Although his character is desperate and sad, he is also an arse, the two sort of cancel each other out but you still find yourself rooting for him. But on top of this you laugh, you laugh at how pathetic these people are but you do it with tongue in cheek and guilt.

Getting back to my first point about it being aged, thoughts may conclude this because of the nineties glaze, the dark scenery and lighting, the quick wittedness, some may think the performances are too over the top. But it is real, all of it, this is what real people are like. This film is so important, it's relevance to today's film- watching public can be different to what it was when first released. Today it is probably more widely accepted, audiences are in tune with the dark humour, and man is this dark.

I would reccommend this film to people who want flawless characters supremely interpreted by the best actors, I haven't mentioned Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey or Jonathan Pryce. Not alot happens in terms of action, which is why some people have rated the film lower then myself, respectively. This film isn't about action, if you want action don't buy this film. This film is about succombing to fine, fine naturalistic acting, it's about subtle action, detailed characters with depth and extreme realism. AS you might be able to tell, I love this film and praise and worship the caliber of acting, script and character development within it.

glengarry get lost!

I thought this film was too short. I was just getting into it and it was finished! The storyline wasn't very strong either really, I thought it could have used a better storyline than trying to get good leads for selling real estate! Jack Lemmon and Al pacino were the only good characters in it. Alec Baldwin is in it for literally 3 mins! I was quite disappointed with this film really, being a big Pacino fan. If you want a good Pacino film avoid this and go for Carlito's Way instead.