User reviews

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.

... 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've read the comments about the amount of profanity in this movie..if you've ever worked in a less than ethical sale office, you'll know the language is very real...having worked a few years in telemarketing selling everything from wireless cable licenses to vitamins and ad specs, I can tell you, the dialog is very real.

This is my favorite movie of all time...sure, it's not flashy, upbeat or effect-laden, but it's so realistic that the first time I saw it, I got goosebumps...

Every character in the movie is one that I recognized from my office experiences...the mega-closer mouth piece (Baldwin), the complainers who always complained about the leads (Lemon and Arkin), the office manager who'd never actually sold anything before but had a little rub (Spacey), the hotshot salesman (Pacino)... it was just so real...anyone who's ever worked in a brokerage can tell you about the amounts of profanity in the sales profession...especially high pressure sales...

Ben Affleck's performance in "Boiler Room" has shades of Baldwin's performance in this movie...not a bad thing, just an observation. Baldwin's best acting is this 5 minute scene and his "I am God" speech in "Malice".

Amazing acting all around, tight realistic dialog (first time I saw this, I could almost say the words before they were spoken) Highly recommended! 10

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.

This is a well-directed adaptation of David Mamet's trenchant play about corrupt real estate salesman, and one's enjoyment of it will depend on whether one cares for Mamet's tricksy, obscenity-laden dialogue, and if one is a fan of first-rate acting. I'm less than enthusiastic about Mamet's work, which strikes me as gimmicky and repetitive. He seems to be always working out some private issues that he inevitably hangs on sexual or economic politics; and there is a lack of depth and originality in his work, and a penchant for envelope-pushing that I do not personally care for. On the other hand, Mamet actors seem to rate him highly, and tend to give their all when appearing in his work. Glengarry Glen Ross is exceedingly well acted by all,--Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin and, in a small but pivotal role, Jonathan Pryce. The edge of desperation around the eyes, and the crack in his Ivy league voice, makes Jack Lemmon's character of Shelley a pathetic, well-rounded figure. Harris and Arkin breathe life into their one-dimensional characters, and seem continually to be shouting throughout the film. Pacino's performance is the most flamboyant and also the most disciplined of the group, making the loathsome Ricky Roma both charismatic and repulsive. He at times sounds like he's literally singing his lines, and he moves more gracefully than I've ever seen him. The play is at times ludicrous, and the resolution (who stole the leads?) is strictly from the Golden Age of television. I can't imagine that people in real life could carry on like the characters in this play do for more than an hour or so, as most normal people would, were they to conduct themselves at such a fever pitch, go into cardiac arrest or suffer a stroke. Overall this is a first-rate adaptation of an essentially second-rate piece of work, with hollering and swearing making up for imagination and true insight into characters.

I cannot believe this film is rated below an 8

What else can be written about James Foley's adaptation of David Mamet's Pulitzer prize winning play other than devastatingly scorching.

Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, and Jonathan Pryce: perhaps the greatest acting ensemble ever put before a camera, collectively portray employees of a real estate agency- the sales department. Some of the greatest characters written in the 20th century cinema. Lemmon, 'the machine' Levene, is the old hero, now on a steady and sharp decline. Revered by others. Pacino,Ricky Roma the hot shot. He keeps an arm's length from everyone. Alan Arkin, George, is simply the loser. Never was hot, never will be - totally hopeless. Ed Harris is Dave Moss, a fighter, kinda like DeNiro in Raging Bull. Not hot, willing to do anything to reach the top. Like a rabid pitbull. Frustrated and at the boiling point. Kevin Spacey, Williamson, is the manager. A puppet of the owners, a real pencil pusher. But at least he doesn't live off of door-to-door sales. Alec Baldwin, in his greatest performance of his career, only taking up a mere 10 mins of screen time, tears the screen to shreds and burns the film up with one of the most incendiary, provocative, foul-mouthed, scene-chomping speeches ever. I was 17 when I saw this in the theatre and Alec Baldwin blew my mind with that scene. In college we used to watch this film over and over and rewind the speech 10 times over. We knew every line, every gesture. Jack Lemmon's face when Baldwin yells "Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers". Or "You see this watch? this watch costs more than your car".We would kill ourselves laughing, that's how much we loved it.

Mamet's character driven screenplay delves into the place in our souls and in our psyches, where desperation exits. The men live off of selling near useless Florida real estate, and their tool is the cold call - the hard sell. Lemmon, Pacino,and Bladwin are true masters. Gold belt senseis of the cold call. The bullcrap that they can unload is remarkable. Stream of consciousness. Lie upon lie. Smug and greasy. Pacino's monologue to the hapless gimmel Pryce, leads to tangents about pedophilia, and the stench of urine in subways. He wields a cheezy brochure of the properties like it's Shakespeare, with a picture of a fabergé egg on it. Lemmon meanwhile desperately stands in rain drenched phone booths, creating illusions to the listener like a verbal ballet. When he worms his way into one of the lead's house, he plants himself on the couch and grabs a stuffed animal he sees there. That little thing he does there, that gesture; in those 3 seconds, his character's conflict is symbolized. Though the guru to all younger than him, his decline is turning into an avalanche, ready to bury him. He is so desperate he resorts to the cheesiest, phoniest, approaches. It is heartbreaking to watch. Drama not unlike that of the great Greek tragedies of Aeschylus and Euripides. Classic human fare. Alan Arkin is slightly type-cast as the bumbling, mumbling, passive, loser. He has done it so many times. But this has to be the apex of that characterization for him. Ed Harris is so full rage, spitting venom (and literally spitting on Al Pacino during his farewell speech, his "farewell to the troops"). It is literally one of the most expletive laden tirades ever projected in mainstream cinemas. You are just waiting for his ears to smoke and his head to explode. Gut wrenching. Williamson, is subject to, by Roma and Levene, the harshest tongue whippings ever. Ferocious, nasty, derogatory. Spacey is literally humiliated by these masters of bulls**t. He most certainly gets his comeuppance; and later, a pretty nasty little service return of his own. Much is written in these reviews about the swearing in the film. Swearing, in Mamet's works, is part of the syntax of those worlds. It is almost like the curse words become subtext. It is like the plié in his abusive ballet of words. But nonetheless, umbrage can be made about this matter. It is after all, foul swearing, carpet-bombed from a writer who uses it as his key verbal motif. You simply have to accept as Mamet's artistic license and move on. It is one of those things that you simply cannot let ruin the experience for you. Mamet is widely considered one of the greatest living playwright and screenwriter in the English language. Just consider the swearing as part of the stylization of the cold-caller salesman language.

The narrative of Glengarry Glen Ross takes place in one evening and the next morning, and is mostly in a dingy office and a Chinese restaurant. Superbly light, and with an awesome jazz score, it has great camera moves that highlight, accent, punctuate, and round out the actors' performances. My favourite motif is the subway that rattles by - at crucial moments of crucial dialogues. It is interesting to note, that the director, James Foley, who superbly crafted this ensemble piece, never really became an A-list director. All the elements are there, perfectly and purposely assembled - the sound, the image, the performances. Perhaps, Mamet did more directing than the writer normally would? Or did the real cinema pros - the cast - just take the ball and run, literally directing the film themselves, so used to playing those roles on stage, with the exception of Pacino and Baldwin. Another note of interest, is that I have seen this film numerous times, with a variety of people, and have yet to meet a female who liked it. This seems to categorize Glengarry Glen Ross as perhaps one the more masculine, testosterone soaked, man-only films ever. Like wild male animals fighting it out in the jungles. Despite that, I say this is definitely a must see for guy and gal cinema lovers all over.

Basically a theatrical film based on David Mamet's prize-winning play, Glengarry Glen Ross feels like a win or death contest between all these actors: An encaged fight for the ultimate glory. And the absolute standout in this bout is none other than the great Jack Lemmon, whose "Shelley the machine" is such a joy to watch. One might argue that he gets to work with a richer material than the others, but he completely knocks it out of the park. Like some other productions from these years, we get to see both Hollywood's golden age legends (Lemmon here) and more recent icons, still in business performers, e.g. Pacino, Arkin, Spacey (I know) in the same picture, allowing us to draw the comparisons ourselves.

The film's ceiling is relatively low though, it's not very deep or thought-provoking, there's little to none visually appealing features with invisible direction. It's just a little treat to savour.

No film that I have ever seen expresses the path that the working man follows better than this one. Lemmon and Arkin are perfect as the salesman who's luck has turned towards the negative. You can literally see their will to live being sucked out of them with every blown sale and missed opportunity. Ed Harris is great as the angry salesman who is willing to do what it takes to save his own future. Kevin Spacey plays the tight -collared boss to a T, pushing people and not giving them the breaks they need. The two most quoted characters of any movie I know are those played by Pacino and Baldwin. Pacino always excels in parts where his anger and ability to create believable outbursts are showcased, as they are in this part. All that I can say about Baldwin is that this is definitely his best performance and the writing for his character is unbelievable. I can watch his 10 minute scene over and over again. This movie rules in every way possible. 10 out of 10. (I don't give that rating easily)

Man! What a depressing movie. The life of a salesman is tough and by the looks of it, the life of a property salesman is the absolute pits. I've never had much sympathy for the likes of salespersons; they badger you, they interrupt your day, and they lie.

I remember when I bought a Kirby vacuum from a door-to-door salesman. He sold my wife on it so I come home and I'm $1800 poorer. They gave us a contract that was 18 months 0%. Well, the bank called and said, "So, we have a contract here for 12 months 0%."

I said, "No. It's 18 months 0%."

The bank said, "We don't do 18 month 0% contracts."

I said, "Then void it and come get your vacuum."

Ricky (Al Pacino), Shelley (Jack Lemmon), George (Alan Arkin), and Dave (Ed Harris) were in the business of selling property for Premiere Properties, a hole in the wall company in New York. They would do anything to make a sell--and who wouldn't if you depended on it to eat everyday. They are good salesmen, even if they *ahem* bend the truth a little bit, but even a good salesperson needs good leads.

I think they said the word "lead" about 100 times in the span of an hour and 40 minutes. They wanted the good leads and didn't want the old stale leads. It was a miserable existence.

I think the cast of "Glengarry Glen Ross" made the matter of property sales about as interesting as could be. The topic itself is not that enthralling, so to make a movie about it in which the audience doesn't go to sleep is admirable. I think all the performances were great, with Jack Lemmon and Pacino being the best. Did I ever feel sorry for them. I'm still shutting down any salesman that tries to pitch me, but I do feel sorry for them.

Utterly joyless film, scripted by David Mamet from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, about harried, put-upon real estate agents struggling to satisfy the corporate bosses and keep their jobs, lying to and cheating their clients, their co-workers, and maybe even themselves. Great all-male ensemble does first-rate work (with Alec Baldwin in the newly-written role of the company's Standard Bearer, a demoralizing sales hotshot who sees the workplace as a battlefield); yet, for all their combined brilliance, the material as presented here is difficult to watch. Barbed, ugly, belligerent, it leaves the viewer beaten and bowed. Jack Lemmon's "Save the Tiger" only scratched at the surface of these characters' dead-end lives. Director James Foley goes a bit heavy on the rain-drenched pitifulness (his chilly blues and grays become visually monotonous), while Mamet--an intelligent and insightful writer--refuses to let up, giving us no relief from the pummeling deluge of verbal assaults. This is one to admire for its obvious craft and as a showcase for the actors, yet it's not a picture to take to heart. ** from ****

I went into "Glengarry Glen Ross" totally blind. I had no idea who David Mamet was really (other than the fact that he was a writer), never saw any of his plays, or realized that he'd been in business for a while (through some backtracking, I found out that he was the writer behind the film version of "The Untouchables", one of the best films of the 80's). All that changed after I saw this brilliant, BRILLIANT film. It amazes me how all the big names in this film (and there are plenty, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, and Alec Baldwin) were pulled together for this two-act movie play about a salesman's life. It's all very dialogue heavy throughout, only about three or four different locations (the primary action all taking place in the office) and yet I was never bored for a second. Counting up all the "F*** You!"s in this film has convinced me that the tongue stings in ways a torture specialist can only imagine. The dialogue is clever, vicious, and occasionally even a little funny (particularly when Pacino is in action; intentional or not, he can be a VERY funny guy). The plotting doesn't show all it's cards straight away, as there are one or two suprises that ultimately catch the viewer off-guard.

Now as to the cast, what to say that hasn't been said? Hmmm...nothing really, I suppose. Watching Lemmon's desperation, Harris' anger, Pacino's laid-back cool, Spacey's authoritarian chutzpah, and Baldwin's icy dissection of his employees is astounishing to behold. Lesser actors would have made the results much less memorable and/or believable. These guys make it unforgettable. Two decades from now on, when all the hooplas of the 90's "hits" dies down, people will rediscover what I already know: "Glengarry Glen Ross" is one for the ages.

A fantastic movie with realistic, extremely fun and profanity filled script that never seems dull and always demands your attention. Combine that with an ensemble cast of acting royalty portraying memorable characters and you got yourself a truly memorable cinematic experience that is surely to leave a lasting impression.

Typical way of life for real estate agents in America trying to struggle to make money and stay in a job. Excellent cast in a film- stellar performances all round very enjoyable film. Especially Alec Baldwin - blake, Pacino - Roma & lemmon - levene their acting is masterclass.

An absolute masterclass in acting. Everyone is utterly brilliant. Obviously it's adapted from the play but the style doesn't try and pretend it's not. The camera just observes, like the audience in a theater, but that's not to say the film isn't cinematic. Beautifully lit and staged, with music that just sits nicely in the background lifting and dropping to push the story of these salesmen who live on a knife edge. They are all pretty selfish but each one has a motivation that feels very real and desperate. The only real villain of the piece is Alex Baldwin who is so amazing in just one scene. If you love cinema and/or theater, let yourself become engrossed in some of the best dialogue you'll ever hear, from some of the finest character actors we'll ever see. Don't miss this film.

This movie has undeniable qualities: some of the best dialogue since the glory days of Billy Wilder, and a talent-packed dream-team cast (though the latter is never a guarantee; if it was, "Yellowbeard" would have been the greatest comedy of its era).

But ultimately it's a filmed play, and director Foley's failure to find anything visually interesting to do with it makes the movie feel more like a television program than anything else, albeit an unusually fine one. While this isn't necessarily a killing drawback, it doesn't provide a reason to see the film rather than a good stage production.

The compensation lies in the performances. For Alec Baldwin to steal the show from the line-up around him is a work of unparalleled larceny, and yet he does, with the help of a painfully funny new monologue provided by Mamet. The ghost of amusement in his voice as he asks, "Oh, have I got your attention now?" is something terrible to hear. He is Contempt Incarnate, and the outrageousness of the scene borders on the surreal.

The rest of the cast is predictably good, with Harris and Arkin particularly adept at Mamet's cross-talk rhythm, Pacino masterfully arrogant, and Spacey, before he had hit stardom, icily memorable. Lemmon goes further; his work here has some of the iconic quality of his performances of the 1960s. (The "Simpsons" character modeled on Lemmon's Shelley isn't a bad bell-weather for enduring pop resonance.) The crawling sense of need he projects becomes something genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Arriving at a young couple's house drenched in rain, his gray-white hair plastered flat, and his mouth pulled back in its ghastly salesman's smile, he captures something alarmingly real about the price of failure in America. As his sales pitch evaporates he is at last left only with an increasingly forced chuckle. In a life that consists only of patter, tragedy is having nothing left to say.

A lot of talking bs and profanities, typical sales business. You gotta be in the right mindset to watch it, and it takes effort to be in the right mindset and pay attention, but once you do, it's worth it & brilliant!

Alien planets, vast canyons, mars terrain, whales eating dinosurs, car chases, gun fights, train wrecks, underwater shooting, planes falling out of the sky, robots shifting into cars, dinosaurs punching the robots, bridges collapsing, sentient beings turning back time for survival, man sent in past to kill himself,

this movie has nothing of such BS

BUT!

it is one of the greatest movies I have even watched. PURE GREAT ACTING AND GREAT SCREENPLAY!.

Did I mention it takes place in almost one set?

You'll be hard-pushed to find a film with a better selection of power-house top drawer acting than Glengarry Glen Ross. This truly is an actors films if ever there was one. While the storyline isn't overly interesting, the chief selling point of this film is in the performances. Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin and Jonathan Pryce are all excellent in characterisations that are multi-layered and believable. In particular it's great to see Lemmon in such a raw role, he pulls it off immaculately; while Baldwin proves he's got more talent than you might expect in an explosive ten minute appearance. Writer David Mamet has to be given a lot of credit here in providing all of the actors with a strong script to work off in the first place. The film is full of profanity-laden tough talking by men seemingly on the edge of nervous breakdowns. The general atmosphere of the film is one of hopelessness and despair. It's not exactly a happy ride but it is a satisfying one. This is undoubtedly not a film that will appeal to everyone, seeing as it's theatrical trappings and dialogue-driven narrative will not be to all tastes. Although despite the limited locations, the film is well shot and lit, while the jazz score gives it a mournful mood that adds a lot to proceedings.

Overall a very impressive emsemble piece. If you appreciate plays then this is a really good example of a cinematic presentation of such. It's more about acting and writing than cinema but don't let that put you off.

One of those films, that while watching (and disliking) it, I knew at the same time it would be popular on here. Surprise, surprise 7.8/10.

Acting apart, which was exceptional (but then that pretty much goes without saying given the cast) there was very little in this film to appeal to anyone. We almost turned it off but saw it through to the end. But it was a storyline that could have been condensed down to a 5 minute piece and not lost anything. Group of salesman have poor leads & stage a break in. It was pretty much two 45 minutes scenes devoted to those two stories. There's not a lot else other than that & about 10,000 expletives of which about 98% of those we could have done without.

It's enough to put anyone off the worlds of real estate & tele sales but then that was probably the point.

3/10

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)