Right OK so its been a week since my last review as its been a rather busy time doing other stuff as I have at last been involved in the old acting game again myself as I have a small(ish) part in a play just now, which I won't go into just yet, but perhaps later once its done and dusted. So I thought I would opt for another modern classic of the day and this one is Glengarry Glen Ross, which is based on the acclaimed play written by David Mamet, who also wrote the screenplay. So let's pick up the phone, starting closing and give this one a look......
So the story follows the lives of four real estate salesmen, who work for a firm named Mitch and Murray. One night the salesman are approached by Blake (Alec Badlwin) who gives them a rather brutal pep talk and tells them that only two of the sellers in the team with the most sales will remain with firm and the other two will be fired. Blake then gives them the promise of handing them the new and promising Glengarry leads to the top sellers. The salesmen include Shelley "the machine" Levine (Jack Lemmon) who was once a promising salesman, but has now endured a bad run of luck, who has a sick daughter. Shelley then tries to convince the office manager, John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) into giving some of the new leads, but is unsuccessful as he doesn't have the money to give to him to secure the leads. Two of the other salesman are Dave Moss (Ed Harris) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) who complain about the corrupt and underhanded tactics they are using against them and Moss insists that someone should strike back and steal the Glengarry leads and sell them on to another competitor and he tries to coerce George into taking to the task of doing the robbery, but he refuses. And the last salesman is Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) who is the top seller in the team who sits in a bar trying to his use salesmenship to try and persuade a meek middle aged man, James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce) into buying some land, which he eventually does.
The next morning however, the office has been broken into and the leads stolen as the police arrive they question the salesmen one by one. Roma arrives (with George already in the office) and complains to Williamson, demanding that he is owes the first prize for the top sales figures, which is a Cadillac, but he is fobbed by Williamson who deals with the police. Shelley also soon arrives having made a big sale to a couple named Bruce and Harriet Nyborg, however Williamson claims that the cheque they gave Shelley is probably worthless, which leaves Shelley angered and rants at him (much to the delight of Roma). Moss also turns up and after he is questioned by the police, launches a tirade at Roma, expressing his bitterness at Roma's recent success, Roma just throws it right back, and Moss storms out the office in a huff. To complicate matters further, Lingk shows up at the office as his wife has insisted that he cancel the deal with Roma, who tries to persuade him otherwise, but his attempts are thwarted by Williamson, who bluffs the situation without knowing the full facts, and tells Lingk has cheque had been cashed. Lingk is shocked and leaves in a panic, to which Roma then goes on to berate Williamson. Shelley then begins to mock Williamson but let's slip something that will get him into big trouble as the film nears its low key but effective climax....
Based on the acclaimed Pulitzer prize winning play by David Mamet, Glengarry Glen Ross is a compelling and entertaining drama, which keeps you watching thanks to its first rate cast and its superb script, which was adapted by Mamet himself for the film. The dialogue in typical Mamet fashion is pretty uncompromising and harsh and it reflects that hard hearted characters that are in the film, especially Blake, the foul mouthed enforcer who comes to the office to deal the bad news to the salesmen. And in Glengarry Glen Ross there are two types of characters, victims and bullies, with Roma being an aggressive and manipulative salesman, who uses his charm and wit to get what he wants, and Moss who forces the meek George Aaranow into being an accessory before the fact of a planned robbery. And then there is George, the weak willed salesman who struggles to make sales, because of his lack of confidence and Shelley who was once a top salesmen, but now is on a losing streak and faces being canned, as he struggles to support his sick daughter.
Which brings me onto the performances which are superb, starting with Al Pacino who is terrific in his role as the cocky salesman, Ricky Roma, who starts off self assured but as the film carries he begins to slowly shrink before our eyes. Pacino get's his lion share of great dialogue and he has several standout moments such as the one where he berates Williamson for blowing his sale with Lingk and he turns to him and says "You stupid fuckin cunt! Where did you learn you're trade???! What you are here for is to help us... not to FUCK US UP!! You fairy... you company man!" and later on in the same scene he says to him "Do you know the first rule if you ever spent a day in your life?? You NEVER open your mount until you know what the shot is! You fuckin child!". Another is when Williamson hands him some poor leads to work, which Roma throws one back at him, as he yells "Patel???! Ravidam Patel??!! How am I supposed to make a living with these deadbeats!" and followed by "Patel?? Fuck you! Shiva handed this guy a million dollars, and said "sign the deal" and he didn't sign. And the God Vishnu too! I'm gonna found out who's cousin you are, John, and figure out a way to have your ass!". And lastly another favourite line of Pacino's in the film comes when he arrives at the office and sees the break-in and the police standing around who ask him his name and he says "Yes I confess. I did it!".
Ed Harris is also excellent in his role as the hot tempered Dave Moss, a salesman who has had a bad run of luck aswell and is intent on stealing the Glengarry leads to get back at Mitch and Murray. Harris's best moments come in his scenes where he drives and later sits with George in a cafe as they speak about the idea of comitting a robbery in the office. And as they carry on Dave makes George an accessory before the fact "You take the consequences, because you listened". Also in the scene where he berates Roma for his cocky attitude and he shouts at him "What the fuck are you? Mr Slick?? What the fuck are you "Friend to the working man?". Big deal! FUCK YOU!!! You got the memory of a fuckin fly and I never liked you anyway!". And as he leaves the office and Roma teases him by saying "have a good trip" Moss delivers his last line which leaves a strong impression "FUCK YOU!! FUCK THE LOT OF YOU!! FUCK YOU ALL!!". Lovely.
Alan Arkin is also really good in his role as the meek salesman, George Aarnow who struggles with his confidence and ability to make a sale. And throughout the film he is a victim as he feels rightfully trodden on and he often dispairs by saying "I don't know what's the matter with me. I can't close em!". And his best moment later on comes when he is affronted after the police have interrogated him and he keeps yelling "I meet Gestapo tactics! I meet, meet Gestapo tactics! He says "cooperate or we'll take you downtown" as long as lived I have never....!" and then Williamson bursts out of his office and tells him to go to lunch. And later in the last scene he delivers a line I'm sure we can all identify with as he sits down and let's a big sigh and says "Oh God! I hate this job!". And briefly Jonathan Price is also good in his role as the victim of Roma's salesmanship and he later on comes to the office to try and stop the sale from going through only to be fed a lie from Williamson. And Price as Lingk says "Please don't follow me! I let you down! Forgive me." and leaves.
Kevin Spacey in an early film career performance also puts in an excellent performance as the cool headed and somewhat smarmy office manager, John Williamson. Spacey has a few highlights in the film and the one that springs to mind right away is George's outburst to the police after his interrogation, Williamson bursts out the office and says "Will you get out of here??! I am trying to run an office! Now will you go to lunch?! Go to lunch!! Will you go to lunch???!". And in his second to last scene where he speaks with Shelley, who let's slip that he knew the customer, Lingk's cheque was still on the desk (which was a lie), is his best, where he figures out that Shelley was (SPOILER!!!) behind the robbery. And Williamson says "You said you don't make something up unless its sure to help. So how do you know I made it up?" and ask Shelley asks him what he is on about, Williamson tells him he left the cheque on his desk and he didn't take it to the bank. "I told the customer I had taken the contract to the bank, but I didn't. Last night I stayed at home with my kids. One night out of a year I did that, now how did you know that?! Are you going talk to me, or you going to talk to them (the police)? As this is my job on the line here! And you are going to talk to me!". And he eventually get's Levine to admit he broke into the office and sold the leads, to which Williamson then decides to dob him in to the police and Levine asks why and Williamson coldly says "Because I don't like you!".
Which brings us onto Alec Baldwin who provides the film with probably its most memorable performance as the aggressive sales enforcer, Blake, who is "on a mission of mercy!" as he delivers the company's ultimatum to the salesmen to either get the sales in or be fired. Blake only has one scene buts its a long one as he delivers his volatile pep talk to the salesmen and he starts by saying to Shelley who goes to pour himself a cup of coffee: "Put that coffee down! You're name's Levine. You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?! Coffee's for closers only!". Followed by some more gems such as "If you can't close shit, YOU are shit! Hit the bricks, pal, and beat it, because you are going OUT!!". And he walks up to George who almost cowers from him and says "You think this is abuse?? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker?! If you can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit! If you don't like it leave!". And later he shows the men the blackboard as with the letter "A I D A" "A-I-D-A. Attention, interest, decision, action. Attention, do I have your attention? Interest - are you interested? I know you are because its fuck or walk. Decision - have made your decision for Christ?! And action". And of course the clasic "A-B-C, always be closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING!". And at the end of the scene he says to Moss "And to answer your question, pal, the reason I came down is because Mitch and Murray asked me to for a favour. And the real reason is, follow my advice and fire your fuckin ass because a loser is a loser!".
And last but far from least is Jack Lemmon is simpy outstanding in his role as the downtrodden and once great salesman, Shelley "The Machine" Levine and this performance really is one of the highlights of his career. Lemmon plays the put upon man better than any actor could possibly ever manage and he also succeeds in making Shelley the only really sympathetic character in the film. Lemmon has many highlights in the film such as the scene where he tries to barter with Williamson to buy some of the Glengarry leads and as Williamson keeps refusing his offers he says "That's defeatist, fuck it! Do you want to do something, you heard the man! Attack!". And later on in his rant against Williamson in the office, he says to him "You do not know your job! A man IS his job, and you are fucked at yours! What are you? You're a fuckin secretary! Fuck you! Yes that's right fuck you and kiss my ass! Now I want my name on that board, and I want three promising leads and I am going to close them all. And that's all I have to say to you today!" and he gives Williamson the finger. And later as he mocks Williamson for blowing Roma's deal, he says "You just fucked a good man out of six thousands dollars and his goddamn bonus because you didn't know the shot! If you can't something from that, you're scum, you're fuckin whitebread" and then he let's slip he knew about Williamson's lie "If you're gonna make something up, John, before sure it helps! Or keep your mouth shut".
Finally getting onto the direction, James Foley does a fine job with the film and its material and he keeps the pace flowing nicely and keeps the drama of the piece quite taut. It also helps that Glengarry Glen Ross isn't that long a film so it rarely if ever drags. The film's score by James Newton Howard is not too bad, although it has to be said it remains one of my least favourite aspects of the film, but it does have one or two nice moody atmospheric tracks that suit the film's grimy tone well.
So as for flaws, how about Glengarry, how does it fair??? Well there's too much to complain about as ticks alot boxes as film. However perhaps the only thing about the film is perhaps some of the scenes do feel a little drawn out, as well written as they are. And the scene for me that is drawn out the most is Roma's relaxed sales pitch to Lingk in the bar, which seems to go on forever and in a way you feel it almost threatens to grind the film to a halt. The film's ending is also pretty low key even though it has a terrific scene between Shelley and Williamson which precdes it, but it does end on a rather flat note in itself, as despite the drama its just another day in the office ahead.
Anyway despite those niggles, Glengarry Glen Ross is still an excellent film and features a superb cast at its very best and if you fancy giving it a go, you won't be disappointed.
And with that I shall bid yee farewell!
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