Glengarry Glen Ross

Plot synopsis:
ACT IThe movie begins in a Chinese restaurant somewhere in Chicago with character Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), a veteran real estate salesman, attempting to contact a doctor for his daughter. In the phone booth next to him is Dave Moss (Ed Harris) attempting to sell properties in Rio Rancho Estates. They both go into the mens room and start complaining about the type of potential customers, or leads, they have been getting from their sales company. They exit the bathroom and Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) is successfully selling real estate to a man at the bar.When they return to their office, a representative, a hot-tempered, arrogant businessman called Blake (Alec Baldwin, in a role written just for the movie; not in the original stage play) sent by the owners of the company they work for, Mitch and Murray, is there. He berates them over their poor sales, and announces a "contest" in which the best-selling salesman gets a Cadillac, and the worst performing salesman is fired. The salesmen themselves blame their lack of sales on the poor quality of the leads they have gotten. Blake then tells them that he has some "premium" leads for sales in a new development, the Glengarry Leads. These are buyers who are both likely to buy and able to afford the land they are selling, so getting these leads is incredibly important to all the salesmen. Blake tells them that the leads will go to the best performing salesmen, the first likely being Roma, who has been leading the office in sales on the big board.Shelley is so distraught with the situation that he confronts the office manager, Mr. Williamson (Kevin Spacey), about providing him with the better leads. He takes advantage of Shelley's vulnerable situation by offering to sell him the better leads at fifty dollars a piece as well as a cut of 20% of all his profits. Shelley is unable to afford the terms and is stuck attempting to sell his second-rate leads.The movie then skips to Dave Moss and co-worker, George Aaronow (Alan Arkin), going to a local diner across town and talking about the unethical behavior of their employer, Williamson, and about their mean and ungrateful rep, Blake, over their sales work. Moss proposes that they strike back at Mitch and Murray by stealing all the Glengarry leads and sell them to Jerry Graff, a competing real estate agency, for $7,500. Moss's plan would require Aaronow to break into the office, stage a burglary, and steal all the prime leads. Aaronow wants no part of the plan, but Moss tries to coerce him, saying that Aaronow is already an accomplice simply because he knows about the proposed robbery. Aaronow continues to decline.Meanwhile, Ricky Roma is selling real estate to a meek, middle-aged man named James Lingk (Jonathon Pryce) back at the Chinese restaurant by promising financial success in investing. Roma does not broach the subject of a real estate deal until he has completely won Lingk over with his speech. Framing it as being "an opportunity" rather than a purchase, Roma plays upon Lingk's feelings of complacency and insecurity.ACT IIThe next day, the salesmen come into work to find that the office has been burglarized and the Glengarry leads have been stolen. Williamson and the police question each of the salesmen in private. It would appear that Aaronow and Moss have done it due to their nervous attitudes. As a police inspector interviews each of them one by one in Mr. Williamson's office, Roma is especially distraught because he was the only one whose successful sales record entitled him to the Glengarry leads. Everyone is in a terrible mood except for Levene who reveals that he managed to sell $82,000 in property the night before. He explains his success story to Roma who listens with great respect and happiness for his co-worker. The negative tone in the office overshadows Levene's great sell. After his interrogation, Moss leaves in disgust, only after having one explosive last encounter with Roma.During the cycle of interrogations first with Moss, then with Aaronow, and then to Levene, Lingk arrives at the office to tell Roma that his wife has told him to cancel the deal they made the night before because they can ill afford the sale. Scrambling to salvage the deal, Roma tries to deceive Lingk by telling him that the check he wrote the night before has yet to be cashed, and that accordingly he has time to reason with his wife and reconsider. At the same time, Levene abets Roma by claiming to be a wealthy investor and friend of Roma's who just happens to be on his way to the airport, and is dependent on Roma for a ride. Williamson (unaware of Roma and Levene's stalling tactic) lies to Lingk claiming that he already deposited his check in the bank. Upset, Lingk rushes out of the office, threatening to contact the state's attorney for legal action, and Roma berates Williamson for what he has done. Roma then enters Williamson's office to take his turn being interrogated by the police. Alone with Williamson, Levene, still giddy and proud of the large sale he made that morning, takes the opportunity to mock Williamson in private. Levene further yells at Mr. Williamson for costing Roma's sale commission and tells him not to make things up unless it helps with business.Suddenly, the tables turn when Williamson firmly asks Levene: "How do you know I made it up?" In his zeal to emasculate Williamson as he has done to him several times, Levene inadvertently revealed that he knew Williamson was lying to Roma on the spur of the moment about taking Lingk's check to the bank, and that Williamson actually left Lingk's check on his desk and did not make the bank run the previous night.... something only the man who broke into the office would know. Williamson catches Levene's slip-up quickly and compels Levene to admit that he broke into the office. Levene tries laughing it off, but he eventually breaks down and admits that he indeed broke into the office because he and Moss conspired to steal the Glengarry leads to sell to Jerry Graff. Apparently, Levene ended up being Moss' accomplice in the plan after Aaronow (which Levene apparently does not know about) had turned down Moss' offer. Levene explains that the current situation has made him realize that being a salesman is what he was meant to do in life. Mr. Williamson tells Shelley Levene that his "big sale" has an incredible client credibility, and that he is a terrible salesman.Mr. Williamson tells Levene that he is finished and he will turn him into the authorities. Levene attempts to bargain with Mr. Williamson, but Williamson reveals to Levene that the buyers to whom he made the $82,000 sale earlier are in fact crazy and have no money, and that he has no interest in helping Levene with anything for the simple reason that Williamson dislikes him. The film ends as Levene walks, defeated, into Williamson's office where the police are waiting. Roma walks out of the office for lunch, and Aaronow sits alone at his desk to continue his sales calls as usual.

Tags: cult, boring, realism

Review:
It is adapted from the stage play, and I appreciate the way in which it was shot, retaining so much of the raw appeal that can only be felt at the theatre, as opposed to the cinema.This movie is a veritable who's who of acting, with Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce - not to mention a then-relatively-unknwon Kevin Spacey.If you can appreciate powerful acting, films based on dialogue with few scene changes, and can withstand an absolute barrage of foul language (which I must add is perfectly suited to this film), then this movie will blow you away..
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)...
I cannot believe this film is rated below an 8What 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.
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.
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.
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.
Scripted by David Mamet, the dialog never hits and weak patches -- it is realistic, extremely fun to listen to, and the actors all deliver flawless performances.Al Pacino finally finds the perfect role to let himself vent (as he started to do in "Scent of a Woman" the same year, and won an Oscar for -- he deserved it more for this).
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.
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.
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.
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.
The mind tricks the salesmen are pulling are just amazing and may be compared to scenes of other great movies like The Wolf of Wall Street.The little substance of the plot - the sales team of a real estate office is put under pressure, as someone robbed it - is not annoying by the drama added.
Baldwin's role is about six minutes long and you wish it lasted for an hour.He plays Blake, a job motivator who is asked to motivate the rest of the cast to encourage them to sell real-estate, and his motivations and handling of the dialogue just rip the screen apart cause it's just too small for him.The rest of the cast is great and David Mamet writes one of his smartest scripts, but besides how great the cast is Alec Baldwin's performance just blows them all away..
How can you miss with all of these tremendous actors: Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Al Pacino, Alec Baaldwin and last but certainly not least, Jack Lemmon...I think Lemmon's performance was one of the best acting performances I have ever seen....David Mamet's depiction of the sales business being the perennial snake pit manifests itself to a point of nauseating callousness in this movie!!
This is truly one of those films that one cannot imagine being remade with any success because it is hard to imagine finding actor's more perfectly suited to the roles, who more perfectly understand both their own characters and Mamet's unique rhythms, and who click so precisely.So, even if you've never liked Lemmon much, or you've found Pacino over-the-top, Ed Harris dull or Alan Arkin annoying, see this movie, because you will take away a profound respect for their talents..
You get this vibe, of such such utter desperation, all through this film, set in a rundown real estate office, a perfect set piece, where across the street is their watering hole/Chinese restaurant, which took me back to Cadillac Man. At the moment, things are pretty down at Mitch and Murray, this downtown real estate office, in lower area of New York, where jobs are on the line, and it's employees are given an ear bashing and a hard and nasty word from a boss (Baldwin-explosive and intense) outside of this office.
GGR is compelling viewing all the way through, as are the actors brilliant performances, Al Pacino's character, of course, as hotshot Richard Roma, stealing the limelight, where I too, loved Spacey, as the weak minded galah, running the place, where evidently, this guy shouldn't be.
The film has been done solid, thanks to the acting and script, and too done under the wonderful direction and watchful eye of a versatile director, who makes movies, that I like.
Great performances by an all-star cast: Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Jonathan Pryce.
One of the greatest scripts ever written.The clue is that the direction and action is obviously driven forward by the power of the writing.This is the legacy of Glengarry Glen Ross.If taken in the spirit intended, viewing GGR is to participate.So much that is beautiful, the least of which is the beauty of the Spacey/Lemmon work, Lemmon having been a muse to Spacey.Watch this film.
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 frustrations, the bitter resentment towards peers and superiors, it's all feelings that anyone has felt and he pours it into this compelling journey of interesting and diverse characters.Looking at the roster of actors here it's kind of baffling that only one of them managed to get award nominations for their work in this, because every single member of the cast delivers fireworks; it's honestly one of the greatest ensembles ever put on film.
It's like they all had some private competition on who can act the best...and they all won.Still, what makes Mamet's script work so well is that it's not just a vehicle for these incredible actors; it's loaded with calculated flavor and universal themes that have lived on and even became more socially relevant now than they were when the film was made.
In his brief scene Baldwin chisels a realistic and frightening performance.The rest of the cast speaks for itself: an inspired Jack Lemmon as the powerfully desperate Shelly "The Machine" Levene; Al Pacino as the seductively slick Ricky Roma; Ed Harris in a bravado performance as Dave Moss, George Aronow, the hapless, but likable everyman played by Alan Arkin; Kevin Spacey as the street-lame office manager; and Jonathan Pryce in an effective role as a cuckold client.
Each salesperson has their own distinct personality: Ricky Roma (Pacino) is the charming, hot-shot sales expert who stands atop the sales leader board, Shelley Levene (Lemmon) is the aging, past his prime veteran who's value with the firm is quickly dropping and whose personal life like his professional life is falling apart, Dave Moss (Ed Harris) is the frustrated, angry middle aged man who's tired of the conditions he experiences everyday at the office and is ready to fight back, and George Aaronow (Arkin) is the weak, pathetic man who really has no business working in sales other than the fact that he's desperate for work.Things change for the office when "downtown" sends Blake (Alec Baldwin in perhaps his best performance ever), an extremely successful sales rep, over for a sales team meeting.
Not one is a real 'good guy' and he shows that there is a dark side in everyone of us.I'm a big Al Pacino fan so he easily is my favorite character in the movie but maybe even better acting in this movie is Jack Lemmon.
Desperation sets in really fast for four real estate salesmen (Oscar-nominee Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin and Ed Harris) after an efficiency expert (Alec Baldwin) tells them that the top two sellers for the month will keep their jobs while the others will be fired.
Inspiration to become like these "Lost Souls" and "Flesh Feeders".Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce, and Alec Baldwin "Lead" the Great Acting Ensemble with James Foley's unobtrusive Direction.
We all keep going to the cinema hoping something special will happen.Sitting through all the CGI laden rubbish ..all the Marvel muck..teen angst and so called comedies and horrors...Then we have this...the special effects in this movie are the actors themselves,,Lemon,Pacino,Spacey,Harris,Baldwin,Pryce, Arkin,,,,what a cast..Directed by James Foley this is a masterclass in all there is to know about movies.Jack Lemon gives the finest performance in a movie....ever.The only other movie I hold anywhere alongside this is last years exceptional " Birdman".Blockbusters and re-makes come and go but this will be here to stay as a testament to how great a visit to the cinema can be..
Boasting a star cast of Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin & Jonathan Pryce, all brilliantly introduced in the film's opening moments, Glengarry Glen Ross is an acting powerhouse but what makes it even better is its deftly written story & excellent direction.The story of Glengarry Glen Ross concerns four real estate salesmen working for Mitch & Murray who are berated by the very person their superiors sent to motivate them, and find out that they have limited time to close the deals or they're fired.
Pacino is incredibly charismatic, Harris covers his character's frustration amazingly well, Lemmon delivers possibly the most impressive performance of them all, Spacey chips in nicely with what he's given & Alec Baldwin is present on the screen in only one scene yet his show-stealing monologue will manage to stay with the viewers long after the film has finished.On an overall scale, Glengarry Glen Ross is an intensely interesting cinema that enters through the back door of a real estate office to examine the tactics used by salesmen to do their duty.
The men are Shelley 'The Machine' Levene (Jack Lemmon), a salesman stuck in a seemingly impenetrable rut, Dave Moss (Ed Harris), who is planning to upstage some sort of a corporate rebuttal against the system, George Aaronow (Alan Arkin), another agent stuck in a rut, and Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), the fiery suit who can close pretty much any deal and is currently the big man in the office.When Blake (Alec Baldwin) is sent by the unseen owners of the business, Mitch and Murray, to give the men a profanity-laced tirade, criticizing them for their work ethic and offering prizes to the "closers," the men become desperate and power-hungry.
But the performances I was sold on the most were Jack Lemmon, who unintentionally makes his character sympathetic, despite being a shameful, snaky soul, and Alec Baldwin, whose appearance in the film is less than ten minutes, but carries forth an impact that is truly a lasting one.
It's a shame a great film by all these actors today is seldom seen.Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, and Jonathan Pryce.
It's a dark, profane, bitter, and cynical story about an office full of sleazy, lowlife salesmen (Pacino, Lemmon, Harris, and Arkin) who's job is to get in contact with cold potential customers (leads), and pass off what's essentially uninhabitable swampland as prime real estate.
The situation is a humiliating paradox, that becomes outright desperate when a manager (Alec Baldwin) comes to the office from headquarters and announces a motivational sales contest that will mean prizes for the winners and unemployment for everyone else.The characters are developed to perfection, and it is their words and reactions to the situation at hand that make this film such a work of genius.
A masterclass in ensemble acting, with Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey all in devastating form as men keeping their head above water, and Alec Baldwin in a near-cameo that is still the benchmark for any actor who only has one scene to make an impression.
This film shows how to make astonishing cinema without violence, without sex, without blood, without explosions, without easy gags....just talented actors perfectly directed and intelligent dialogues.Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon's performances are superb..
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 what is essentially an ensemble cast, the entire cast give superb performances particularly Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin and Ed Harris, and even Kevin Spacey makes a telling cameo.Cinematography and editing wise Glengarry Glen Ross cannot be faulted either.
This, in my opinion, is the only way to adapt a stage play to a movie.The story itself is a very gritty and tense interplay between a group of real estate salesmen who have been given an order by their boss "close a sale or your fired" (played wonderfully by Alec Baldwin).
Director James Foley hauled out out six of the best character actors in the country: Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey.
Glengarry Glen Ross is a very enjoyable tale of the struggles of a group of Real Estate Salesmen - enjoyable as it's well directed, has an excellent script and a brilliant cast.Kevin Spacey is his usual excellent self, Baldwin does a good job of his role - but the star is undoubtedly Jack Lemmon, who is excellent as the washed up salesman Shelley Levene.Excellent performances from Jonathan Pryce and Ed Harris make this a must see..
A great film, and if you ask me, Pacino could have done with his second Oscar of the year for his performance.Last but not least: Alec Baldwin's five minute performance is acting at it's VERY BEST.
Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey are real estate "investment" salesmen who are given leads to follow up on to sell various properties.
My strange title spells out the A B C of selling - Always Be Closing but also hints at how ugly this film's dialogue often is.But David Mamet's screenplay, from his Pulitzer prize-winning play is about a man's world and is set in one, where men of varying personalities and abilities speak freely as men do, often in passion, often in anger and often with both.Whilst cinematically restrictive, director James Foley's rather claustrophobic 4:3 ratio swings along with the crisp, tart dialogue and soon one is entranced by the super-actor ensemble cast of Ed Harris, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce and Alec Baldwin.
Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin head up this adaptation of an award-studded stage production.
There's Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Jonathan Pryce and Alec Baldwin.
Let's see, we've got Oscar winners Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin & Kevin Spacey and Oscar nominees Ed Harris & Alec Baldwin.
Now, that's not far from the truth, but it's precisely in the talking where the beauty is.Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), Shelley "The Machine" Levene (Jack Lemmon), David Moss (Ed Harris), John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) are characters brilliantly written and masterfully played.
"The best cast I've ever worked with" said Jack Lemmon after filming Glengarry Glen Ross, and it is definitely no surprise as to why he would make such a bold statement.
But what else do you expect from an ensemble of greats; including the likes of Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Price and a cameo from Alec Baldwin.
Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin.
Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris , Alec Baldwin all give a very powerful performance as conscience free salesmen and motivators.