You may have missed it: Glengarry Glen Ross

Take an office full of struggling and jaded salesmen on a rainy night and add a "sales contest" in order to see who gets to keep their jobs, and you have one compelling premise for a play. This play, written by David Mamet, was made into a movie in 1992. (Ok, the rainy night wasn't in the play, that was added for the movie). Probably because of the potency of the writing, A-listers were attracted to this piece like movie star moths to a flame. It's comprised of Ed Harris, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Al Pacino (in an Oscar nominated performance), and Alec Baldwin (who only appears in one scene that's probably his most famous scene in all his acting career). "Glengarry Glen Ross" is the name of the real estate firm that sells plots of land.

Every single performance in this movie is scorching. I could drone on about each one in detail, but it would almost warrant individual blog entries in order to hash it all out. All I will say is, watch it for Alec Baldwin. His performance alone is worth the price of admission. And, Al Pacino is brilliant, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Jack Lemmon deserved an Oscar. Ed Harris and Kevin Spacey are both also at their best. Alan Arkin was born to play his character. So, now you get the idea.

Since Glengarry Glen Ross is based on a play, it is almost best consumed by individual scenes. The first time I saw it, the person who introduced me to this masterpiece only played sections and scenes, introducing me to the quality of this piece in layers. It wasn't until I had purchased the DVD for myself much later that I watched it in its entirety. For example, the Alec Baldwin scene stands fairly well on its own. Most of the scenes do, thanks to the strong writing. There is a scene near the end where Al Pacino's character is courting a potential customer, and the anxiety of the situation is intense. Soon afterward, Ed Harris' character has a semi-meltdown, and the sparks fly. That scene stands fairly well on its own, as well. Then, you have the Jack Lemmon character. Older, experienced, but completely washed up, he is desperate to make a sale. He reverts back to his "early " sales techniques, without much good result. Watching his character flop and fumble in a sad attempt to close a deal, you realize how much soul must be put forth to be a salesman. And you realize the stark loss of a career wasted, much like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. All the Jack Lemmon scenes stand strong on their own.

Glengarry Glen Ross is, much like Mamet's other plays, comprised only of males. Since they all work together, and are working through their troubles, I have considered it (rather sarcastically) as the male version of Steel Magnolias. It is filled with testosterone, rampant profanity, out-of-control egos, and disastrous scandals. Some scenes are so over-the-top, they earn a chuckle every time. For example, I can recite every line of Alec Baldwin's famous scene. The scene also makes me wince at times because Baldwin is so brutal. I can watch certain scenes over and over with joy. It's a classic.

Glengarry Glen Ross is rated R for incredibly rampant and non-stop profanity.


my rating: 5 out of 5