Glengarry Glen Ross.

[Smokey]

Was surprise that non of my friend have never heard of 1992 movie Glengary GlanRoss.
Wonder if you all have seen it.

No action, no especial effects or twisted plot. Just a simple story (Pulitzer Prize winning play) about two days in the lives of four desperate realstate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical and/or illegal acts in order to sell real state to unwilling prospective buyers.

With a cast such as Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin, it is a sit downer.

http://www.geekent.com/whatsentertainingthegeek/archives/pics/glengarry.jpg

Might be wrong, but I think this is the first time Jack Lemmon and Al Pacino work together in a picture.

[dean_martin]

Hey Smoke. I thought it was a GREAT film. Alec Baldwin's speech to the troops was hilarious (second prize is a set of steak knives). It also gave me that squeamish, uncomfortable feeling when Pacino is working the guy in the bar, and especially when Lemon shows up at the young guy's house. I did some selling over the phone and it's a "tough racket". We used "leads", but mine sucked. I remember asking for someone and on more than one occasion the answer was he or she passed away.

Hopefully da Worfster will chime in and elaborate on why he doesn't like this film.

[Woochifer]

I also loved this movie. Very interesting because it uses minimal cinematic technique. It has the feel of a stage production, and the cast is stellar.

[shokhead]

Never watched it,most likly because of the name.

[ForeverAutumn]

This is one of my favourite movies! I love it. The acting is great. Also, being in sales, I can relate.

Just give me the leads. I can sell anything if I have the right leads.

A film that reminded me a lot of Glengarry Glen Ross was The Big Kahuna starring Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito. The film is about three salesmen who are responsible for landing one big client. If I remember correctly, the whole film takes place in one location with a cast of only three. If you like Glengarry, make sure that you see this.

[topspeed]

This is a great movie! I actually wanted to use Baldwin's speech at one of our staff meetings, but a couple of my guys thought it would offend some people. Funny, I thought that was the whole idea!:skep:

Here's a taste:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TROhlThs9qY&search=Glengarry+Glen+Ross

Terrific acting by all involved and like Wooch, I also appreciated the stripped down feeling to the production. It is not a feel-good movie by any measure, but it is compelling as all get-out. Nobody does "pathetic" better than the late Jack Lemon. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it.

[Kam]

the scene from Boiler Room where ben affleck berates the crew of traders for not selling hard enough seems to be completely inspired by baldwin's ABC speach. Although their slight change was "you must be closing all the time" so it wasnt verbatim the same pitch. Still... a good monologue.

mamet (the playwrite) has an extremely concise way of having his plays done and you can see this in the movies that he's directed, check out the spanish prisoner as an example of his 'minimalist' approach. his dialogue is written extremely precisely, down to when one actor is to interrupt the other, what words overlap, etc. and the rehearsal process gets this down so much so, that the 'performance' (as in glengarry) is seamless and feels like its everyone talking, when those interruptions and overlaps are all rehearsed to the point of feeling natural. (also check out the untouchables for how depalma handles that mamet script). i also read somewhere (i think??) that mamet has said he wants the delivery of his dialogue to be as basic and simple as possible without the actor adding anything to the delivery. you can DEFN see this in the Spanish Prisoner, as steve martin, one incredibly lively person, gives the most simple, unaddorned (and maybe dull) performance.

anywhos thats my dull comments for the topic :)
k2

[Smokey]

Thanks guys for comments and movie recommendation. Definitely will check them out.

I thought Lemmon was the best in this movie, and as Topspeed said “Nobody does "pathetic" better than the late Jack Lemon”. But it was exciting to see all of these top guys working together.

May be they should do a sequel :D

[Worf101]

Hey Smoke. I thought it was a GREAT film. Alec Baldwin's speech to the troops was hilarious (second prize is a set of steak knives). It also gave me that squeamish, uncomfortable feeling when Pacino is working the guy in the bar, and especially when Lemon shows up at the young guy's house. I did some selling over the phone and it's a "tough racket". We used "leads", but mine sucked. I remember asking for someone and on more than one occasion the answer was he or she passed away.

Hopefully da Worfster will chime in and elaborate on why he doesn't like this film.

I think its one of the most disturbing, wrenching and telling dramas to be put to film in long, long time. I can't watch this film.. it's like torture to me. I grew up poor and one check from being evicted, I grew up watching desperate men trying to hang on and make it one more day. I avoid this film not because it's bad but because it's to damn true.

Da Worfster

[dean_martin]

I think its one of the most disturbing, wrenching and telling dramas to be put to film in long, long time. I can't watch this film.. it's like torture to me. I grew up poor and one check from being evicted, I grew up watching desperate men trying to hang on and make it one more day. I avoid this film not because it's bad but because it's to damn true.

Da Worfster

Glad you found this - I prolly shoulda pm'd ya. I recalled an earlier thread that kinda spiraled away from its original topic and ended up with some quotes from Glengarry like "You know what it takes to sell real estate, gentlemen? It takes brass balls to sell real estate." You made a rather sobering comment relating the film to personal experiences or observations. It stuck with me. I guess "didn't like" was too general a description.