How sad is this?

Good concept, poorly executed.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

These are some of the best actors ever. Pacino is amazing. You can see some of the Scarface acting here. But it's even better than that. Alec Baldwin is also great. He's only in one scene but it's perfect. All the other actors also did very well. The story is simple. And there are a few twists, not great. Without the acting, there wouldn't be much of a movie. It's fairly low key, all dialogue. Rating is an 8, B+, 10 given for balance. Must be seen.

This film is undoubtedly one of my favourites of all time and that's because of it's brilliant portrayal of salesmen, it's stellar, sorry interstellar cast and its driving plot.One thing I really liked about this film (and it's Pulitzer prize winning source) is its 100 minute run-time. In that short 100 minutes, the film expressed to me more about the sales business did than Wall Street did in 126 minutes.Unfamiliarity - In this film, we're given an unfamiliar situation. There's no other film like this, so this is the first time we're actually being placed in this sort of situation. That's what gets us intrigued.Familiarity - Majority of the film takes place in one room. That gives us familiarity in terms of setting. We feel like home in that room, in a sense that we know how the characters move inside. The same is with 12 Angry Men and Reservoir Dogs. If unfamiliarity got us started, familiarity keeps us going.Next, the performances. Can we change that Best Actor to Denzel Washington for Malcolm X and that Best Supporting Actor to Al Pacino for Glengarry Glen Ross? Al Pacino is fantastic in this film. Kevin Spacey's performance makes you sympathise with him and hate him at the same time. Jack Lemmon makes you love him. Alan Arkin and Ed Harris are equally great. Alec Baldwin really has "brass balls".On a last note, I cannot talk about this film without commenting on it's fantastic editing. The editing is just marvellous. We cut back and forth and back and forth really fast when the conversation keeps rambling. We feel the conversation's tension and its rhythm when the actors and editors do what they do best.

My father was a salesman for years. Amway, Jojoba, Legal And General, Ocean Salvage, etc. I would go out with him, a few times at night, and I would sit waiting, may'be two hours. on some occasions. He would come out, holding it in his stride. Had he stirred interest in a potential client, or was it a no show. He had me wondering every time. He was a good bloody salesman, in one job that's bloody hard, where patience and perseverance are tested. 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. He makes a meal of the role, savoring every moment of his screen time. This cameo, we thanks him as much as we did, Matthew McConaughey's in The Wolf Of Wall Street. Yes, it's harder to sell that great sell and speech. The real thing that works here is the utter desperation of these guys, trying to make a buck, where their potential clients, and no so potential ones, who are sucking them dry, especially Lemmon's wonderfully played character, where one feels his desperation, most. He's acting is top pro, done to such perfection and solid conviction, you don't want to tamper with it, in any way. This character has a lot to worry about. That scene with him, sweet talking the husband of a woman client, where minutes later, he practically shoves the door on him, was so sincere and believable, you would see this scenario happening right in front of you. We have a couple of potentials who turn out to be cuckoo. Things have got so bad, some of our employees, hungry for these new leads, these "Glengarry leads" and are willing to steal, where one resorts to just this, but who could it be. Bring on the thriller element. 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. You learn too, salesmen can be such backstabbers, towards their colleague's backs. I was much fascinated by Harris's character, as the much angry and jealous, hotheaded employee, with a sort of bullying nature, his great performance was stacked up beside the others. GGR is driven excitedly by dialogue and commanding acting, where the actual movie script, is almost description non existent, but we know we're safe here, when we're in the hands of David Mamet. You'll love the film as much as Pacino's voracious moments, and outbursts. 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. If you're a talk show host, you should see Talk Radio, if you're in real estate, you should see Glengarry Glen Ross.

Scatthing, Scarring, and Scary Film that exposes Capitalism and its Destructive Dogma. People are Expendable at the Expense of Greedy Ghouls feeding off the Savings and Hard Work, Gullibility and Weaknesses, of Victims too Uninformed, Polite, or Nice to say "No". God Help Them if the Check is Cashed before They change Their Minds.Nothing is Sacred except the Dollar. Human Beings are Stripped of Their Dignity and Their Souls in Pursuit of the Payoff. David Mamet's Screenplay from His Pulitzer Winning Play, uses Words like Weapons destroying the Fabric that holds "Civilized" Society together. The Salesman, in this case Real Estate but it could be Anything, is the Modern Alpha Male as Dangerous to Society as any Crime Lord. These Sales "People" play within the Law and that makes Them even more Dangerous because They can Hide more Easily.It's Frightening that this Film and its Philosophies, like Ayn Rand, is used by "Business" Students and at Seminars to "Motivate". Motivate? 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. This is Dialog Driven to say the Least, as is all of Mamet's Work and some say that this is His Best. Unnerving, Never Compromising, and Relentlessly Riveting, the Movie is too Painful to be Loved but must be Admired. Trouble is, it is sometimes Loved and Admired by all the Wrong People for all the Wrong Reasons.