Feature Friday: Glengarry Glen Ross
It was a balmy Friday night during the summer of '95. Rueben and I were just returning from our weekly sojourn to Borders (sorry, JJ, I don't mean to be unfaithful, it's just that the Borders Siren call is too tempting to pass up - and they have those comfortable couches!). Mark had been trying desperately for me to watch this video he'd found for a couple of weeks. He told me it was about a bunch of real estate salesmen. Now, I worked (still do) day in and day out all week long with salesmen, and had no desire to watch a movie based solely on them. But, Mark was adamant (God bless him) and was standing at my front door when I got home. He wouldn't take no for an answer. Boy, I'm glad he didn't.
Title: Glengarry Glen Ross
Year: 1992
Director: James Foley
Staring: Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Jonathan Pryce
"Put that coffee down. Coffee's for closers only." It's 7:30 on a rainy night at Rio Rancho Estates, where there is one week left in the monthly sales contest. First place wins a new Cadillac El Dorado. Second place is a set of steak knives. Third place is you're fired. Oh, do I have your attention now? For the salesmen in the room, Moss (Harris), George (Arkin), and Shelley "the Machine" Levene (Lemmon), the message is clear: Sell. Or walk.
There is a fourth salesman, Roma (Pachino), but he's so far in the lead (close to $70,000 over Moss) that he needn't worry too much. In fact, he's across the street laying the groundwork for a big sale to James (Pryce), a guy he just met at the bar. After a more than sobering "pep-talk" from Blake (Baldwin), a messenger from the bosses downtown, it's the lower rung salesmen who have to prove themselves worthy of the new "golden" Glengary leads. These leads are locked up in the safe my office manager John Williamson (Spacey). What follows is a story that shows just how far people will go to save themselves.
If Playing By Heart was one of the greatest ensemble casts ever, then Glengarry Glen Ross is the Olympic Dream Team of ensemble casts. The end all, be all, of all that is all. Everyone in this film brought their A-Game, and I think each cast member gives the performance of their careers.
Where to begin? Kevin Spacey is outstanding as the college-trained manager with no sales experience. He runs a tight office and doesn't want to, or can't, understand why his people can't close the sells on the leads he's already given out. He's just a guy who wants to get home to be with his family. He's not the bad guy, but he isn't a salesman either. His Williamson sees things from a different perspective, one more along the lines of Mitch and Murray (the bosses downtown), and that doesn't bode well with the men under him, living on commission.
Alan Arkin is just a pleasure to behold. Every sales team has a guy like George Aaronow. Nervous and unsure of himself. Scarred to upset the client, so he doesn't push when he should. Always willing to follow, never to lead. Arkin has a way of blending into the background so well that his co-workers really don't even notice he's there. They use him as a sounding board for one scheme or another, but are never looking for his advice, only for him to parrot their ideas back to them. His George brings much of the needed levity in an otherwise dark, somber film.
Ed Harris plays Dave Moss, a bitter character with a chip on his shoulder. Always quick to find a way to place the blame on everyone else but himself, he's one of those guys who hate to see walking toward you, because you know he'll never have anything good to say. Harris plays Moss with so much anger and contemptment for the job, you wonder why he's still at it. Still, he manages to keep Moss from being 2 dimensional . There are moments of clarity just under the surface, just below the grimace, that another actor could not have pulled off.
Pachino is still king. His Ricky Roma moves as though he were 10' tall. He's all confidence and charm, and Pachino plays him with a suave that oozes out of the screen. You can tell he loved playing this part. His mannerisms and body language and the way his whole demeanor changes whenever he's with his co-workers as opposed to a potential client is staggering to see. Pachino is one of the best out there. This is the movie that shows us why.
Ah, Jack Lemmon. The man is a legend. In a time where he could have been living off of his fame and just calling in roles, he stepped up to the plate and knocked this one out of the park. His Shelley Levene is heartbreaking to watch. A former sales leader in the office, he's been in a slump for several years, barely making his monthly quota. He's starting to doubt his abilities, and is staring into the face of his own mortality. To make matters worse, his daughter is in the hospital, and her expenses are adding up. In a fit of desperation, he makes his way out into a thunderstorm to make a big sale. The look of elation on his face is wonderful. The man is just amazing to watch. It truly is a shame that he's gone.
And, Alec Baldwin. Hands down, the best monologue ever to be put on film. He gets to do more in his five minutes of screen time, and have more fun, than most actors get to in their entire carrier. It's that good.
The movie is based on David Mamet's excellent play of the same name. Mamet writes in a way I can only dream to achieve. His dialogue is so rich and powerful. And real. It's just a pleasure to hear the man's words. May he continue to work for many years to come.
James Foley does some great work here as well. This story is all acting, so the 3 or 4 small sets are merely afterthoughts. Which works great, as it has that theater feel to it. I've said that this movie could have been made for $10, and that isn't an exaggeration. This cast could have been acting in someone's garage with cardboard sets, and it would still have been great.
Thank you, Mark. I can be stubborn sometimes. I'm glad you didn't let up. Go watch it. And Always Be Closing!
-Jos
"Talent is that which is in a man's power; genius is that in whose power a man is." ~James Russell Lowell
Title: Glengarry Glen Ross
Year: 1992
Director: James Foley
Staring: Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Jonathan Pryce
"Put that coffee down. Coffee's for closers only." It's 7:30 on a rainy night at Rio Rancho Estates, where there is one week left in the monthly sales contest. First place wins a new Cadillac El Dorado. Second place is a set of steak knives. Third place is you're fired. Oh, do I have your attention now? For the salesmen in the room, Moss (Harris), George (Arkin), and Shelley "the Machine" Levene (Lemmon), the message is clear: Sell. Or walk.
There is a fourth salesman, Roma (Pachino), but he's so far in the lead (close to $70,000 over Moss) that he needn't worry too much. In fact, he's across the street laying the groundwork for a big sale to James (Pryce), a guy he just met at the bar. After a more than sobering "pep-talk" from Blake (Baldwin), a messenger from the bosses downtown, it's the lower rung salesmen who have to prove themselves worthy of the new "golden" Glengary leads. These leads are locked up in the safe my office manager John Williamson (Spacey). What follows is a story that shows just how far people will go to save themselves.
If Playing By Heart was one of the greatest ensemble casts ever, then Glengarry Glen Ross is the Olympic Dream Team of ensemble casts. The end all, be all, of all that is all. Everyone in this film brought their A-Game, and I think each cast member gives the performance of their careers.
Where to begin? Kevin Spacey is outstanding as the college-trained manager with no sales experience. He runs a tight office and doesn't want to, or can't, understand why his people can't close the sells on the leads he's already given out. He's just a guy who wants to get home to be with his family. He's not the bad guy, but he isn't a salesman either. His Williamson sees things from a different perspective, one more along the lines of Mitch and Murray (the bosses downtown), and that doesn't bode well with the men under him, living on commission.
Alan Arkin is just a pleasure to behold. Every sales team has a guy like George Aaronow. Nervous and unsure of himself. Scarred to upset the client, so he doesn't push when he should. Always willing to follow, never to lead. Arkin has a way of blending into the background so well that his co-workers really don't even notice he's there. They use him as a sounding board for one scheme or another, but are never looking for his advice, only for him to parrot their ideas back to them. His George brings much of the needed levity in an otherwise dark, somber film.
Ed Harris plays Dave Moss, a bitter character with a chip on his shoulder. Always quick to find a way to place the blame on everyone else but himself, he's one of those guys who hate to see walking toward you, because you know he'll never have anything good to say. Harris plays Moss with so much anger and contemptment for the job, you wonder why he's still at it. Still, he manages to keep Moss from being 2 dimensional . There are moments of clarity just under the surface, just below the grimace, that another actor could not have pulled off.
Pachino is still king. His Ricky Roma moves as though he were 10' tall. He's all confidence and charm, and Pachino plays him with a suave that oozes out of the screen. You can tell he loved playing this part. His mannerisms and body language and the way his whole demeanor changes whenever he's with his co-workers as opposed to a potential client is staggering to see. Pachino is one of the best out there. This is the movie that shows us why.
Ah, Jack Lemmon. The man is a legend. In a time where he could have been living off of his fame and just calling in roles, he stepped up to the plate and knocked this one out of the park. His Shelley Levene is heartbreaking to watch. A former sales leader in the office, he's been in a slump for several years, barely making his monthly quota. He's starting to doubt his abilities, and is staring into the face of his own mortality. To make matters worse, his daughter is in the hospital, and her expenses are adding up. In a fit of desperation, he makes his way out into a thunderstorm to make a big sale. The look of elation on his face is wonderful. The man is just amazing to watch. It truly is a shame that he's gone.
And, Alec Baldwin. Hands down, the best monologue ever to be put on film. He gets to do more in his five minutes of screen time, and have more fun, than most actors get to in their entire carrier. It's that good.
The movie is based on David Mamet's excellent play of the same name. Mamet writes in a way I can only dream to achieve. His dialogue is so rich and powerful. And real. It's just a pleasure to hear the man's words. May he continue to work for many years to come.
James Foley does some great work here as well. This story is all acting, so the 3 or 4 small sets are merely afterthoughts. Which works great, as it has that theater feel to it. I've said that this movie could have been made for $10, and that isn't an exaggeration. This cast could have been acting in someone's garage with cardboard sets, and it would still have been great.
Thank you, Mark. I can be stubborn sometimes. I'm glad you didn't let up. Go watch it. And Always Be Closing!
-Jos
"Talent is that which is in a man's power; genius is that in whose power a man is." ~James Russell Lowell
posted by Josh at
7:57 AM
2 Comments:
Hey... I know you're still reading the newest Stephen King, so I thought you'd be interested in this: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?ISBN=0743289412&userid=2V149N1ATL&cds2Pid=210&linkid=622357
By
Anonymous, At
9:46 AM
Sweet! Thanks, JJ!
By
Josh, At
4:59 AM
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