Glengarry Glen Ross [1992]

This is not the first film distributed by Carlton that I've made the mistake of buying. It will be the last.


This Film is for Closers Only...   September 3, 2003
Michael Crane
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Welcome to the world of real estate, where the golden rule always is “A.B.C.” Always Be Closing. This means, lie, cheat, steal, whatever. As long as you get a signature on the dotted line, nothing else matters. And times aren’t the greatest for the salesmen at Premiere Properties. None of them are getting the good leads that they need in order to close. And if they don’t start closing soon, they’re going to find themselves out of the job. There are the “Glengarry” leads, but they’re reserved for closers only. And this heated-up and emotional drama gets even more deeper when it turns out that the next day the office was broken into and the Glengarry leads were stolen. In a business where lying, cheating, and stealing all are in a day’s work, everyone is suspect.

I cannot believe how long it took me to finally see “Glengarry Glen Ross”. As soon as I popped the DVD in, I fell in love with it immediately. It is so well written and well acted that you can’t do anything but watch in awe. And then, you want to watch it again and again. It quickly became a favourite of mine in no time.

The cast is sensational. You’ve got Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, and Alec Baldwin. Pacino is great as always and really steals the show during the second act of the film. Your eyes never leave him for a second. Jack Lemmon was also so terrific in it, and it’s heartbreaking that he didn’t win an Oscar. Everybody else did great in their roles as well.

What I liked about this movie most was the realistic dialogue. People may think that there’s a lot of profanities in this film, but this is the real world. People talk like this, especially in the business world. David Mamet did a spectacular job in writing it. I highly recommend reading the play if you enjoy this movie.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” is a fabulous film that had me hooked from the very beginning. It is now one of my favourites. If you love a good drama where the main focus is on the characters themselves, then this is the movie for you. The only flaw is the lack of special features, but that’s no fault of the film itself. Welcome to Real World 101. It’s a jungle out there. You think you’ve got what it takes to close the deal? “You call yourself a salesman, you S.O.B.?” Maybe you are... and maybe you’re not.


Must See!!!   June 28, 2002
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Mamet creates a world that is a pressure cooker of emotions. Greed, Envy and Regret feature large in a piece of work that ranks as a classic.

Times are bad and the "ballbreaker" Alec Baldwin is called from "downtown" to pit salesman against salesman. The winner gets a car, the loser his P45.

There are no explosions, no sex, no car chases, and no one gets killed. This film keeps you on the edge of your seat with words. Fast words, slow words, expletives, truisms, lies - the dialogue is thick and fast, each character pitch perfect.

Pacino plays the cocky, confident winner at the top of his game. Ed Harris the world weary cynic. Kevin Spacey the spineless manipulative boss and Jack Lemmon the "has been" scared out of his wits holding on by the fingernails.

As the story develops each characters hopes and fears become apparent. The common denominators greed and fear driving each of them in equal measure. The climax to the film is an indictment of human nature when pushed to the edge.

If you love film that is intelligent, insightful and raw, this film is for you.


Glengarry Glen Ross - Pacino on fire...   March 11, 2003
Jonathan Collin (Westcliff-On-Sea, Essex, UK)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This movie is ace! I only originally bought it because it featured most of the Al Pacino phrases that were on my Al Pacino sound board on my computer. Although this was clearly not the strongest reason to purchase a movie, it certainly paid off in this case.

Pacino was on top form as Richard Roma - a real estate salesman at the top of his game – nothing or no-one else can touch him in this movie. Jack Lemmon was also on fire as the older salesman who is attempting to fight through his ‘bust’ period and ensure that he keeps his job. Ed Harris plays a similar character with equal class and style, and Kevin Spacey is well cast as the head honcho of the real estate office, who is later revealed (by Pacino) to be little more than a glorified secretary.

The movie is unusual by modern-day standards in that it features no violence and no sex, just some bad (but not gratuitous) language, and it relies on fast spoken dialogue alone to pull it through. Due to some fantastic acting, and some great script-writing (not surprising since the film was based on a play by the same title), Glengarry Glen Ross easily holds the viewers attention for the full hour and forty minutes, and makes for gripping viewing throughout and up until the end of the nail-biting finale. I have never seen Al Pacino in as solid a performance as this before, which is really saying something considering his acting calibre.

For any Al Pacino fan, or for that matter, anyone after a movie than can entertain and enthral without the use of gratuitous violence or sex, this is a definite one to consider. You need to pay attention throughout but it really does pay off, especially as the film nears its gripping climax.

A fully deserved 4/5. (Only not 5/5 because I never give full marks as ratings – after all, how can something improve if it gets full marks, and nothing is perfect!)


If you only buy one film a year, this has to be the one!   March 10, 2000
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Glengarry Glen Ross is an excellent film. Supera acting by all actors involved. Based on David Mamet's 1984 play of the same name, this film is about a group of salesmen who will try anything to earn a dollar. As you watch the film, you become one with the characters and you start to feel for them in someway because of the great acting and brilliantly written script. The script is not for the faint hearted. It contains alot of bad language. But don't let that put you off. It's written in such a way, that you are laughing because the language are mainly written in form of insults to the other characters. Bottomline is, this film is worth everypenny and I highly recommend it to anyone.