A group of real estate salesman are called in for a meeting on a Tuesday night and a sales motivator (Alec Baldwin) lays it on the line: There will be a sales contest, 1st place wins a Cadillac, 2nd a set of steak knives, and 3rd you're fired. As the salesman scramble to sell, we see the hotshot seller (Al Pacino) tries to close with an ineffectual businessman (Jonathan Pryce), two incensed employees (Ed Harris and Alan Arkin) contemplate a robbery scheme, and an old loser (Jack Lemmon) tries to bribe the office manager (Kevin Spacey) for the leads. Directed by James Foley, "Glengarry Glen Ross" is a film crackling with vulgar, desperate dialogue. Adapted by David Mamet by his own play, the movie is vintage Mamet, stripped to its bare bones and containing no bullshit. We are guided by the poetry and the ferocity of Mamet's words, brought to life by the stellar cast. Baldwin's brutal, straight forward opening scene, which was written for the movie, sets the tone. Pacino and Harris are powerful in their roles and Lemmon is heartbreaking as the deluded and washed up salesman. Arkin and Spacey round up the cast nicely as well. David Mamet is one of my favorite screenwriters one because it is so blunt and engaging and two because of how well it draws an image in your head. "Glengarry Glen Ross" is quintessential Mamet and an acting showcase for some of our finest.
