Today’s quick review: Glengarry Glen Ross. John Williamson (Kevin Spacey), the head of an Arizona real estate firm, calls in Blake (Alec Baldwin), a speaker from the firm’s parent company, to motivate his salesmen. The four salesmen (Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Al Pacino) are given a challenge: at the end of the month, the two salesmen will earn prizes, while the other two will be fired.
Glengarry Glen Ross is a minimalistic sales drama with a great cast and unusually strong dialogue. The movie takes place over the span of two days as the salesmen use every trick at their disposal to either win the contest or talk John out of it. With high stakes for their careers and poor prospects to work with, the men are forced to confront the fact that their situation may be unwinnable.
The four salesmen go about their tasks in different ways. Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) gets to work, laying on as much charm as possible but struggling against the inadequacy of his leads. Dave Moss (Ed Harris) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) see the challenge as impossible and begin to plan a way out. Meanwhile, Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), confident in his abilities, drinks with a client to close out one last sale.
The dialogue is the film’s most distinctive feature. Repetitive, argumentative, and coarse, the dialogue is nevertheless engrossing. Tempers run high at the firm, and unlike most shouting matches, each clash between the characters produces a clear winner. As such, the dialogue moves the story forward even when it seems to be going in circles, and the actors’ excellent delivery and conflicting personalities make their conversations interesting to watch.
Watch Glengarry Glen Ross when you are in the mood for a mundane but impassioned drama with an excellent cast and great material for them to work with. The movie offers little in the way of plot, mystery, or spectacle, but its rock-solid fundamentals give it an appeal all of its own.
7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for great dialogue and acting with minimal plot.