On G List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
6/04, 4/05, 2/15, 3/17
4/05:
Death of a Fuckin' Salesman is how the all-star cast described Glengarry Glen Ross which started out as a play
that won David Mamet the Pulitzer Prize in 1984.
It can't be any further from the truth. Scorchingly great performances are given by Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin,
Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Pryce, and Alec Baldwin.
The dialogue penned by David Mamet is crafty and delightful to listen to, and the carefully created parallel threads make the
intertwining story compelling to follow. Every character has weaknesses, and that's why most of them weren't born to be a
salesman.
All in all, Glengarry Glen Ross, thanks to the all-star cast, is one of the best play-on-film pictures made.
2/15:
Aptly known as Death of a Fuckin' Salesman, Glengarry Glen Ross is one of the best examples of a
theatrical play succeeding on film.
It's because of the impressive all-star cast: Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, and Alec Baldwin,
boasting of 6 Academy Awards wins among 27 nominations. Try naming another film that matches or exceeds it.
David Mamet is a reliable screenwriter because of the way he crafts the dialogue to sound so good, and
Glengarry Glen Ross is no exception. What makes a theatrical play hard sell for film is the loquaciousness,
forcing many scenes to feel static. But not Glengarry Glen Ross. Everybody is given a short
time to say his piece before flipping it over to somebody else to quicken the pace. It's why there's such music when
listening to them.
All in all, Glengarry Glen Ross is a rare treat for watching some of the finest actors in the business.
3/17:
Glengarry Glen Ross is among great films when it comes to overall acting performances by an ensemble cast.
Listening to them go through their dialogue, it's amazing how marvelous they are. Recently, I watched Robert
Osborne's interview with Alan Arkin, and Alan called the movie a "murder" because of David Mamet's insistence on everybody
to perform as exactly as how the parts were scripted, right down to their facial emotions with no leeway. So, he, as
others did, had to rehearse his part over and over every day for a month before the filming began. When a scene
was done, he had to go back to the trailer with Ed Harris and rehearse even more. That's why it looks so easy on film, and
it's just a brilliant job.
I have to say Al Pacino gave the best performance of the show, hence the Oscar nomination. Alec Baldwin is a close second
and should've gotten one, too. Ed Harris and Jack Lemmon are perfect. Jonathan Pryce is great as well. Alan Arkin and Kevin
Spacey are okay, but not much of screen time was given to them in order to develop their characters more.
All in all, Glengarry Glen Ross is one of the most well-acted movies ever filmed.