Rating: 
Summary: You know what it takes not like this movie...Big Brass Balls
Review: I can't believe the prices I see this movie selling for at stores...It's almost an insult to the movie that it's so cheap. I'll take it though. This movie features just about all of my favorite actors Pacino, Spacey, Harris, and Lemmon. My favorite performance though believe it or not is Alec Baldwin. That may have been the most perfect performance of a one scene character in a movie I've ever seen. The screenplay actually steals the show more than these great actors and that's not putting the actors down at all since they're all at their peak. Pacino calling Spacey a "stupid c**t" is classic Pacino. Harris's acting is his machismo-smartguy best. Spacey is perfectly cast as the guy everyone hates. His ability to go from easy-going abnoxiousness to desperate angst makes his character very believable. Lemmon is the thinking man's actor. He's always aware of his character's motives and they are constantly switching depending on what situations take place. This movie is great to watch for people wanting to become actors. You can use many of the monologues as audition pieces in fact I saw a book the other day that contained one of them. Another movie I recommend to watch that is kind of similiar in that it has great actors and a great screenplay and has another fine performance of Jack Lemmon in it is 12 Angry Men (the remake).
Rating: 
Summary: Coffee is for closers!
Review: Anyone who has not yet seen a David Mamet film needs to do themselves a favor and get a hold of this one. Mamet transferred his play into this film version and put together an incredible cast to play the salesmen. How good is the cast when Alan Arkin is basically overshadowed both by the names on the list and the characters on the screen? Times are tough at Premiere Properties. Sales are down for all except Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), who is on a streak. The others have to endure a "sales conference" at the beginning of the film from corporate heavy Blake (Alec Baldwin) where he basically challenges their manhood and insults them in one of the funniest seven minute monologues in movie history. Basically, if they don't meet their quotas, they will be canned. Some of the veterans like Shelley "the machine" Levene (Jack Lemmon), George (Arkin) and Dave Moss (Ed Harris) then try to pick up from there and go sell this garbage real estate to the "deadbeats" the office manager, Williamson (Kevin Spacey) has given them as leads. The big problem is that there are new leads which are apparantly very promising, the Glengarry leads, but Baldwin and Spacey make it clear that they will only go to "closers", people who can get customers to sign on the dotted line. If you are not doing well, you don't get the best names. This presents a paradox. If you can't get legitimate customer prospects, how will you ever get out of the hole? Somewhere in the movie a crime is committed which changes the premise of the film for the second half, and the characters all have to respond to the new situation put upon them. What makes this a remarkable film is the dialogue. It's not for kids- this film features more swearing than most movies you will watch, but the actors really get into the lines they are given and are all enjoyable, except Arkin, who looks like someone who has had one too many labotomies. Lemmon is fantastic, as is Pacino. Harris is a sniveling crybaby and Spacey does a great job as an office manager who really does not know how to do the job he has been given. The DVD is good. Not great, but good. The DTS track is clear, as is the transfer. The first half of the movie is on a dark rainy night, which can be a problem visually, but the film handles it beautifully. The bonus features are ok, but I would have liked to hear Lemmon's commentary which was on the laserdisc. The other features are interesting, but nothing extremely special. I recommend this film. It is another example of why movies are good. They are not good for the computer graphics, or the explosions, or action. Movies are good because of good characters. That's the way it has always been. This film will give you great actors playing great characters. That's all you need.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: Melding 'Death of a Salesman' with 'Taxi Driver' and Mamet's own distinctive writing, this is a truly brilliant movie with a fantastic cast and a brilliant script. The text is really sharp and well-executed and challenging to the viewer, and we get top-notch performances across the board, particularly from Jack Lemmon, superb as Levine, the character most resembling Miller's Willy. This is somewhere in between Mamet's own arty, leftfield tendencies and a mainstream gritty urban movie and the combination works well, popularising Mamet's sometimes alinenating work. Top stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic film, disappointing DVD
Review: Those of you who are not aware of this film, or (worse still) David Mamet, ought to go out and rent this immediately. For the rest of you, I do not need to reiterate the genius of this movie. One of the best stage to screen adaptations ever produced. The cast is phenomenal, maybe perfect...even Alec Baldwin, and the dialogue and subtext is as perfect as Mamet has ever created. Unforunately, this piece was most likely not made for film, and while the direction is solid, there is little to be served here aside from The qualities listed above. Beyond this, the DVD is a bit misleading. I somehow doubt that two discs were ever needed, as very little is actually offered on them. While the tribute to Lemmon is emotive and the ABC documentary is intriguing, one is left feeling there could have been a bit more meat on this sandwich. Still, the actual story and performance is so fantastic that a bump in the road here or there couldn't detract all that much. Well worth a rent, and still worth a buy.
Rating:
Summary: "Put that coffee down! Coffee is for closers only!"
Review: If there was ever a film that deserved an Academy Award for best ensemble cast then this is it. Glengarry GlenRoss features a dream cast of thespian heavyweights: Lemmon, Pacino, Spacey, Harris, and Arkin. Alec Baldwin delivers an absolutely blistering performance as Blake. His character was not in the original stage play, Mamet wrote him specifically for the movie. Baldwin delivers a devastating monologue with ferocious intensity. Baldwin makes the most of his limited screen time as he dominates this scene with an astonishing performance. It is, hands down, one of the best monologues ever put on film. His performance is so good that the rest of movie is almost anti-climatic in comparison. Director James Foley successfully transfers Mamet's play to the big screen by creating atmospheric visuals. There is a somber mood that permeates almost every scene. The movie takes place mostly at night during an oppressive rainstorm. Juan Ruiz Anchia's rich, textured cinematography is the key ingredient in giving Mamet's play a cinematic look. All the locations are given their own distinctive colour scheme, in particular, the hellish red/navy blue of the Chinese restaurant that the salesmen frequent. The overall atmosphere is dark, like a film noir. Disc One features a 30-minute featurette entitled, "Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon." It is a touching tribute to the great thespian from the likes of actor Peter Gallagher, director James Foley and his son, Chris. Director James Foley provides an entertaining and engaging audio commentary. The folks at Artisan have wisely edited out all of the stretches of silence and only show the portions of the film that Foley actually talks over. Disc Two contains the bulk of the supplemental material. "ABC 'Always Be Closing'" is a 30-minute featurette on the real world of sales. The first half examines the various techniques that salespeople employ while the second half focuses on Glengarry GlenRoss. "J. Roy: New and Used Furniture," is a ten-minute featurette on a salesman named J. Roy and adds further insight into the world of salespeople but nothing to the movie itself. The highlight of this disc are the audio commentaries by cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchia, actors Alec Baldwin and Alan Arkin and production designer Jane Musky. Baldwin's commentary is the most interesting. He talks about how he got involved with Glengarry GlenRoss and how the actors did not like him because they had already bonded by the time he joined production. The most fascinating part of his audio track is when he talks at length and quite knowledgeably about the craft of acting. After hearing this commentary it is a shame that Baldwin does not do more of these-he is a natural. Also included is a ten-minute segment from The Charlie Rose Show that features Jack Lemmon talking about working on Glengarry GlenRoss and what attracted him to Mamet's work. On the lighter side, there is a funny clip from Inside the Actors Studio featuring Kevin Spacey and a student re-enacting the "Will You Go to Lunch?" scene from the movie. The folks at Artisan have assembled an impressive two-DVD set that is an excellent tribute to Mamet's signature masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: The Glengarry Leads
Review: ...Someone referred me to this movie and I found what I was missing. I do love it so!!! Some have said that Alec Baldwin's seven minutes are the best dialogue in movie history! No argument there. This movie with its incredible cast captures the whole aura of high-stress sales...to a T!
Anyone in sales knows. I can't stress how great this movie was.
On a positive note, I used the movie to motivate me to work my own "Glengarry Leads" to fruition. Thank God I didn't have to deal with anyone's "Nostalgia File"!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Get Real!
Review: Sorry to be out of step here, but this movie is simply awful! Awful because, the "real thing," the allegory for the Reagan Administration, the "evils of the free enterprise system," wasn't real at all. There is no sales office on the planet where this type of "lead chaos," language, mutinous and insubordinate talk, et al goes on - despite those who would like to ascribe the worst to business and business people. Baldwin's character is total BS; contests NEVER are Cadillac, then steak knives, then you're fired. Spacey's character is preposterous as it gets for a sales manager. The "second thoughts" buyer is a well-heeled idiot, and how many of those do you know? Using the "F Word" 500 times in a film does not make the dialog "gritty and real." Yes, some of the performances were top notch, and yes, there ARE a great many abuses in business, we see that every day, unfortunately; but this is just nonsense on a big screen.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless classic!!!
Review: Glengarry Glen Ross takes us into the world of real estate sales. Premiere Properties is going through some tough times. Veteran sellers Shelly "The Machine" Levene ( Jack Lemmon), Dave Moss ( Ed Harris), and George Aaronow ( Alan Arkin) are all in a big time slump. The only one who seems to be on a hot streak is Ricky Roma ( Al Pacino). To make matters worse, the heads of the company send down an executive motivator ( Alec Baldwin) to initiate a sales contest. The winner gets to keep their job, and the ones that fail to meet their quota, are fired. Office manager John Williamson ( Kevin Spacey)could help the sellers out by offering the new "Glengarry Leads", which point to legit clients wanting to buy. The problem is that, the leads are being held back, until they can all prove themselves. Unfortunately, someone decides to take matters into their own hands, and steal the leads. Now these men are forced to try and keep their jobs, as well as prove their innocence. This film succeeds on so many levels. The multi - layered story, is a beautiful combination of mystery, and a realistic look into the selling world. The film portrays all of the pressure that one feels when having to meet a sales quota. The quotes given in this film are especially realistic when dealing with sales. "Live by the ABC's. Always Be Closing!" Anyone in sales will especially love this film, because of how accurate it is. The mystery of who stole the leads, is impossible to solve. All three men seem guilty and have reasons why they would want to steal. The cast is what brought the story to life. All of them are equally brilliant, and bring something to the story. Al Pacino plays the hotshot Ricky Roma. Roma is a treat to watch because of how good he is at closing a deal. Jack Lemmon plays Shelly "The Machine" Levene. Levene used to be the best seller in the business, and now he is getting by on memories of his past glory. He refuses to believe that he is no longer "The Machine". Alan Arkin is great because of how naive he acts, and he refuses to accept the fact that they could be fired. Ed Harris is fantastic because he plays the "hot head" that blows up all the time and has a bad temper. Kevin Spacey is great because he plays the weasel of the story. He is the boss who is only out for himself, and feels no pity. Finally there is Alec Baldwin who makes a short but impressive cameo as Blake "The Motivator". The performance is explosive, charismatic, and he delivers some of the best lines of the film. As good as the film is, the DVD is better. It is extremely low priced and offers outstanding extras. The best extra is the documentary entitled ABC ( Always Be Closing). It traces the psychological intersection of fictional and real life salesman. There is also a tribute to Jack Lemmon, new interviews with the cast, commentary from director James Foley, and a lot more. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
Rating:
Summary: "...and third place? third place is you're fired!"
Review: It's a sad reflection on the state of the industry that this film took *so* long to make it to DVD in the U.S. One of the most fortuitous confluences of acting, writing, and production talent in any film that I know of, GGR is easily one of the greatest of its era. Mamet's dialougue often feels forced and contrived elsewhere (see "State and Main," a solid but mostly inferior script), but it is at its finest when coming from the mouths of these fast and foul-mouthed salesmen. Pacino, Lemmon, Harris, Spacey, and the rest of this truly all-star, perfectly-matched cast were obviously determined to take this project on as Actors, as some of the commentary shows, and they really did. We are never in doubt that this is a cinematic staging of a play, and in this sense it recaptures a nearly-lost sense of pacing and style that movie audiences took for granted decades ago. The film's production, although seemingly straightforward, provides some solid touches as well. The red-lights-in-the-rain motif is especially effective here, and it was very smart to move the story from Chicago to the desperate edges of NYC. The DVD extras could have been *much* better. For as much as I liked the idea of exploring what "real" salesmen do, this scattershot of just-barely-related documentary material didn't do it for me. But you're not buying this for the extras, anyway. This is an absolutely essential American film, as well as the one Mamet play with which every serious reader (or Simpsons fans, for that matter, who will immediately recognize Jack Lemmon's pathos as the source for "Gil") should be familiar. ABC!
Rating:
Summary: "Coffee's for closers only". Fortunately, the DVD is not.
Review: David Mamet's unquestionable masterpiece, Glengarry Glen Ross, was made into perhaps one of the best dramas of the early 90's. It stands as having some of the best dialogue of any movie I have ever seen, and definitely one of the best cast ensembles as well. This is one DVD release I couldn't wait to get my hands on. In the shady world of real estate sales, good leads (customers) can make or break the salesman. The Glengarry leads (the best available) have arrived at Premier Properties, but with a message that unless sales pick up, they will not be given the prime customers, and consequently be fired. The late Jack Lemmon plays Shelly "The Machine" Levene, a former top closer who is on a bad streak, and Al Pacino delivers a powerhouse performance as Richard Roma, the hotshot of the month. Two others (Ed Harris and Alan Arkin) are equally unahappy with their jobs, and conspire to strike back at the company they work for. The leads are "for closers only", so the pressure mounts on them to perform while their personal lives are in equal turmoil. This is one of the most depressing, but brilliant, stories ever adapted to film. The quality of the script and the acting speaks for itself. The characters are people who have sold their soul in the pursuit of money, but we are still able to sympathize with them. Lemmon in particular gives one of his grittiest performances as a truly tortured soul who is living under a constant raincloud. Al Pacino is way over the top with his character, with some of the juciest lines. It is easy to see why some people wouldn't like the script (the constant profanity), but the dialogue in this movie is priceless. The long awaited Special Edition is somewhat hit and miss with the special features. The pieces from "Inside the Actor's Studio" are priceless, the documentary "A.B.C. Always Be Closing", while not overly exciting, is very interesting. Also good is the Tribute to Jack Lemmon, where a handful of actors (including his son Chris) remember Jack Lemmon through anecdotes and other insights into his career and personality. Rather bland, on the other hand, is the comentary by Director James Foley. I was completely tedious at times. Otherwise, this is a quality DVD package. The transfer and the Widescreen presentation far surpass the laserdisc and VHS versions. There should be a law that states that every film buff should have this movie in their collection. It is that good. Some of the best performances from very distinguised actors and a script that can melt candles...what more could you want?
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