Films The Deserved Better - Glengarry Glen Ross
Posted by John Campeaon 23. 10. 2007in Features
FILMS THAT DESERVED BETTER is an ongoing feature here on The Movie Blog of movies that failed to attract an audience at the theaters and failed to perform well at the boxoffice, yet were exceptional films. We just want to give out a hardy slap on the back and say “We love ya anyway”.
What can be said about this true, unquestionable masterpiece of filmmaking that hasn’t been said 100 times before? Yet another example that many of the very best movies are about characters… rich, full, interesting and diverse characters… and Glengarry Glen Ross soaks every ounce of that. Listen to this cast:
Al Pacino
Jack Lemmon
Alec Baldwin
Alan Arkin
Ed Harris
Kevin Spacey
Are you freaking kidding me?!?! The synopsis looks like this: “A group of real estate salesmen in Chicago vie for the best “leads” at a small firm selling property in “resort” areas, such as Florida and Arizona. When a hotshot executive from the head office arrives and proposes a vicious sales contest, competition gets stiff, and salesmen who have worked a lifetime for the company find their jobs in jeopardy.”
Al Pacino was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in this film… Jack Lemmon gives the very best performance of his career… and I would argue one of the 10 best performances ever given in the history of film as the once great salesman, now very down on his luck Shelley Levene. The performances are the stuff legends are made of, the dialog is sharp as hell and fills the air with thick clouds of tension, despair, desperation and conflict all crafted so perfectly that you’re engaged with every single spoken word.
There are a lot of “Top 100 films of all time” lists out there that include this gem on it (mine included), and deservedly so. And yet, with a 98% critic rating… this amazing film only managed to pull in $10 million at the box office. What a shame. What a damn shame.
So listen, if you’re one of the MANY people out there who have never treated yourself to this phenominal film… jump on Netflix or run out to your local dvd shop and grab yourself a copy. I swear you won’t want to get out of your seat for a moment that this thing is on. It’s a fantastic film… and it certainly deserved better.
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When I first watched this film, I sat there with my friends afterwards and we both tried to nail down exactly why we dug this film and nothing we could come up with made sense. It SHOULD have been duller than shit, but to this day I still really like it.
It was also the very first time I was introduced to David Mamet.
Not introduced personally that is. I just meant to his work.
This movie is great because of its dialogue and story. It is based on a play, so there are only two set pieces: a bar and the office. But the characters are so interesting and the conversations are very compelling. This is what happens throw a bunch of phenomenal character actors into a movie with no compelling set pieces but is full of wonderful dialogue and story.
Plus it is one of the best “salesman inspirational movies”. I know quite a few salesmen (car, computer, insurance, etc, people who make a living selling to others) who quote the movie’s philosophies as their bible. The philosophies may be dirty, crude, and lack compassion, but then again that is how the salesmen work.
When the title is as hard to say out loud as it is to read, people are going to ignore the movie. Why do you think actors change their name? For mass appeal of course. So why wouldn’t a movie go for a mass appeal title?
best line
“what’s your name?”
“fuck you….thats my name”
Yes! Alec Baldwin rules this movie.
I loved this film. ‘A - Always, B - Be, C - Closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING!’
Pacino’s frustrated rant near the end is awesome:
‘Where did you learn your trade you stupid f**king c**t. You Child!’
I will make sure to pick this one up. The synopsis sounds like just my cup of tea.
I owned this movie on VHS & I own it on DVD. I tried to put some of my friends on to this movie, but some didn’t like & others said, they liked it, but I suspect to spare my feelings. I love this movie. And Alec Baldwin’s small part always gets rewound atleast 5 times.
Mamet turned profanity into an art form with this film.
Haha - I have some Indian coworkers who’s last names are Patel - I give them shit for it cause they’ve watched the movie as well - of course they loved it. What’s not to like about this movie? I think the Simpsons even have a character (Gil) that they use which I think they got the idea from this movie. How would you compare this movie to Boiler Room? I know one is real estate and the other is a brokerage firm. How else would you compare these two movies?
MILD SPOILER!
I really like this film but I have to be honest - past the Alec Baldwin scene, the first half of the film drags for me. It’s only in the morning after robbery do I really get absorbed in it.
Still, great performances and certainly a movie worth checking out.
AH this movie is so good in so many ways…..this to me is ultimate baldwin.
AWESOME FILM
Love this movie. The story, characters, cast, performances, direction, made this one of my favorite films of the 90s and of all time. This is a great movie. Not one bad performance throughout the entire movie. While it does move slowly at times it never gets boring and absorbs into its story along with the characters. You laugh at them, feel sorry for them, and dislike them at times. Great movie.
Coffee is for closers.
Awesome cast. Jack Lemmon steals the movie.
Glengarry parody trailer
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QipAqdomO3I
Great flick. Baldwin parodied himself on SNL. Hilarious:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nqBXl0tVzv0
while everybody always mentions Pacino or Baldwin,i must say that my fave scene is still the exchange between Ed Harris and Alan Arkin in the bar.Poor Alan doesnt know what train hit it till its too late!
This scene is Mamet dialogue at its best.