Review of Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) by Nick S — 21 Jan 2012

Adapted from a play by David Mamet, the film is so richly enthralled in its dialogue and the characters are perfectly cast. Alec Baldwin's speech has become on of the most famous dialogue pieces in cinematic history.

Jack Lemmon is perfect as the loser salesman trying to survive. Al Pacino is at his best, as the smart-mouthed and incredibly eccentric main character who isn't even aware of the conflicts around him.

Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey are all fantastic. This ensemble cast has so much chemistry, that the fast and hilariously entertaining dialogue becomes so natural. They feel like real people, or real salesman trying to buy their way to safety from a failing company.

The sequence where Ed Harris and Alan Arkin are talking about the importance of having good "leads," is one of the greatest scenes in movie history. The amount of takes it must have taken. If you watch this scene, you'll have a new found respect for those two actors.

The film is really just about an inconvenience, and it doesn't unfold into a thriller or into dramatic cinema. It just feels the way something would happen in real life. And the conclusion or ending to this movie is just perfect.

Every actor brings their all and the screenplay is brilliantly written by Mamet, who captures you with every word spoken on the screen. "Glengarry Glen Ross" is an unforgettable classic that's so good, it makes you want to write your own screenplay like Mamet.