We are on a journey of exploration among movies and documentaries about dog-eat-dog capitalism. Today we went with the true classic of the genre, Glengarry Glen Ross. It’s exactly the kind of movie I like. No special effects, no high-speed chases, no gimmicks. Only acting.
This movie was made long before wokeness, so it’s pure enjoyment. Every actor is a star, and it’s impossible to say who does a better job because everybody shines. The environment in a shady sales outfit is rendered perfectly. This is exactly how it works in real life, with the dreaded board where everybody’s sales tally daunts the room, with the terror of a dry streak where sales begin to evaporate. To me, it’s an employment from hell but the salesmen in the movie (and in real life) clearly dig it. It’s a curious world, and the movie does it justice.
As I watched Glengarry Glen Ross, I thanked heaven for having a less talkative husband than the men in it. He probably says fewer words in a year than one of these salesmen do in an hour of screentime they share with 7 other extremely verbose gentlemen.
It’s a brilliant movie, friends. Highly recommended.
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David Mamet at his best.
I’ll stop before I start to sound like that infamous monologue of John Travolta’s in “Swordfish”.
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“Glengarry Glen Ross”
I remember when that came out and thinking I’d hate it (because I would hate such a life). Then I saw it and loved it.
Everybody talks about Alec Baldwin’s speech but for me the highlights were:
Al Pacino’s opening sales pitch – great illustration of the idea that people don’t buy particular products out of need but to try to fill unmet psychological needs.
Jack Lemmon’s excruciating in person visit to try to get out of his sale slump – what it looks like when the timing and delivery is off, like an aging ballerina who can’t quite pull it off anymore (and/or what happens when buying the product would worsen the customer’s cognitive dissonance instead of temporarily soothing it).
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I’m not usually a fan of Al Pacino because that whole mafia thing is boring to me but in this movie he really gave his all. His miserable eyes during every sales pitch are golden.
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Concerning “Glengarry Glen Ross”
I have seen a live production of this play. I suspect it was even better than the movie.
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Theater is always better, in my opinion.
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