Glengarry Glen Ross
For anyone who ever thought about a career in sales, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), directed by James Foley (At Close Range) may just be the perfect antidote to that idea. Led by an ensemble cast including Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin and Jonathan Pryce, the story tells the tale of a disheartened real estate sales staff in search of the next best lead -- in this case, the highly-coveted Glengarry leads -- which John (Kevin Spacey), the office manager and apparent "gatekeeper" of the leads, keeps hidden away under lock and key.
Set in Chicago, the picture follows the sagging careers of four salesmen -- Dave (a.k.a. "Moss," played by Harris), Ricky (Pacino), Shelley (Lemmon) and George (Arkin) -- down on their luck, and getting up there in years, struggling to sell real estate that nobody wants to buy.
Glengarry Glen Ross is a somewhat tragic glimpse into their shady and unpredictable world, and the behavior that some resort to in moments of desperation to make a buck. It's sort of a modern-day "Death of a Salesman."
Why is this film a college classic? Because of a memorable scene that'll have you hitting the rewind button on your remote (and perhaps hitting the bottle) again and again. Blake (Baldwin) is a hot-shot executive sent down from the corporate office to spark a fire under the staff's asses and incite them to sell. He delivers a scathing, unforgettable "pep talk" to the group late one night in which he informs the underachieving staff that a new sales "contest" is to commence, whereupon the first prize winner will receive a new Cadillac, the second prize winner is rewarded with an oh-so-enviable set of steak knives, and the unfortunate recipient of third prize is, regrettably (or perhaps not), fired.
Clearly caught off guard by Blake's fervor and intensity, Moss demands to know the tyrant's name, only to be rewarded with this pointed answer: "What's my name? Fuck you! That's my name! You know why, mister? 'Cause you drove a Hyundai here tonight and I drove an $80,000 BMW -- that's my name!" And it all goes downhill from there, as Blake proceeds to rip each of them a new asshole in his own uniquely persuasive fashion.
Luckily, there are some comedic parts thrown in to lessen the somber tone of the film. During one scene, Moss and George have a conversation in which neither one says it outright but it is heavily implied that breaking into John's office and stealing the leads may be their only hope. It unmistakably smacks of Abbott and Costello's infamous "Who's On First?" dialogue.
There's nothing comedic, however, about Lemmon's stellar performance as Shelley "The Machine" Levine, a washed-up has-been who is desperately clinging to his crumbling reputation as a "closer" of deals. You can see his painful, palpable transformation as Levine watches his career (and some would say his life) slowly slip away. It's one of Lemmon's last great roles.
The screenplay, written by David Mamet, was adapted for film from the stage version. Interestingly, Mamet took inspiration for the story line from his own personal experience in a similar work environment. You'll take inspiration from knowing that no matter how badly your future or current job sucks, surely it can't be as bad as theirs.
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Although the downbeat film doesn't seem like it's made for drinking, Baldwin's ass-ripping diatribe may have you pounding a few brewskies in his honor.
What could be more uninspiring in the romance department than watching a bunch of losers work their way slowly and painfully towards unemployment? The incessant, gratuitous use of the "F-word" alone may send the more mild-mannered running in the opposite direction.
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