thejcowboy22
One of the greatest cons of all time is the sale. Convincing someone to buy a product, even if they are just looking or vaguely interested. The art of the sale. I admire my Son cause he has the gift of selling. Starting out as a young car salesman in Rhode Island My son learned his trade by studying body gestures and facial expressions. Went to seminars just to learn how to win over someone's confidence implementing empathy with the customer, staying focused on your goals with a certain responsibility supplementing persistence and optimism despite the numerous rejections. Many intricate parts to the art of the sale but what it takes to sell real estate "BRASS BALLS". Glengarry Glen Ross is such a picture as it takes a look at the underbelly world of sales, Following the lives of four real estate salesmen. Unscrupulous, cunning and crafty but reaching a dead end with empty leads dispensed by the office manager Williamson (Kevin Spacey). The story draws the initial attention to a slumping salesman Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) who is on the phone discussing a medical issue about his ailing daughter. Shelley's daughter's illness never goes any further in detail but Shelly needs to close an account for her medical care. Now, in his early Sixties, Shelley Levene was once a dominant force in the real estate game. Shelly, has fallen on hard times and Williamson lets him know it. A meeting is held in the home office as a brash well dressed man enters the Room as he see Shelly pouring coffee and orders him to put the coffee down. "Coffee is for closer!" exhorts the tall stranger who's name is Blake (Alec Baldwin). This scene is worth watching as the revolting Blake tells the dyer realities of not closing a customer with the consequences of losing their jobs. Blake continues his sermon to these frustrated salesmen telling them either they sell these properties and use the leads you already have.Alec Baldwin gives a speech that reminds me of the movie Patton starring George C, Scott with strength and conviction yet arrogant to his audience as Dave Moss (Ed Harris) questions why he wastes his time preaching how great salesman he is to us losers. Blake's brash reply, "Cause Mitch and Murray asks me to." In Blake's hands are the New Leads but he indicates you don't get them. Shelley insists the existing leads are a dead end. Blake drives into high gear as he tells them their wimps and that he could close them himself and make $15,000 dollars tonight on those leads. Meanwhile Rick Roma (Al Pacino) is in a local restaurant/bar trying to sell properties to an unsure, indecisive buyer James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce). Roma does a fine job playing on Lingk's insecurities.Making the sale sound like more of an opportunity than a purchase and done quite eloquently. Shelley desperate due to his daughter's health tries to meet with Williamson to get the new leads Bribing Williamson with money he doesn't have. Williamson tells Shelly forget it; no chance as he leaves Shelley in the rain. In an another car Moss meets with another salesman George Aaronow (Alan Arkin)who seems a bit inexperienced at this sales job as Moss has a plan to have George break in the office and steels the new leads and sells them to a competitor. George wants no part of that scheme. We follow Shelley to one of his potential sales but the persons isn't interested in buying. I felt that scene was important to show the frustration and hopeless downward spiral salesmanship can become. The authenticity of the scene shows a last ditch effort for a sale vanquish in failure. Poor over-the- hill Shelley wearing his Fishing hat and raincoat gives you empathy in the Shelley character as the next morning's events will show. Desperation can drive a man to do anything. Alan Arkin's Character shows a believable lack of confidence and tremendous helpings of paranoia. Pacino and Lemmon work well together in the office scenes as authorities close in on the suspect. Spoiler Alert!!! but worth seeing The climactic ending. Lemmon is verbally pounding Spacey against the ropes and this leads to a dramatic turnabout as the Levene character incriminates himself and Spacey has the upper hand. Shelley breaks down in shame would make Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman look minor by comparison. I felt that Spacey had the best lines in the movie among this all-star cast. This reminds me of the Ray Charles song entitled "BUSTED" as one of the lines was ,"I am no thief but a man could go wrong when he's busted. Shelley's desperation lead him down the wrong path as his best years are behind him in many ways . Sorry realistic commentary by screen writer David Mamet.I give this classic movie 7 sets of steak knives.
Matthew_Capitano
Pretty cool movie written by one of my favorite writers, David Mamet.A group of untalented salesmen are pressured by their company to hike their production numbers or else lose their jobs. Somewhat unbelievable script, but solid acting all around.Here are some of the film's inconsistencies:1. 'Blake' (Alic Baldin) asks if all those required to be at the meeting are present. Office manager Williamson (Kevin Spacy) says one guy, Roma (Al Pastinko), is absent, but Roma is the top salesman and he does not need to be there. Still, Blake says "Well, I'm starting with the meeting anyway". Later, Moss (Ed Haris) questions Williamson, "Roma doesn't have to be here because he's the top man on the board?", to which Williamson answers, "That's correct!").2. 'Blake' boasts of being a great salesman, but the 'leads' (prospective clients) which he speaks highly of, are, in fact, worthless, as Williamson states later ("Those clients are insane.... would you like to see the memo from the main office?").3. Roma goes to the barfly's private home to meet the loser's wife. It makes sense that Roma would get the inebriated loser in the bar to sign a contract to buy unseen land, but the loser's wife is the smart one, as she sends the barfly to see Roma the next day to cancel the contract, therefore, why would the barfly's wife sign the contract, too?4. Roma accuses Williamson of losing him his bonus Cadillac for being 'Number 1' in sales for the month, and of ruining a deal Roma was working on which cost him his 10% cut from the deal, which is true... Roma would have lost that, but the bonus Cadillac Roma would get for being the top salesman in the office would still be his.5. How could the competition (developer Jerry Graff who works "across the street"), be so stupid as to risk his business reputation and personal welfare by purchasing the stolen 'Glengarry Leads'?Also featured is the competent Jack Lemon and Alan Arken portraying a down-trodden soul. If Al Pastinko had any balls, he would have wanted to play the part of the loser, Levine (Lemon's character), instead of the 'top salesman', Roma, who is 'respected' while he walks around with a wad of money in his pocket. And of course, Roma doesn't have to be around for Blake's caustic verbal tirade, which is part of the reason Pastinko opted to play Roma).One question over-rides the entire proceedings: Why would these idiots stay with this terrible excuse for a job in the first place?
ironhorse_iv
This movie wasn't a hard sale to me. Full of morality bankrupt, profanity spitting, corrupt characters trying to survive in a harsh environment like real estate made a worthwhile watch for me. I was going to see this movie, no matter what. After seeing it, this movie adds up to be, one of the most fearless uncompromising films, I ever saw, on the dark side of the America capitalism. Directed by James Foley, the movie follows the group of everyday real estate salesmen: Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), Shelley Levine (Jack Lemmon), George Aaronow (Alan Arkin), & Dave Moss (Ed Harris) being forced, by an a group of aggressive representative from the corporate office, in office manager, John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) & William Blake (Alec Baldwin) to sell more property or be fired if they fail. Driven by the "always be closing" mentality, the stress of their job, will ultimately pushes the characters into new ground of dishonestly and corrupted in order to save their job. Indeed, every dream has a price, but the question, is it really worth it? Watch the movie to find out! Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, this is one of the greatest acting ensemble cast, I have ever seem. While, all of the real estate characters do seem a bit shallow, unlikeable and too mean-spirited. I just glad, the film had all-well fine actors in it, so you would stick around, and watch the characters, rather than getting turn off, by their actions. All of the actors in this film, were masters in their own sense of style and work. I love how Kevin Spacey was able to make the jump from theater work to film. I love how Alan Arkin was able to expand his character's back-story. I love how Ed Harris was able to put his words, in, despite originally getting the fewer amount of scenes in the original play. I also love how Al Pacino was even able to show up for this film, despite originally not being able, too. However, I love Jack Lemmon's performance in the film, the most. His performance was so good that the Simpson's create a character call Gil Gunderson in his honor. Even Alec Baldwin, whom character wasn't even in the original Broadway stage-play was amazing! I love the tone and delivery of his famous speech. It remind me, so much of "Greed is good' type monologues from 2000's Boiler Room, 2013's Wolf of Wall Street & 1987's Wall Street! I also love how David Mamet's screenplay considerably expanded his original play script for this movie. It provide more context of the pressure placed on the salesmen. Many critics, consider the screenplay to be far superior than, the Pultizer Prize winning original text; and I agree with that statement. Ever since its release, the film has been used to train real life salesmen how to sell and how not to sell. However, the movie does have some flaws. Since, the movie is based on the 1984 Tony winning stage play of the same name, it's limited to a few location sites. For a movie about selling real estates; you rarely see any of the sites like Clear Meadows, Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms, at all. Not only does most of the movie take place in the dull looking main office, but most of the film's astrosphere is depressing and gloomy. Nothing, but rain. Still, I have to give the movie some credit. Its melancholy tone does match with the jazz music that composer James Newton Howard, fish out for this film. I just wish, this movie wasn't limited by the amount of characters actors. Due to this, it feels weird, never to see, certain important characters like Doctor Ravadem Patel, Jerry Graff, the Nyborg couple or even the business partners, Mitch & Murray. You would think, that they would, at least, have a few scenes with them. We don't even see, any female characters in the film at all; only mentions. Not having important characters like James Lingk & Larry Spennel's wife, seem kinda wrong. It's also very odd, how uber masculine, this movie is. Seeing how in the real-life, 1990s, there is more female real estate professionals than men working that in field. You would think, there would be, at least, one female agent, but no! Because of this, the movie does seem, a little bit of a sausage feast. While, the movie can seem a bit unrealistic, due to a real estate office being able to yell and spit out that much profanity at each other, without getting fired. I just glad, most of the dialogue wasn't boring. Still, there were some parts, that felt like I was listening to a telemarketer, non-stop. Because of this, I kinda felt like the pacing for this film was indeed, drawn out and tedious. It really takes forever to get anywhere or establish anything. Since, the movie had so much salesman lingo and pitches, the movie could also, be a bit confusing at times. The most confusing scene in the film has to be the talk between James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce) and Richard Roma. A lot of people are saying that both men are gay due to the sexual references in his speech. However, as I see it, Roma smartly trying to use that, to seduce him into a sale. It's nothing more than lying and exploitation. This scene shows the dangers of American Capitalism. You really can't trust, a salesman with anything. Overall: This animalistic movie is a must watch. If you like the 1969's documentary, Salesman, 1985's Death of a Salesman or 1987's Tin Men, I think you would love this movie as well. So check it out. It's an extremely well-acted tragedy about men being force on the edge.
