This is a brilliant work by David Mamet in what is a Pullitzer Prize winning script  of great insight into the world of high pressure sales environments - where strictly being paid by "commission" takes its toll on the individuals involved.

David Mamet is well known for his work in somewhat esoteric circles of taste in this respect - as he was director in "House of Games" the other such great movie starring in this case, his former lovely wife Ms. Lindsay Crouse, and starring as well the talented Mr. Joe Mantegna

It is clear that Mamet has his mind well tuned to the brilliantly insightful nuances through well scripted glimpses into the human psyche around such situations as are similarly themed to some extent across such of his works as I mention here.

His genius is done justice with the brilliant acting too of Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon and a nice show as well by Alec Baldwin and the rest of the crew in this great movie offering. This script would be a great idea for a permanent run on Broadway too perhaps!

If you want to learn more about the sort of people who are the sorts often drawn into the high stakes game of "large ticket" commission sales such as real estate and fancy cars and what have you, or in any event want to gain more insight into the human condition with this well acted well scripted play, you wont want to miss out. By the way it certainly does in my opinion, fall into the category of deserving a "cult following" of sorts - as did "The house of Games" a movie that is also one of my favorites too.

Michael Rizzo Chessman
michael@moviesbyrizzo.com


Updated Review with 2160p moviesbyrizzo conversion version posting:

One of the two best movies ever made dealing with the people of
the Sales profession - the other being "Tin Men" my other greatest
favourite of this genre of tale

Stars Al Pacino Alec Baldwin Jack Lemmon Alan Arkin and Ed Harris

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) (Remastered) 1hr 40 mins (uses standard
subs for full 100 min version)

The work of Pullitzer Prize winning playwright Mr. David Mamet
(see as well: The House of Games -1987 with Joe Mr. Mantegna and
the real nice Ms. Lindsay Crouse)

(moviesbyrizzo 2160p conversion - we'd be waiting forever for the
studios to put one out and probably find a doctored HDR image no
one ends up happier that way that are our folks I assure you!)

DTS-HD Master English audio with Dolby AC3 tracks additionally for
ENG and ITA

Being is commissioned sales is no way to live. Everyone should have
a steady assured source of income with bonuses based on
performance that are reasonable in order to make the model
economical to sustain. Feast or famine is no way to exist and in fact
it drives many to acts of desperation in all it is that they get involved
in whether at work or relationships at home.

Then of course there is the predatory mindset that teaches the
derogation of the human spirit so as to spawn a devourer of sorts
bent on feeding his own needs of ego gratification and monetary
gain at the expense of good folk that they might end up preying on.
Alec Baldwin's Character in speaking to a salesman under his
command says "you are nothing - as my watch costs more than your
car". Many shallow superficial leadership types think this works and is
a valid way to look at people. How sad. as a formidable former Sales
Trainer and Human Relations coach, I can tell you intuitively that this
guy is out to lunch in the business of keeping his people rightly
motivated. Fear itself never motivates - it deters and it degenerates -
but its never rational in comparison as an approach to making people
perform when better tactics are available. As such "the bottom
of the list gets automatically fired every month" is a stupid way to exist
equally as some of the best do have an off month too now and then I
can say from first hand experience of what I saw while in the
Computer industry PC Corporate marketing sector in particular. (I
earned my licence potentially to sell Real estate at the age of 19 -
however didn't follow through back then despite an offer from a
Commercial Real Estate firm who offered a draw against commissions
to get me to leave my job as manager of a Stereo store).

This movie is the best look at such issues and since the plot revolves
around high-roller Real estate sales types, it certainly should be of
interest to many millions of people around the world caught up in the
life of sales that often has no real meaning to it when there is nothing
there in the way of secure other than last months sales as nothing
means anything until you sell again. The movie "death of a salesman"
similarly speaks to this illness that it breeds in feeling mainly exploited,
exploitative and not truly a valued member of the community
outside from being a commodity as it were.

There are many great people drawn to sales, and many get very rich at it. More power to you! few are well motivated around the likes of the character in this movie of Kevin Spacey as his human warmth is suspect of being only a gimmick as it were. As such, you should pick who you work with and work under with care as all you do will be affected by it in all aspects of your life.

Jack Lemmon gives us the clearest idea of a poor salesman in what is his complete lack of genuine care in his approach to customers as "an easy enough mark every time". This approach deserves to be a dismal failure and that is mainly what is the result as we see in the show.

Making men desperate drives them to desperate acts potentially and that is what we see occurs when some of the men decide to resort to outright theft to bring down their abusive employer and earn a better living elsewhere perhaps - as naive as that is to think could occur after such a false start.

The most magnificent performance in this movie and the bulk of the kudos belong most sincerely to Al Pacino's character. He is the most intelligent and humanly warm and caring of the crew with intuition and wisdom second to none. He is the best of men here as it were. That is clearly so despite a script that often doesn't seek to do justice top what are his real ideas views attitudes and feelings on matters at hand being discussed. Then again the wicked always seek to win at the expense of their betters and man hasn't yet overcome this fault of nature in a clear enough victory so as to change this truth forever
more in what remains of human existence on this earth potentially.

There is a reference to the failings of multicultural bliss as Pacino
rejects being given a lead bearing the name of "Patel" as he ribs
Spacey's own character in the movie

No to belabour, Enjoy the show and please seed to everyone you know in this great profession of ours along the way!

Michael Rizzo Chessman
(moviesbyrizzo)