(Movie Review) The other day I was wasting time surfing the internet when I came across the phrase (I don't remember where anymore) "coffee is for closers" (W). And this reminded me that I had never seen "Glengarry Glen Ross", and that it might be worth checking out.
Well, it turns out, youtube had a copy posted. (Which, as of this writing, is still available online here). So I was able to watch the thing.
Although this movie came out way back in 1992, I was completely unaware of it for years. In fact, only in the past couple years did I start catching references to it--such as the "Star Wars parody" internet video someone made (viewable here).
Of course, a lot of cultural things tend to fly right over my head, so you can't always put to much stock into this. But perhaps one of the reasons I had been so completely unaware of this movie is because it was an independent film and did not get the big hollywood roll out (see wikipedia article for more information.)
The film is based off of a play, and you can really tell. There's no big action sequences, but the entire thing consists of characters sitting around talking.
However, as with any good play, they talk really well. The dialogue is incredibly well written, and the actors know how to really chew it up.
Despite being an independent film, this project managed to attract an all star cast: Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, and, perhaps- my- favorite -under-rated actor, Kevin Spacey. And all of them turn in a really great performance.
The ending left me feeling slightly unsatisfied, but that's my only complaint.
The play is apparently partly based on David Mamet's real life experiences as a real-estate agent (W), and you've got to wonder how many people decided to steer clear of that career path after seeing this movie. It does not create a very appealing portrait of that life.
This film is also apparently notorious for it's use of foul language. I was slightly surprised when I read that. Sure, this film drops the F-bomb a lot, but by today's standards I wouldn't say it stands out.
But then, 1992 is already over 15 years ago. Is it possible standards have changed even in that short of a time? Did films like "Pulp Fiction" (which came out two years later) create a bit of a sea change in our sensitivity to profanity? I don't know.
But then, 1992 is already over 15 years ago. Is it possible standards have changed even in that short of a time? Did films like "Pulp Fiction" (which came out two years later) create a bit of a sea change in our sensitivity to profanity? I don't know.
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