Glengarry Glen Ross

Erik Bates: “It ruled.”

I had heard of this movie for so many years, but never thought to watch it. I never knew the "Coffee is for closers!" quote or the "A.. always. B... be. C... closing" quotes came from this one.

I also had no idea that this was an adaptation of a David Mamet play, as I am wholly unfamiliar with his work. The movie itself, however, feels like a play. There is a very limited number of players, and really only two locations worth mentioning - the office, and the bar/restaurant across the street.

To say I enjoyed the movie is an understatement. I sat down to watch it last night (and this part is a big deal for me), I watched it straight through without once checking my phone to look up trivia about the movie, check social media, etc. I just... watched the movie.

It was engaging. Jack Lemmon plays a salesman who you can tell was once great at his job, but just can't seem to get past his old methods, which don't work anymore. Al Pacino is the bullshit artist who does alright for himself, but his bullshit tends to catch up on him. Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Pryce, and Alec Baldwin round out the cast. Baldwin delivering those famous lines above.

I could go on about all the players in this film, because each of them brings an amazing performance on their own. A testament, I suppose to not only their acting ability, but Mamet's ability to create such dynamic characters.

− October 25, 2023 • more by Erik • log in or create an account to reply