Movie Review: Glengarry Glen Ross

Credit: Glengarry Glen Ross

Considering the fact that this movie is focused in two primary locations and that it has to do with selling real estate, one might think that it’s kind of a boring movie simply because there’s not a lot to it. Some folks might cling to that idea since the truth is that unless one is really into this subject, real estate can be kind of boring. The reason why this movie stands out is that it has an impressive ensemble cast that can entertain people with less than an unknown cast might require. The combination of Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, and a few other faces that are well-known in Hollywood helps in a very big way. If not for this cast, the movie might not have worked as well as it did, and it wouldn’t have been as memorable to so many people. Putting it plainly, each man on this roster has managed to entertain the masses on their own, so putting them together almost feels like overkill, but the way it was filmed was helpful since they weren’t all in the same place that often. 

credit: Glengarry Glen Ross

The seriousness of real estate is understated at the best of times.

Like any real business, real estate is the type of job/career that a person makes of it. The idea is that real estate is tough when it comes to making a career isn’t a joke, in all honesty, especially since getting people to spend money on something that’s going to tie them down for years at a time is a big decision that a lot of people want time to think about. The best salesmen out there are those who can make a sale in a day or two and make the buyers feel that they’re getting the better end of the deal or are at least being satisfied. This movie shows that salesmen aren’t perfect and that they all have different levels of skill.  It also shows that there are a lot of hucksters out there just waiting for someone to lay their schtick on. 

Realizing how brutal the business can be is interesting. 

Alec Baldwin’s part in this movie proves that the feeling toward real estate and those who complain about the ability to sell can be utterly unforgiving since it does require that a person be able to convince their clients that what they’re selling is needed and that if they pass up on it, they’re passing up on a great deal. His approach might be a little aggressive, but then again, if one is selling anything, it’s wise to know how to get the attention of the prospective buyer and to make certain that the buyer is given every reason to say yes to a sale. But the response of the other salesmen when Baldwin is speaking is kind of childish in a way, especially given that grown men trying to sell something should know when they’re good at it and when it’s time to simply step aside and try something else. 

credit: Glengarry Glen Ross

The lengths to which some of the characters are willing to go make a person wonder how realistic the movie is. 

Leads are insanely important when it comes to real estate since, without them, the job is insanely difficult. But giving out poor leads to one’s sales team is also the mark of a poor leader since no matter if the salesmen can’t close the deals, they need the chance to show what they can do with great leads versus horrible leads, which is what three of the salesmen are forced to deal with. Taunting men who are already desperate for something great that could turn their luck around isn’t just cruel, it’s a dangerous practice since it can lead people to do desperate things, kind of like what’s shown in the movie. Stealing the leads is a huge act of desperation, especially since selling them to another realtor would be a huge issue that wouldn’t just be unethical. It would be illegal in this case, and could get the entire office canned if they knew what was going on. 

The ending is kind of sad, to be honest. 

Levene comes off as a character that’s not entirely capable of being labeled as a decent person since he’s become a bit old and desperate when it comes to his job, and it shows in how he speaks to people. A lot of salesmen are slick. There’s no doubt about this because it ends up as being part of the job. But when the prospective buyer learns the tricks and hears the same thing coming out of different mouths, one can’t help but admit that the effectiveness of the salesman is at an end. And to be fair, the fact that Levene was given a lead that was kind of a joke isn’t exactly fair, but it shows that he’d lost his touch a long time ago.