Critic's Grade: A+

In the world of "Glengarry Glen Ross," men are driven by the instinctive need to win and win again, their good judgment and thought processes clouded by a storm of fear and desperation conjured by the forces that are the upper management. Here were become witnesses to the mental and phsychological breakdowns of a group of real estate agents who, when the going gets tough, just keep on going, even if it means probing themselves for whatever means possible to get the job done.

The film is based on a play by David Mamet, a master of the human language who infuses his work with dialogue that sparks like firecrackers and scenarios that intrigue like all great dramas should. It begins on a rainy big-city night, as agents Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), Dave Moss (Ed Harris), and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin), are making their way back to their stuffy desks at Premiere Properties, a small, overbearing little space run by John Williamson (Kevin Spacey), whom they regard in very much the same way over half of the American work force does their own superiors.

This time, Williamson has a little surprise waiting for them in the form of one Mr. Blake (Alec Baldwin), who tells them, "We're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. First prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired." The deal is laid out on the pallet: whoever sells the crappy leads gets the Glengarry leads, prime pieces of real estate that will bring sales and commissions up sky high. That is, for whoever gets the job done. Nevermind that the office's fourth agent, Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), has the highest sales because he gets the best leads, or the fact that Williamson, who plays obviously favorites, hasn't a real taste for the job those under him attempt to do.

Instantly, the men are frantic, and this is where the good gets even better. The acting chops are primed and ready for this baby, and collectively, the cast produces some of the best performances in movie history. As the men begin their desperate phone calls and house visits, we see them become completely different people, especially Levene, who under Jack Lemmon's extraordinary acting, is seen as a man at the end of his rope. He's got nowhere to go but down, but he keeps trying with every last ounce of hope he has left; a scene in which he arrives at a couple's house, vying for time when he knows he's not wanted, speaks volumes of the sheer hopelessness of his situation.

The other men, Moss and Aaronow, are seen as hard-hitting and unwilling to bend towards pressure, and in turn they concoct a plan to rob the office and make off with the prized leads in hopes of selling them for easy money. Aaronow backs out, but the plan goes off, leading to a second act that takes place entirely within the walls of the real estate office, during which the men will descend into untold depths of desperation and ruthlessness to get what they want, especially Roma, whose greed and obsession with being at the top begin to take full form.

There is so much to admire in a film like this that it's hard to begin with one thing. As previously stated, the acting for the film is superb, full of Oscar-worthy performances if ever there were any. In addition to the supreme displays of personality changes and cutthroat tactics put on display by Lemmon, Harris, and Arkin, Spacey adds real edge as the tight-faced office manager who really isn't the villain he's made out to be; after all, he's doing his job, too. Baldwin, in less than five minutes onscreen, is able to waltz into the scene with such presence and bravado, spouting lines like, "You drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove an eighty thousand dollar BMW."

The writing for the film is juicy and delightful, full of dialogue that you can practically chew as you hear it expressed with such wit and energy. The plot isn't your conventional thriller/drama, but it plays with these elements in mind, keeping us involved with the whodunit aspect, but not forgetting that this is more about the human psyche than story twists and turns. We become so involved in these characters lives, so mesmerized with their situations and outbursts, so enamored with their various conversations and extreme methods of persuasion, that it's as if you're not really watching a film, but are sitting right in front of them, listening to them as they try diligently to sell a piece of worthless land.

It's rare that a movie like this comes alive so quickly, and retains that vitality throughout its entire. "Glengarry Glen Ross" is a film that operates through the abilities of its cast, who in turn form their characters into models of the everyday world in which we live. "Death of a Salesman" dealt with one man symbolizing the death of the American Dream; this film is like a modernization of that idea, though darker, more complex, and more dangerous.

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