When I first saw Glengarry Glen Ross back in the 1990s, I was absolutely knocked out. I’ve watched it many times since and it always has the same effect. You know how sometimes a star-studded cast doesn’t necessarily equate a movie with greatness? Well in Glengarry’s case, it absolutely does. Absolute powerhouse performances from the remarkable Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce and Kevin Spacey elevate this film to ‘absolute masterpiece’ status.
It’s a real character study of the warts and all personalities within a Real Estate business and the lengths that these people will go to in pressure situations or merely to get what they think they are entitled to. It’s bleak but also darkly comical at the same time. The desperation of these characters is tangible, who’ve been given an ultimatum by hotshot newcomer Blake (played by Baldwin) that they are either successful with the leads they already have, or they will lose their jobs, with those triumphant being granted access to the Holy Grail of the Glengarry leads.
It really is a stunning adaptation of David Mamet‘s award winning play by Jamie Foley (he’s generally credited as James on these movies but he told me he prefers Jamie) and I would urge anyone who hasn’t yet seen it to seek it out. The characterisation is just faultless and Baldwin’s character, who wasn’t in the original play and was written in by Mamet especially for the film, feels like he’s ALWAYS been there as the key antagonist.
On the 2nd of October, it will be exactly thirty years since Glengarry Glen Ross made its big screen debut, so I asked Jamie for an interview. Much to my delight, he said yes. As I say in the YouTube description, apologies for my rather manic demeanour – I had been caught in a traffic jam for an hour and made it home with about 30 seconds to spare before the interview was due to start, so I come across a little hyper! But hey, however I came across, as my fellow GIITTV writer Nick James pointed out to me, because I’m in this Zoom video with Jamie, I now have a Bacon Number of 3! (Ask your dad).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did (if I can get the second damn video to properly load, I will add it to this feature shortly – it ends somewhat abruptly as it is!) and good luck to Jamie in all his future endeavours!
