I love movies like this. Theatre-styled motion pictures driven by dialog versus action. Get a few guys together in a room, watch them talk -- I have a soft spot for this stuff. I have ever since I can remember. Some of my favorite films are character-driven ones: "The Hustler," "The Big Kahuna," "Midnight Run," "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." At first glance this list seems skeptical -- but basically all these films follow the same central theme: clever dialog, character interaction and evolution, and depth.

"Glengarry Glen Ross" is one of the best of the genre. Scripted by David Mamet, the dialog never hits and weak patches -- it is realistic, extremely fun to listen to, and the actors all deliver flawless performances.

Al Pacino finally finds the perfect role to let himself vent (as he started to do in "Scent of a Woman" the same year, and won an Oscar for -- he deserved it more for this). Pacino has some great one-liners and quips, but he never seems too broad to find believable.

Jack Lemmon is similarly impressive, in what he called one of his favorite films of his entire career. Lemmon abandoned his comedic roots for this drama and it paid off -- he's not only an excellent funnyman, but a great actor.

Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, and Alec Baldwin fill out the rest of the cast and all do very well; especially Baldwin in a brief cameo. I've never had much consideration for Baldwin as an actor, but his five minutes' worth of screen time here reminded me that when he's good, he really IS good! Overall "Glengarry Glen Ross" is not only one of my favorite films of the genre but also a solid movie by any means. If you aren't bored by movies in which people talk instead of running around defusing bombs, you'll probably really get a kick out of this.

Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) is a desperate salesman with a daughter in the hospital. Blake (Alec Baldwin) is brought in by Mitch and Murray to push the sales force. The highest sales number gets a Cadillac. The last one gets fired. Dave Moss (Ed Harris) is incensed and pushes George Aaronow (Alan Arkin). Manager John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) is given Glengarry leads to hold. Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) is the best closer in the office and selling James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce) in a bar.

The Mamet script sings. This is like music. If it's written poorly, Baldwin's pitch would sound campy. The fact that it's so compelling proves that it is brilliant. As for the actors, one can almost smell the stink of Lemmon's desperation. Ed Harris is terrific in his bravado but also his cowering to Blake. The acting power is beyond questioning.

Glengarry Glen Ross is a truly wonderful film, primarily for two things.

One is the screenplay. This screenplay is brilliant, with many thought-provoking moments and also some emotionally resonant ones too.

The other asset is the acting. In what is essentially an ensemble cast, the entire cast give superb performances particularly Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin and Ed Harris, and even Kevin Spacey makes a telling cameo.

Cinematography and editing wise Glengarry Glen Ross cannot be faulted either. While most of the film takes place in one place, the cinematography and editing make this work.

The story is always compelling and the film is further advantaged by strong direction, good pacing and well-written characters.

In conclusion, a wonderful film helped by the script and performances especially. 10/10 Bethany Cox