Glengarry Glen Ross

To say that Glengarry Glen Ross is profane is to say, quite literally, that it is outside of the temple. Actually, given its subject matter you could say that it is inside the temple, except it is inside as the money changers and salesmen that ought to be kicked out.

There is nothing redemptive about this film. Its moral compass points only to "Whatever it takes to make a sale", and as such it is a ruthless depiction of capitalism at its purest. The performances are outstanding(as you'd expect from a cast containing Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris and Alan Arkin) and the script is razor sharp, never more so than in a quite magnificent, scenery-chewing turn by Alec Baldwin as the despicable exemplar to which these salesmen aspire...even as they hate him.

I imagine it's very difficult to like this film, at least in the way one might like, say, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. But boy does it make for a gripping way to spend 90 minutes.