--- title: "Glengarry Glen Ross: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/glengarry-glen-ross/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/glengarry-glen-ross" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Glengarry Glen Ross (1992): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 6 reviews: 5 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Glengarry Glen Ross, with agreement strongest on the ensemble and David Mamet’s sharp, rhythmic dialogue. The performances give human weight to the salesmen’s desperation, while the cramped offices and bars sustain the pressure. Jack Lemmon attracts particular praise, alongside Alec Baldwin’s brief appearance and the work of Al Pacino and Ed Harris. For the favourable reviews, the film preserves the play’s intimacy and gives its verbal brutality force on screen. The reservations concern what the adaptation adds and how insistently it presses its bleak outlook. Time Out admires the acting but sees no gain in the move from stage to screen. Other reservations focus on the reliance on plot mechanics and the emphasis on monologues. The New Yorker is the clearest dissenter, finding the despair overemphatic and the recession parable thin despite the performances. The spread is substantial, though praise for the cast crosses that divide. ## Empire — Barry McIlheney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2014. The review commends the film's claustrophobic intensity and how it recaptures the power of Mamet's dialogue on screen, with standout turns from Jack Lemmon as the desperate Levene and a blistering Alec Baldwin cameo. It ultimately calls the film a searing indictment of American dreams and the grind of making a living. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/glengarry-glen-ross-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Henry Sheehan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 1992. The film is an actors’ showcase featuring strong performances that humanize Mamet’s brutal dialogue and dark view of human nature. Director James Foley emphasizes the characters’ isolation through close-ups, though the story relies unusually on plot mechanics for its resolution. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/glengarry-glen-ross-review-1992-movie-1044289/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 1992. The critic praises the film's retention of David Mamet's scurrilous stage dialogue in its grubby office and bar settings, noting how it structures the piece as a series of strong monologues. Strong performances from Al Pacino and Ed Harris are highlighted, though the film is seen as more a record of acting than a great cinematic work. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-underdog-humour-and-top-dog-style-boomerang-reginald-hudlin-us-glengarry-glen-ross-15-james-foley-us-unlawful-entry-18-jonathan-kaplan-us-mon-pere-ce-heros-pg-gerard-lauzier-fr-1560412.html) ## Time Out — BC Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic notes that while the cast delivers dedicated performances, the film gains nothing from adapting the stage play to screen. It effectively portrays men under pressure in a claustrophobic story with strong ensemble acting. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/glengarry-glen-ross) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 1992. The movie hammers the plot relentlessly and spells out despair too explicitly, making it feel suffocating despite strong performances. As a recession parable it doesn't amount to much, though some actors provide relief. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/10/05/shtick-shifts) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 30 September 1992. The high-profile cast goes through the material flawlessly under discreet direction, with fine acting the rule. Lemmon's work stands out in a classy crowd in this bracing drama of desperate salesmen. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-30-ca-1-story.html) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin 30 September 1992. The splendid film adaptation of David Mamet's play is mordantly funny and trusts the text completely. The ensemble cast delivers career-best work in this mordant 1990s take on salesmen under pressure. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/30/movies/review-film-mamet-s-real-estate-sharks-and-their-prey.html) ## HeyUGuys — Ashley Norris Rating 4.5/5. 7 November 2012. The critic finds the film a strong adaptation that preserves the stage play's intimacy and features outstanding ensemble performances. The sharp, rhythmic Mamet dialogue and character-driven drama are singled out for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/glengarry-glen-ross-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/glengarry-glen-ross.md