Films directed by
James Foley

Perfect Stranger

The director of this misbegotten chunk of lifeless cinematic afterbirth is James Foley, previously responsible for Glengary Glen Ross, a brilliant adaptation of David Mamet’s play. That earlier work was top drawer and it still had half as many virtues as this movie has vices. Perfect Stranger smacks you across the face with plot holes so huge that it would be an insult to your intelligence if only you could be bothered to care.

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Glengarry Glen Ross

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Speaking as some who worked in retail sales for few years out of college, I can certainly vouch for the authenticity of much of what transpires in James Foley’s film of David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross. The scene in which Alec Baldwin’s character verbally emasculates the sad sack salesmen is reminiscent of any number of sales meetings or visits from the district manager.

Okay, I can’t ever recall being called a “cocksucker” in those sessions (it was often mixed company, after all), but the message was same. Selling is everything. A good salesmen should be able to sell water to a drowning man. Excuses are for losers and low numbers are the way out the door. You might notice that I don’t work in that field any more.

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