Thank You For Smoking (DVD, 2009, Widescreen)

It is very easy to see why one might have a certain amount of trepidation in going to see a film like Thank You for Smoking. A lot of it may have to do with the title. We are automatically given the idea that this is a film that will deal with the subject of smoking cigarettes in a light hearted way. Even smokers may veer away from such a film. It turns out that the title truly does say it all (in a tongue in cheek kind of way). Thank you for Smoking is a biting satire that truly proves that satire can be great, if done tastefully and intelligently. I'd even go so far as to say that Thank You For Smoking is one of the funniest, most intelligent satires to come out of Hollywood in years, and it assaults everyone in its path.

How does silver-tongued tobacco-industry apologist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) live with himself? His cushy gig as spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies consists of using statistical obfuscation, misdirection and doublespeak to position smoking as the front line of the battle for freedom of choice, rather than a blatant example of how a handful of amoral businessmen line their own pockets at the expense of public health. "If you argue correctly, you're never wrong," he assures his starry-eyed 10-year-old, Joey (Cameron Bright), and anyway, everybody has bills to pay, right?

Writer/director Jason Reitman (based on the novel by Christopher Buckley) has created a wild romp centered on a fascinatingly egotistical powerbroker too in love with his own abilities, and oblivious to his shortcomings. It's a formula for tragedy and comeuppance that is compelling to watch, along with Nick's attempt at a comeback, which is even more interesting and thrilling. All behavior is taken to the extreme for our comical benefit as Nick ends up in the middle of some hair raising situations, including a kidnapping, a confrontation with the tobacco industry's leading symbol (wonderfully played by Sam Elliott), and finding himself as the man in the middle of a political and personal firestorm when his cockiness catches up to him. Reitman makes every scene as absurd as possible, even when they have an air of truth to them, and he has the right leading man to take us through this roller coaster of a movie.



Eckhart is dazzling as a born phony almost brought low by believing his own lies, and he's matched at every turn by a stellar supporting cast that includes Robert Duvall as a Big Tobacco mogul, Sam Elliott as cancer-stricken Marlboro Man Lorne Lutch, J.K. Simmons as Nick's ruthless boss, Rob Lowe as the superagent who cloaks his bullsh** beneath a facade of Asian spirituality, and Bello and Koechner as his partners in slime.

Its true strengths come from going beyond the easy jokes: asking why someone might choose to do what Naylor does and how they can look at themselves in the mirror each morning. He's a target for lampooning, but both Eckhart and director Jason Reitman commit to making him human -- and thus render the film as much a character study as a comedy.

Thank You for Smoking was one of the best dark comedies I've seen in awhile. The main character Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhardt) is a lobbylist for Big Tobacco who's silver tongue makes him likeable even sitting next to a cancer patient on a talk show in the movie opening. I love how he tells his son that to be a lobbyist you need to be "morally flexible"! The film has a great supporting cast, including Rob Lowe who is a movie producer willing to put cigarettes back in movies, because people can make a choice to smoke or not it's really none of his business. William H. Macy plays the senator trying to ruin Big Tobacco, but he's just as evil as they are. Katie Holmes plays the manipulative reporter who tries to ruin Nick's life. Nick comes out the hero in the end when compared to everyone else in the film who should be the heroes. It's a clever film, not laugh out loud funny, but very clever.

I have to admit that this movie isn't made for those looking for laugh-out-loud, stupid/silly humor moments that are best delivered by the likes of Adam Sandler, Jack Black, Will Ferrel, and others. However, I knew that from the previews I had seen, so I don't understand people who were expecting that from this movie. I don't think that this movie was intended to be comedy.

This movie is supposed to be a satire, which is different from straight out comedy, and a satire requires a little more thought and observation, as opposed to outrageous antics, to find the humor in it. The thing that I personally loved about the movie was the great balance and use of wit in regards to an issue that really isn't a laughing matter. It shows the relativistic mindset of our culture and the way people are able to take advantage of, and exploit, that mindset, especially through the "art" of spin. That is why this movie is so humorous; we're pretty much laughing at the condition of man.

It also is, to me, a little more realistic than the typical movie that may portray the journalist and/or senator to be some moral and upright superhero out to fight off the giant, powerful, evil tobacco company, which has no problems killing people so long as they turn over a good profit from it. They are very human and just as sneaky as the tobacco company. I was actually pleasantly surprised that the senator, who was trying to do something good for society, was such a jerk! Amidst his honorable pursuit to stop big tobacco, I found myself not liking that character at all, and it allowed me to enjoy the movie even more!

There were many things that surprised me about this movie and the characters that were in it. I couldn't help but appreciate the wittiness, and the humor resulting from that wit. The main character was a true orator, and I think those who watch this movie can learn a thing or two from it, just like the main character's own child did. Conclusion: Very smart, witty, and funny.

Fans of satire will appreciate this smart comedy and talk about it for days (if not months) because of its clever delivery. Thank You for Smoking puts the viewer in the unusual position of having to empathize with the tobacco industry's most talented defender & spokesman ("Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk."). The movie follow's Aaron Eckhart's character, Nick Naylor, as he has to handle impossible situations with his family life, assignments for his job, opposition from lawmakers (William H. Macy), and intrusions from the press (Katie Holmes)---all of which he handles with the utmost skill. As you see his opponents trying to lever him for their selfish interests, you really find yourself with no choice but to root for him.

There is a fair amount of cursing which is used appropriately, but any person who can understand the adult situations of a talk show can appreciate this movie.

Thank You For Smoking is a unique movie that provides a view of the tobacco industry from a big tobacco lobbyist's point-of-view. While everything about the movie, from the acting, to the story, to the mis-en-scene, is noticeably different from a big budget Hollywood film, the film is surprisingly lacking in humour and in story. The premise of the film is that the lobbyist must investigate how he feels about his job after his son becomes interested in it. Ultimately the film takes a prevaricating stance on both lobbying and tobacco, but it wasn't out to make a point in the first place. The idea was that the audience would enjoy the unique take and the journey along the way. Unfortunately, the film has little to offer in addition to its oddity. The dark humour of the film is refreshing at times, but there's too little irony and too few interesting characters to make the film a good comedy. And the story is so straightforward yet it never comes to a clear conclusion, so watching the film for its message or plot isn't useful either. Ultimately, all the film has to offer is the fact that it's different, but that's simply not enough.