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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent satire, December 9, 2007
Thank You For Smoking is one of those few dark comedies that truly had me laughing all the way; and I can't remember how long it's been since I laughed so much watching a movie! The lines are funny; the acting is convincing and the movie manages to make a great point about "spin" (aka bulls***) in today's world.
The action begins with tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) appearing on a talk show to put a spin on the fact the smoking causes cancer. Nick, smirking all the way, says that the tobacco companies want a boy with cancer to live so they could keep another customer. Nick argues further that health officials would love to see the young "cancer boy" die so their budgets would be fatter. This is just the tip of the iceberg, folks; Nick goes through his whole life putting a spin on tobacco to make it seem safe, romantic and glorious.
Nick's partners in crime include two people he meets for lunch from time to time; and they call themselves "The Mod Squad." Look for great performances by Maria Bello as Polly Bailey and David Koechner as Bobby Jay Bliss who work for the alcohol and gun lobbies respectively. Nick's slave driving boss, B.R. (J.K. Simmons) puts in a great performance and the head honcho of the tobacco group, simply referred to as "Captain," is played wonderfully by Robert Duvall.
Nick's personal life isn't peachy--he's separated from his wife. When a seductive female reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) gets the real scoop on Nick's secrets and lets it all out in a tell-all article in a prominent Washington, D.C. newspaper, Nick's world comes crashing down around him.
Will Nick be able to bounce back from the negative publicity he gets? Will he keep his friends and his job? What will his young, impressionable son Joey (Cameron Bright) think of him when the whole truth comes out? Watch the movie to find out these answers and more, folks--there are no spoilers here!
The DVD comes with a plethora of extras. We get an interview with Aaron Eckhart and others on The Charlie Rose Show; there are quite a few deleted scenes with optional director's commentary; there's a brief "making of" featurette; a director and cast commentary; storyboard and more! I am very impressed.
Overall, I would highly recommend Thank You For Smoking for people who enjoy indie movies that are really funny and try to playfully make a point at the same time. You'll notice that no one in the film is ever filmed smoking a cigarette! However, this is not a family movie; there is a fair amount of swearing and there are some violent scenes that could upset small children. (The kidnapping scene is one of them; but I won't say much more to save the juicy plot for you.)
Now THAT'S what I call a great flick!
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(Mostly) Lighthearted satire, with great results., January 5, 2007
To be brief, Thank You for Smoking is one of my favorite movies in recent years. It's witty and smart without being a movie that you need to set out too much time for, given that its runtime is a mere 92 minutes.
While it is brief and inviting to pick up and watch, it does have a serious touch of satire in it, providing a critique of modern day society's overall standards and morals. In one scene in particular Nick Naylor, the main character, talks to his son in a way that makes his job appear even noble, while protecting corporations that claim thousands of lives each year.
Overall, without getting too technical: at LEAST rent this if you like satires, but if you enjoy sarcastic wit and humor, the odds are in favor of a purchase.
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33 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inhale, Exhale, Take A Deep Breath and Spin, November 26, 2006
Nick Naylor: Right there, looking into Joey's eyes, it all came back in a rush. Why I do what I do. Defending the defenseless, protecting the disenfranchised corporations that have been abandoned by their very own consumers: the logger, the sweatshop foreman, the oil driller, the land mine developer, the baby seal poacher...
Polly Bailey: Baby seal poacher?
Dr Spin meets Dr Alcohol and Dr Gun, three spin doctors, 'MOD Squad' (Merchants of Death), who meet weekly to discuss their woes, a support group of sorts. Aaron Eckhart as Nick Naylor is the Dr of Nicotine, spinning the web for his company. He is good at what he does, and what he does is talk> He can spin anything. "It's really about the Age of Spin, where with the right TV spokesperson even Adolph Hitler might come off as a misunderstood individual." Christopher Buckley wrote the novel, and irony outdoes irony in this flick. What greater good for mankind than to lobby for the cigarette industry, of which up to 1200 Americans die daily.
The supporting cast is fabulous. Kim Dickens is his ex-wife, who is trying to protect their son, played by Cameron Bright, from the evils of Dr Spin. Nick Naylor is led by something other than common sense when he takes up with a writer/reporter, Katie Holmes. He spills his secrets which are duly reported. Nick's boss, Robert Duvall, wants him to go to Hollywood and engage the Hollywood crowd in smoking in the movies for big money. He meets 'The Marlboro Man' and soon the man has taken his money. Nick takes his son to Hollywood and does his job. He meets super agent Rob Lowe, who is very funny in this movie and disguised as an Asian soothsayer. All the while Nick is trying to show his son that you can do this kind of job and maintains a semblance of order. A kidnapping and court appearance showcase Nick Naylor's expertise. Aaron Eckhart is a smooth charming character and delivers this film. In the end, however, Nick Naylor pays the right price.
"Another plus: Ethics never get in the way of the jokes. Both sides of the political fence will feel royally skewered. All that's lacking is a warning from the Surgeon General: This film will make you laugh till it hurts." Peter Travers
This is a laugh out loud film if you are rooting for Nick Naylor. The tobacco business does not take the fall, all corporations and spin misters are involved. Highly recommended. prisrob 11/26.06
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