Thank You for Smoking
Nick Naylor doesn't hide the truth... he filters it.
Warning: Thank You For Smoking "just might make you laugh your head off!" (Maxim). Aaron Eckhart stars as Nick Naylor, a sexy, charismatic spin-doctor for Big Tobacco who'll fight to protect America's right to smoke - even if it kills him - while still remaining a role model for his 12-year old son.
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When he incurs the wrath of a senator (William H. Macy) bent on snuffing out cigarettes, Nick's powers of "filtering the truth" will be put to the test. As Nick says, "If you want an easy job, go work for the Red Cross." With a smokin' all-star cast that includes Rob Lowe, Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Adam Brody and Robert Duvall, this "fiendishly funny" (Good Moring America) comedy will prove seriously addictive.
Member Reviews
Clever - czarfromafar
Best modern anti-hero pic in ages. A black comedy that is chillingly close to documentary, this is a straight-faced look at the bizarre conscience behind corporate spin-doctoring. All entertainment and, I suspect, a good dose of insight.
Very well acted, with fun cameos and a great running gag of the "legion of doom".Got a Light? - BlackSheep
Tobacco lobbyist, Nick Naylor, imparts many practical approaches to life’s many problems upon all the people he deals with. He tells people how to see things for a living and knows that they’re listening to him. No one person is perhaps listening to him more than his own son. And though Nick’s confidence might blind him into a false sense of security in life, he is not so far removed as to not know that the molding of his son’s mind is his most important job. Thus, when he tells his son that if you argue correctly then you are never wrong, it is not only the true beauty of argument but it is also a strong, decisive direction to give your son. In that moment, he is a good father and not one of the most hated faces in America. This dichotomy between person and persona is what makes Nick Naylor real and Aaron Echkart’s portrayal of Naylor, as it is guided along it’s unexpected journey by director Jason Reitman, is what makes THANK YOU FOR SMOKING a real smart comedy.
Son of director Ivan Reitman, Jason has clearly found what he’s good at. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is his first full-length film and it is sharp and witty. It has an energy that is infectious and a style that is both cool and hip, much in the way one sees smokers, minus the cancer, yellow teeth and bad breath. From the flashy pop-art of the opening credits shaped into cigarette packages to the usage of split screens, ironic subtitling and video, Reitman crafts a sexy, slick film that could have easily turned any of it’s viewers on to smoking. However, in perhaps what is Reitman’s most brilliant touch to this film, not one character ever lights up.Intelligent Script + Great Acting = Excellent Movie! - BillMurray
Rarely, these days, do we get to see such a thoughtful and thought-provoking film come out of Hollywood. Perhaps the junior Reitman will prove to be a new force in America's Babylon, delivering us from the usual fare of inane comedies.
This would have been a perfect forum to preach and vilify, yet the director, much like the main character, avoids taking sides and instead, largely skirts the entire issue by carefully spinning the facts.
All this to say, the film is enormously entertaining. The cadre of actors are all pitch-perfect in their roles (it is not hard to believe that Reitman wrote each character specifically for the actors who portrayed them). Aaron Eckhart is particularly exceptional as the film's anti-hero.
The pacing is also precise and efficient. Coming in at roughly an hour-and-a-half, the movie is satisfyingly complete. There are no extraneous elements, nor do you feel cheated or puzzled by confusing plot devices. In the end, you are left to decide for yourself who the real "bad guys" are.
One of the most thought-provoking comedies I have seen in a very long time. This one is a must-see.
Member Reviews
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Clever - czarfromafar
Best modern anti-hero pic in ages. A black comedy that is chillingly close to documentary, this is a straight-faced look at the bizarre conscience behind corporate spin-doctoring. All entertainment and, I suspect, a good dose of insight.
Very well acted, ...Got a Light? - BlackSheep
Tobacco lobbyist, Nick Naylor, imparts many practical approaches to life’s many problems upon all the people he deals with. He tells people how to see things for a living and knows that they’re listening to him. No one person is perhaps listening to him ...Intelligent Script + Great Acting = Excellent Movie! - BillMurray
Rarely, these days, do we get to see such a thoughtful and thought-provoking film come out of Hollywood. Perhaps the junior Reitman will prove to be a new force in America's Babylon, delivering us from the usual fare of inane comedies.
This would have ...