Thank You For Smoking Movie Review
Typically, if you were to use the word sleazy to describe the main character of a film you’d expect to hate them, but that’s not the case in Thank You for Smoking. From the first scene where tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor is on a talk show defending his product to a hostile audience of soccer moms while sitting next to a child dying of cancer, you have to love him. You have to respect a character that is just so good at being bad.
Nick Naylor isn’t just good, he’s the best. He’s the tobacco industry’s point man and as such he has to promote their agenda on national television, hush former employees and go up against the federal government. His job isn’t to prove to you that he is right, his job is to prove to everyone else that you’re wrong. Nick gets wrapped up with a reporter who reveals all his secrets and he is cut loose from the people who he spent so much time defending. It’s up to him to go up against a Senator and redeem himself to his evil former bosses and possibly to his own son.
A good cast is important in any film, and this one is about as good as you can hope for. Aaron Eckhart’s Nick really couldn’t be better. He brings out more of that In the Company of Men moral ambiguity that allows him to get away with saying unbelievable things in the name of cigarettes. Between Eckhart and the script you’ll find yourself at some point thinking “Damn, that’s a good argument.” Of course, it may be a lie or sneakily off subject, but a clever argument nonetheless.
Eckhart certainly deserves the majority of the credit here since he has to carry the majority of the film, however the supporting work here is just as strong and as well cast. Just think about it: Sam Elliot as the former Marlboro Man dying of cancer. How great is that? How about Robert Duvall as some throw back southern gentleman and tobacco giant who sips mint juleps while taking meetings in a private club? Or even Rob Lowe as a slick Hollywood agent who will make a deal with anyone to get his movie produced if that person is responsible for spreading cancer or a murderous dictator? All of which are great roles and performances. That isn’t even mentioning the always great Maria Bello and David Koechner (one of our more underused comedic actors) as two other lobbyists.
This is one fantastic piece of satire. You will absolutely find yourself laughing at things that you wouldn’t expect to. This is one of those films that could have easily been pushed too hard and ended up being just a silly mess. Just imagine if you had cast some one like Robin Williams in Eckhart’s place. Reitman keeps everything reined in here with just enough style and plenty of dry cynicism, so that you’re not only entertained but laughing from beginning to end, even if you don’t feel that great about what you’re laughing at.
The Grade
- Story: B
- Acting: A
- Visuals: B
- Originality: A-
- Enjoyability: A
- Overall: A-
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