BB DVD Review: Thank You For Smoking

Morally reprehensible righteousness. No, I have no idea how they did it either.






The Plot: Fast-talking lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) fights the not-so-good fight for big tobacco. But with his son starting to pay attention to what dad does for a living and an anti-smoking Senator (William H Macy) and an attractive reporter (Katie Holmes-Cruise-Scientology) on his case, can he make it to the church on time (metaphorically)?


In the words of that guy from South Park whose name I can't remember, 'Smoking's bad m'kay' (don't you just love my on-point pop culture references?). But how bad is it really? That's one of the many questions posed by this slick black comedy from first-time helmer Jason Reitman. Yes, that's Reitman as in son-of-director-Ivan but it could be worse - he could be Jason Scorcese. Plus it's been a long time since his dad made a decent movie. Yes, Evolution was kind of fun but I think even the most weak-kneed Duchovny fan (i.e my girlfriend) would have to admit people only liked it because if you squinted your eyes you could almost pretend it was Ghostbusters 3. Anyhoo, the point, if there even is one, is that Reitman has some moderately sized (albeit shrinking with every subsequent film) shoes to fill. So just how big are his directorial feet?

Pretty damn big is the metaphor stretching answer. Mixing the comedic and the thought-provoking in equal measure, Thank You For Smoking is a grown-up funny flick for all of us who enjoy our big-boy pants. Aaron Eckhart steals the show as the suave but morally questionable Naylor - making a character that would be a villain in 99 out of a 100 Hollywood efforts seem likeable and (almost) heroic. It's a great performance, and one that Christopher Nolan clearly watched before signing up Eckhart for the role of Two-Face in his upcoming Bat-sequel Dark Knight (is it 2008 yet?!!). It's far from a one-man show however as Reitman assembles a wet dream of a cast that includes William H Macy, Robert Duvall, Maria Bello, Rob Lowe, J.K Simmons, David Koechner and the mighty Sam Elliot. All of whom clearly signed on based on a screenplay (adapted from Christopher Buckley's novel by Reitman himself) that's almost Communist in his dedication to dolling out good lines to all and sundry.

If a criticism can be made, it's that, much like it's protagonist, Thank You For Smoking talks a good game but never really provides any answers. The film builds to a confrontation between Naylor and the Senator but when it comes it's a bit of a letdown. The former just about comes out on top but his victory is more of a judge's decision than the Mr Smith Goes To Washington full-blooded knockout you would hope for. It's probably a more fitting ending given the material but that doesn't stop it being disappointing from a dramatic point of view.

Other Things I Liked...

Naylor's get togethers with his compatriots in the alcohol and firearms industry. The interplay between Eckhart, Bello and Koechner characters is great and provides some of the movie's best lines.

The lack of a character arc. Flying in the face of Hollywood convention, the main character doesn't realise the error of his ways and has learned almost nothing by the movie's end. Brilliant!