Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Bereamic Awesome Movie

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Nathan Laing "Thank you for Smoking" is the best social satire and downright controversial character study that no one is talking about. Eckhart leads a fantastic cast as a lobbyist for big tobacco as the film explores the ups and downs that come with the job. The screenplay features almost Sorkin like dialogue that is endlessly entertaining to watch be performed especially in the scenes with the "MOD squad" or "Merchants of Death"With Eckhart at career best, a fantastic screenplay, biting social satire and Sam Elliott in the role he was born to play this movie is a must see.

SnoopyStyle Lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is the slick, amoral, sharp-tongue vice-President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies. He can spin any argument in favor of tobacco. BR (J.K. Simmons) is his loud bombastic boss. His best friends are alcohol lobby Moderation Council's Polly Bailey (Maria Bello) and gun lobby SAFETY's Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner). Their biggest opposition is Senator Ortolan Finistirre (William H. Macy). Tobacco baron, the Captain (Robert Duvall) puts him in charge of bringing tobacco back to Hollywood. His son Joey (Cameron Bright) guilts his ex-wife Jill (Kim Dickens) to let him go on the LA trip. Reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) has a fling with him and betrays him.Jason Reitman has filmed a brilliant and smart movie. The problem is that people are too stupid except for Nick. It's really frustrating to see stupid people failing to argue with Nick. The other problem is that the characters are all caricatures which takes away any poignancy. It also takes away the comedy. There are too many things that annoy which is the opposite of funny. It also feels too light and bright for the subject matter. Nick needs to be hiding something dark and ugly. He's more of a robot than a fully developed human being. Anything with Dennis Miller smirking is not funny. I don't feel for the guy or that annoying kid. The only guy I'm interested in is the guy who threatened him on Dennis Miller's show. It's one of the few moments where reality seeped into the performances and the movie. Even the kidnapping scene is problematic. Any kidnapper would want to shut him up by duct taping his mouth. The whole medical thing sounds unreal. This is such a smartly written movie but the general feeling from it is one of frustrating annoyance.

thedudeabides-2 Every now and then, a movie will come along that will show a side of the world not often open to public scrutiny. The tobacco industry is probably one of the most mysterious in the world, with a number of restrictions placed on them over advertising and health warnings meaning we don't really have an idea of how they work. If Jason Reitman's Thank You For Smoking is anything to go by, they are every bit as despicable as you would believe.Thank You For Smoking follows Nick Naylor, a fast talking PR spokesman for tobacco tasked with the unenviable job of making tobacco look good. Aaron Eckhart is absolutely superb in the role of Nick, a man who believes he can win any argument as long as he comes at it from the right angle. And he's right. Throughout the movie you will see Nick worm his way out of sticky situations again and again, with Eckhart's smarminess effectively replacing any sense of logic in his arguments. He's a truly despicable character but you cannot take your eyes off him and, as the movie progresses, you may even find yourself liking him.It is a testament to Eckhart's performance, and the fantastic script, that you find yourself rooting for Nick as he takes on pragmatic politicians, his ex wife and her new husband, a disgruntled former employee and, perhaps most tricky of all, his young son. It may have been risky making a movie about the inner machinations of the tobacco industry but Reitman wisely keeps the tone light throughout, with only a handful of dramatic scenes punctuating the sharp comedy. This may be off-putting to some, due to the serious nature of the subject matter, but Reitman and Co. have clearly aimed for a black satirical comedy and, with a lightning fast script and excellent performances from all involved, it succeeds admirably. A very clever and funny look at the inner workings of the tobacco industry. Some jokes may be too near the knuckle for some but if you're in the mood for some inappropriate laughs then this one is for you.

cleary-joshua It's often interesting to see the directorial debut of someone who has gone on to make so many great movies ever since. In so many debuts, like "Duel" or "Following", you can see traces of some of the best tropes or idioms used by a certain director. "Thank You for Smoking" is no different, and provides us with a glimpse of the origins of Jason Reitman's fantastic and often dark sense of humour.The film follows Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for cigarette companies, through various different tasks and problems with his job and family. Nick's relationship with his son is really interesting, and gives the film some of its more touching moments. Plotwise, the film is fairly thin, and takes the shape more of a series of sketches or vignettes with interconnected stories and themes. However, this doesn't bog the film down at all, and just gives it the potential for even more humour and new situations. It's filled with a barrage of fantastic supporting characters too, from Katie Holmes' manipulative journalist, to Rob Lowe's Hollywood agent, and no part of it feels unnecessary or stuck on.The script is the movie's greatest strength, and it reaches a great level of satire, making you think as well as laugh. While smoking is the centre of the movie, it never is encouraged, since we know that Naylor is sweet-talking and slimy. The "Merchants of Death" meetings are a particular stroke of genius, bringing together three controversial industries and making them seem foul. From the very first scene of the film, where Naylor is attempting to put a good spin on cancer when he is opposed greatly on a talk show, even by a boy suffering from lung cancer, you can see that the film is not afraid of being controversial, but manages very well to bring its message across through humour.Lead by a fantastic set of performances and a razor-sharp script, "Thank You for Smoking" is a great start for Jason Reitman, paving the way for his later successes such as "Juno" and "Up in the Air", and manages to be touching, informative and down-right hilarious throughout.