Review of Thank You for Smoking (2005) by The Man W — 13 Apr 2014

"Thank You For Smoking" is a smart satire with a lot of good laughs and a terrific performance by Aaron Eckhart. Nick Naylor (Eckhart) is a tobacco lobbyist that can spin any bad publicity into gold and defends Big Tobacco not through well researched papers or genuine proof that their product is harmless, but by undermining other people's arguments, running circles around unsuspecting moralists and throwing bribes at the people who would testify against his bosses. The film follows him as he tries to find new ways to promote cigarettes and generally make outspoken anti-tobacconists look like fools, while trying to remain a decent role model for his son.

The movie never attempts to tell you that smoking is bad or why people smoke, as said in the film "everyone knows smoking is bad, but they're addictive!". Instead it delves into how the tobacco companies get away with killing their customers and how someone who's job it is to get people to start and keep smoking gets about their day-to-day activities without resorting to a documentary type of film. In this particular case we follow a man who's very good at his job and is quite charismatic. Because of his wit and brains, you actually cheer for a guy that, let's face it, indirectly kills a lot of people for a living. What's really funny about the picture is how well prepared he is. It's like the people on the side against smoking think that just because they're on the "right" side, they don't have to come up with good arguments ahead of time and they constantly fall on their face.

Although the movie is fictional, there are several segments that feel pretty illuminating while still staying funny. There is a meeting with a Hollywood executive about bringing smoking back into the movies (that is, putting it back in the hands of the sexy people, not just the Russians, Arabs and villains) that feels like it probably isn't that far from what happens in real life and the script is so smartly written that you'll be hard pressed to argue against Nick Naylor's arguments. He goes around squashing the competition with his words and it even has a couple of segments that will make you think hard about what you would do or say in the same situation regardless of the side you fall on. Think for example of the Marlboro Man who is facing certain death due to cancer and is confronted with a suitcase full of money. Sure, your first thoughts is to expose the tobacco company as evil and showing off the bribe to the press to prove your point, but once you get thinking about how much money it is and what would happen if you kept it... well let's just say that it's a scenario you won't easily forget.

There are also a lot of good moments between Naylor and his son Joey (Cameron Bright). It feels a little bit wrong to see the father influence the son, not because the kid turns to smoking, but because he learns to spin words and debate points like an expert, to the point where he runs circles around even his own mother. Katie Holmes has a role that proves that cigarettes aren't the only ones that are selling themselves as sexy while being quite dangerous for you. Her role is a lot of fun and is just one of many memorable side characters. For a lot of movies, what bumps them up from just entertaining to great is how many scenes, lines or segments you want to watch over and over so you can memorize them and quote them with your friends and there are a lot in "Thank You For Smoking". It's a great satire that's terrifically entertaining, with just the right mix of informational and even a few scares. (On Dvd, March 30, 2013).