Review of Thank You for Smoking (2005) by R.j. L — 07 Sep 2010

From 1575 to the present, there have always been those who have opposed the use of tobacco from Mexico to the Ottoman Empire to Bavaria, Kursachsen, and certain parts of Austria in the late 1600s. Some form of Government in some part of the world has always tried to ban or outlaw the use of tobacco. In the 1500s the Catholic Pope Urban VII in particular threatened to excommunicate anyone who "took tobacco in the porchway of or inside a church, whether it be by chewing it, smoking it with a pipe or sniffing it in powdered form through the nose". The Ottoman sultan Murad IV prohibited smoking in his empire in 1633 smoking was also banned in Berlin in 1723, in Königsberg in 1742, and in Stettin in 1744. These bans were repealed in the revolutions of 1848. The first building in the world to have a smoke-free policy was the Old Government Building in Wellington, New Zealand in 1876 this was due to the fact that the building is the second largest wooden building ever constructed and it was out of concern that smoking may cause a fire. From then to now there are groups that fight to have cigarettes removed from gas stations, supermarkets etc. Then there are those who promote Big Tobacco and there products. They lobby s to speak on behalf of some of the worlds most powerful tobacco industries men like Nick Naylor(Aaron Eckhart) the protagonist of Jason Reitman's feature film debut "Thank you for Smoking" where as some people, in Eckhart's biting narration states, "Michael Jordan plays ball, Charles Manson kills people I talk" and indeed he does. "Thank you for not Smoking is not only a dark and searing satire on the anti-smoking issue it is also an intelligent and thought provoking film that asks you to ask yourself and ask others the ideas surrounding the big tobacco business and there so called merchants of death. However, ask yourself this, is it truly right to take away a persons right to smoke?

Jason Reitman's feature film debut "Thank you for Smoking" is a cynical, searing, hilarious, and thought provoking look into the world of politics and the men and women who occupy the seats on both sides of the table, so to speak. Reitman(Son of veteran director Ivan Reitman) adapted screenplay from Christopher Buckley's 1994 satirical novel of the same name is a film that is as intelligent as it is biting this film is a deeply funny look at how one man(Aaron Eckhart) seeks to promote cigarettes. Reitman shows he has a real true talent for writing and directing, something his father Ivan lacks. Reitman is an intelligent director and an even more intelligent writer he knows how to flesh out each and every character at there duly appointed time he knows how to write smart, engaging, thought provoking dialogue and cheerfully offensive dialogue that makes you laugh as well as think. Satire is a tricky territory and Reitman is a genius when it comes to this tricky territory he knows how to play out the ideals on the anti-smoking issue to its full extent while still maintaining a strong sense of humor and political reason all the while the audiences is sitting there thinking and laughing . As it should be "Thank you for Smoking" targets two specific audiences the political opinionated and everyone else those who have strong political opinions(much like me) will either love this film, hate this film, or just downright despises it(I know some politicians who would really dislike this film). For those who are not politically opinionated will love this film in its entirety with its Delightfully unscrupulous characters, witty and intelligent dialogue and abundance of laughs this is the right ticket for anyone who likes to see people make fun of other people make fun of the people who run the country.

I love this film, I love everything about this film I love the characters, the cynical sense of humor and the gloriously unscrupulous cynicism that this film unleashes on the anti- smoking issue. "Thank you for Smoking" is one of the best political satires I have seen since Stanley Kubrick?s? Dr. Strangelove or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb"(1964) or read since Joseph Heller's "Catch 22". "Thank you for smoking" is a political satire for our times just like "Dr. Strange love or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb"(1964) was for its time. "Thank you for Smoking" is a film for the times a film for the moment, a film for the ideals of the 21 century and quite frankly one of the best films of the last decade. This is the kind of film you have to see with an open mind and strong ideals and expect not shallow, vulgar, and raunchy humor but smart, politically perceptive humor that accentuates the films already high intelligence. Reitman and his all-star cast not only help make this film one of the funniest satires in years but one of the best films of the last decade.

Aaron Eckhart is one of the most underrated actors I have ever heard of he is also a very talented actor as well. Eckhart plays Naylor as a smooth charismatic charmer who thinks he has everything figured out when he obviously does not and that is what makes it so interesting to watch. Naylor is one of those guys who thinks he has nothing to fear and that no one I mean no one can get in his way until he meets with a series of uncontrollable and unfortunate events that change his views on what he does and how he should live his life. Reitman has a perfectly cast star in Aaron Eckhart, Eckhart gives this role his all his everything and in doing so he gives a performance that has to be noted as one of the best of 2006 and of the last decade. Eckhart is a fine actor and thanks to Reitman?s amazing direction and screenplay he delivers what could possibly be one of his best performances since he play Harvey Dent/Two-Face in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight.? The rest of the cast including Sam Elliot, David Koechner, William H. Macy, Rob Lowe, Katie Holmes, Cameron Bright and Maria Bello all turn in fine supporting work in one of the most ambitious and intelligent films of the last decade.

"Thank you for not Smoking" is not a political satire that everyone will find amusing. Some will call it pretentious, dull, self-indulgent, self-centered, loathing of politics, and a sheer insult to heavy politically inclined people. If you hate this movie then that is alright not everyone is going to like this film and everyone has there own opinion but if you use your political views as a reasons to right this film off as a bad film then you are missing the crucial point of this film. This film is not mean to glorify politics. This film is meant to poke fun at the people who run this country it is meant to make a statement that says it stands firm for what it believes and that everyone, whether it be there choice or not, should have the right to smoke if they want to and no one can take that away. They can try but you cannot take cigarette away from someone unless they want to get rid of the cigarette. ?Thank you for Smoking" is the kind of film that makes a point and does not hesitate to take it to the next level. This is a vicious film, an uncompromising film, a hilarious fun filled film and a movie that gives you an inside look at the world that you only get to read about and the people who are part of those articles.