Review of Thank You for Smoking (2005) by Arth J — 02 Nov 2018

To walk over that fine line between humor and drama..

Thank You For Smoking.

Reitman's comedy satire about smoke and ashes is a home run for him since it achieves to walk over that fine line between humor and drama, something that great filmmakers have failed to do so. And he has done it in here with such fluidity that it leaves you in an awe of it. The story itself demands lots of monologues, arguments and logistics that are not statistical but social. And to write dialogues and conversations whilst delivering all of that is like climbing a slope against the wind. But Reitman has done it, and that sweetens his victory more.

One of the best bits of the feature is of course the relationship of the protagonist with his son. Since he has to explain all his higher ideal concepts in the most literal and simple way, this is the window where the writer is basically speaking with the audience in Layman's terms to advance the storyline. And yes it does get mechanical very quickly along with the structure of the script, but this corporate world that you are about to explore endorses it before you even go in, hence it is mandatory to feel like such.

And with bits of humor, one liners and sensational point of view through which Reitman argues with you, it is literally hard to argue back. Now amidst all these superness of the feature, the plot gets rusty within first few minutes as it practically screams the entire trajectory out on a podium before it even hits the screen that extracts the heat from the soul. Eckhart is convincing just as his logics are and along with him rides an amazing supporting cast like Simmons, Macy, Holmes, Elliot and Duvall and they all stand up to their caliber and deliver unflinchingly. Thank You For Smoking feels more like a sitcom than a picture, but hey, it works either way.