Review of Thank You for Smoking (2005) by Compi24 — 20 Apr 2020

"Thank You For Smoking" couldn't be a better representation of Jason Reitman's talents. It's quick, tight, sharp-witted and thematically potent. What better film to start off a promising career in filmmaking with?

Now, I'll admit that, when it comes to satire I'm all over the map. For me, it all depends on the world you build, the entertainment value present in your characters and the message you're trying to mete out. This one ticked the boxes for me in nearly every regard. Everything is so snappy and bright, with a devious, yet charismatic narrator and protagonist guiding us through all the ideas and relationships flying before our eyes. Some have called the events and scenes in the film "episodic" or "detached from one another" and I'd have to disagree. Though some events are definitely more A-plot oriented, the ones that aren't still help facilitate the overarching ideas that the film's trying to put forth. That's where this movie got me. The musings on personal responsibility, freedom and rhetorical warfare resonated with me in a way I didn't expect they all would. It really was a breezy, fantastic watch overall.