Film Review: Thank You for Smoking

Director: Jason Reitman

Also known for directing Juno (tainted my thoughts of him already), Jason Reitman wrote and directed Thank You for Smoking. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley which was written in 1994, Reitman says he tried to maintain the tone and satirical message of the book within the film but many critics believe that this was not achieved. The film itself is not supposed to support or condone smoking in anyway, believing that people should make up their own minds as everybody knows it is bad for you.

Movie Poster

Nick Naylor (played with all the confidence in the world by Aaron Eckhart) is a tobacco lobbyist who uses spin tactics and misleading information to promote cigarettes and downplay the negative health effects that are associated with them. He is also a father who wants to remain a role model and hero to his son Joey (slightly annoyingly played by Cameron Bright). Nick is incredibly handsome, charming and clever when it comes to debating topics as shown at the start of the movie during an appearance on a talk show.

The funniest moments come when the MOD squad meet on a weekly basis, the MOD squad being Ministry of Death, as Polly Bailey (Maria Bello) and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) are alcohol and gun spokespeople for their respective industries. They exchange dark jokes and discuss how many people a year they are responsible for killing in their industries. Both Bello and Koechner play their roles in the manner you would expect of the stereotypes they portray with Bello in particular standing out.

Aaron Eckhart as Nick Naylor the tobacco lobbyist

Some of the scenes are beautifully scripted and directed but they don't always flow that naturally into one another. The storyline of Naylor sleeping with newspaper report Heather (awkwardly played by Katie Holmes) is a tad unbelievable as a tobacco lobbyist must surely be the most suspicious person around journalists rather than telling them everything believing it's 'off the record'. It does portray a strong message about the power of spin in the media and what people can make you believe with the right words, the character of Nick Naylor is somebody you can't help but like despite what he does for a living.

3/4 slightly patchy plot but some very dry and dark humour throughout