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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Jason Reitman's 'Thank You For Smoking'

Saw this film with Michelle AKA My Favouritest Person In The World (Justin's too). Thank You For Smoking's a satirical comedy following the chief spokesperson of Big Tobacco, Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), as he spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his 12-year-old son who idolizes him. No matter how much you're against smoking (and I'm the kind of person who snaps at friends when they're smoking in front of me), you'll end up rooting for the smooth-talking, charismatic Nick Naylor.



Michael Jordan plays basketball. Charles Manson kills people. Nick Naylor talks. And he is definitely pretty damned good at it. His arguments are convincing, when presented to him in a TV show a boy stricken with cancer because of cigarettes, his argues that anti-tobacco parties want the boy to die, yet it is the best interests of tobacco companies to keep the boy alive AND smoking.

As he told his son in once scene, his job isn't about proving that he is right, it's about proving that the other party is wrong, thus making him right.

William H. Macy (who, according to IMDB, amazingly filmed his role in the entire film for LESS THAN AN HOUR) plays Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre, Nick's nemesis who wants to put a large warning label on cigarettes (with a poison sign) as if someone would actually pick up a cigarette package, read the label, and decide not to smoke. Pretty much a representation of government officials who decide what the people want instead of having the people decide what they themselves want. Oh my, government officials who underestimate the intelligence of the masses, compromising their freedom of choice. Sounds familiar?

Anyway, the film's directed by Jason Reitman. Son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the excruciatingly bad My Super Ex-Girlfriend that came out recently (watch me rip the film apart here). I definitely look forward more to the son's future film than the father's, as much as a Ghostbuster fan I was during my childhood.

Watch the ITALIAN TRAILER of Thank You For Smoking (because you can find the normal trailer anytime you want):




Other reviews of Thank You For Smoking
Random Thoughts In The Quest for Wisdom: Film: Thank You For Smoking
Stephen Simmonds liked it.

Tulsatv.com: Thank You For Smoking reviewed by Gary Chew
Gary Chew suggests that Stephen Colbert should play Nick Naylor. Hmm.