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Thank You For Smoking (Jason Reitman)
"Nick Naylor Make Me Want To Smoke"
Nick Naylor, a lobbyist on behalf of Tobacco industries, is a smart, good-looking, fast talking S.O.B. Naylor travels to different locations for these Tobacco industries as their spokesman, on this trip he takes his son and tries to be a role model while keeping his image good in the public eye.
Is there any kind of plot behind Thank you For Smoking, on the surface not really. Smoking is a film that is more character driven. It's in the comedic style of a David O. Russell film or maybe even a Wes Anderson film. Smoking is a quirky, in your face, dark, odd comedy that actually works. Too often we see films that are too dark and not comedic enough with it's material, Duplex and Ice Harvest to name some. Here, Reitman takes a controversial topic and puts a comedic spin on it. The film doesn't take one side or the other, but in the end tells you to make your mind up for yourself.
It may take a pretty sick and twisted individual to laugh at some scenes, such as "Cancer Boy" or the topics that the "M.O.D" have at their dinner table. Ladies and Gentlmen, I am a sick and twisted individual and I enjoyed this film. It made light of a heavy topic and actually make you like the lead character who is the one killing people...more or less. How can we like such a character? Well, it does help when the character is an intelligent, smooth talking, good looking guy, who gets to bang Katie Holmes. The other reason is that the character is played extremely well by Aaron Eckhart. Hands down his best role to date and hopefully one where he will be able to get more recognition. Bottom Linbe, Nick Naylor make me want to smoke, because he is so convincing at what he does, as it's the only thing he's good at.
Smoking speaks the truth, in a sick and twisted funny way. The main character gets kidnapped and gets a couple dozen smoking patches slapped onto his body, then left to rot in the Lincoln memorial lap. We then find out that it was smoking that saved his life, Naylor's response? "Can I quote you on that?" This is what the whole movie is like, smart a witty dialogue with cool and funny characters. Some of the best scenes are between Eckhart and Lowe, who play very well off each other in a scene where they try to promote smoking in the films. The need a role model to show that smoking is cool, someone like Indiana Jones meets Jerry Maguire, on two packs a day.
The only downfall of the film is Naylor's son, who is a kid that you may end up hating, just because of the kid being the way he is. It's the same kid from Birth and Godsend. There is just something about his acting that annoys me, it could be his emotionless face...but then again, I'm not a big fan of many child actors. The supporting cast includes Maria Bello, J.K. Simmons, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe, Sam Elliot and Katie Holmes. All Holmes does in the movie is have sex with Naylor, then write an article...not much more, so if you're a lover or hater of the one half of TOMKAT, she has no impact on the film, her screen time maxes out at about ten minutes.
Thank You For Smoking is a film that is definitely not for everyone, it's not laugh out loud funny, it's comedic style is a little bit more intelligent. Using it's comedy in it's dialogue and it's subject matter. The film doesn't say Smoking is good for you, or that it's bad, it expects you to know the answer already. Thank You For Smoking is an early contender for a top ten list and is an underdog in every sense of the word. It won't get much recognition from the public, or probably even the critics, but as it stands this film is...smokin'.
8/10
"Nick Naylor Make Me Want To Smoke"
Nick Naylor, a lobbyist on behalf of Tobacco industries, is a smart, good-looking, fast talking S.O.B. Naylor travels to different locations for these Tobacco industries as their spokesman, on this trip he takes his son and tries to be a role model while keeping his image good in the public eye.
Is there any kind of plot behind Thank you For Smoking, on the surface not really. Smoking is a film that is more character driven. It's in the comedic style of a David O. Russell film or maybe even a Wes Anderson film. Smoking is a quirky, in your face, dark, odd comedy that actually works. Too often we see films that are too dark and not comedic enough with it's material, Duplex and Ice Harvest to name some. Here, Reitman takes a controversial topic and puts a comedic spin on it. The film doesn't take one side or the other, but in the end tells you to make your mind up for yourself.
It may take a pretty sick and twisted individual to laugh at some scenes, such as "Cancer Boy" or the topics that the "M.O.D" have at their dinner table. Ladies and Gentlmen, I am a sick and twisted individual and I enjoyed this film. It made light of a heavy topic and actually make you like the lead character who is the one killing people...more or less. How can we like such a character? Well, it does help when the character is an intelligent, smooth talking, good looking guy, who gets to bang Katie Holmes. The other reason is that the character is played extremely well by Aaron Eckhart. Hands down his best role to date and hopefully one where he will be able to get more recognition. Bottom Linbe, Nick Naylor make me want to smoke, because he is so convincing at what he does, as it's the only thing he's good at.
Smoking speaks the truth, in a sick and twisted funny way. The main character gets kidnapped and gets a couple dozen smoking patches slapped onto his body, then left to rot in the Lincoln memorial lap. We then find out that it was smoking that saved his life, Naylor's response? "Can I quote you on that?" This is what the whole movie is like, smart a witty dialogue with cool and funny characters. Some of the best scenes are between Eckhart and Lowe, who play very well off each other in a scene where they try to promote smoking in the films. The need a role model to show that smoking is cool, someone like Indiana Jones meets Jerry Maguire, on two packs a day.
The only downfall of the film is Naylor's son, who is a kid that you may end up hating, just because of the kid being the way he is. It's the same kid from Birth and Godsend. There is just something about his acting that annoys me, it could be his emotionless face...but then again, I'm not a big fan of many child actors. The supporting cast includes Maria Bello, J.K. Simmons, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe, Sam Elliot and Katie Holmes. All Holmes does in the movie is have sex with Naylor, then write an article...not much more, so if you're a lover or hater of the one half of TOMKAT, she has no impact on the film, her screen time maxes out at about ten minutes.
Thank You For Smoking is a film that is definitely not for everyone, it's not laugh out loud funny, it's comedic style is a little bit more intelligent. Using it's comedy in it's dialogue and it's subject matter. The film doesn't say Smoking is good for you, or that it's bad, it expects you to know the answer already. Thank You For Smoking is an early contender for a top ten list and is an underdog in every sense of the word. It won't get much recognition from the public, or probably even the critics, but as it stands this film is...smokin'.
8/10