Short(ish) review #5

Thank You for Smoking (2005) - "Don't hide the truth. Just filter it."

This was the one film I wanted more than any for Christmas, believe it or not. Not a Die Hard box set or a blu-ray copy of Prometheus. This. And it didn't disappoint. Before I start, can I say this isn't a pro-smoking film; it's just looking for the lighter side of an issue that is so prominent in society nowadays.

Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight)) is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry in America, an industry that kills 1,200 people a day. He is part of a group of friends who call themselves the MOD - Merchants of Death. He is asked by his boss for a way to try to combat anti-smoking campaigns, so he decides that there should be more smoking in movies to encourage more sales. However, Nick is also a divorced father and he has to try to be a good enough role model for his son. However, his ex-wife is concerned about the lack of time he is spending with him, let alone the impact his job might have on him.

One thing that grabbed my attention to this film was the fact it was directed by Jason Reitman. This was actually his first full length feature film as a director, but he is better known for directing the film after this one - Juno. I like Juno and it's clear to see how he used Thank You for Smoking as a stepping stone towards it. Reitman comes up with some great pieces of dialogue, adapting the novel by Christopher Buckley. It is funny. It easily passes the 5-laugh test. I perhaps laughed more during this film that most films which claim to be comedies. The reason it's funny is that you would be morally outraged if you heard most of what is said in this film in the real world.

It is a fantastic performance by Aaron Eckhart, as a character who has an unenviable job - defending the indefensible. Proof of this is the opening scene when he is appearing on a chat show, alongside a health advocate and a teenager suffering from cancer. He turns it on its head by asking how would he profit out of the loss of the teenager - "It's in our best interests to keep Robyn alive and smoking." There is also a great performance from J.K Simmons as Nick's boss BR. It is reminiscent of his role in Spider-Man, as the guy in charge who stands around shouting his heading off. Cameron Bright also gives a good performance as Joey, Nick's son. Other notable cast members include Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe, William H. Macy and Robert Duvall.

Even though this is a film about smoking, there is surprisingly very little smoking shown in the film. There is one thing to learn from this film. No, it isn't that we should all take up smoking, because that's just wrong. We can all learn about the beauty of argument - "if you argue correctly, you're never wrong."