|
| Movie Review: Thank you for Smoking Alternate Title: Lobbyists are People Too
Story: Can you possibly make
a Washington DC tobacco lobbyist lovable? Director and writerJason
Reitman manages to do just that in this very funny satire about
the life of a lobbyist who represents a despicable industry. It is based
on the Christopher Buckley book (1994). How does one actually become a lobbyist for an
industry that everyone knows kills people? The bottom line is if you
have the gift of gab and a very flexible moral compass you might want
to consider a career in lobbying. It is very lucrative. The spin, the greed, the crusaders, the blow-hard
Congress people and all other aspects of society who will gain from
more tobacco sales are skewed with good humor. The film takes place right before the tobacco
industry was judged responsible for snookering the populace and had
to pay an enormous pay outs to the States. By the way, what ever happened
to that money? If you want a few good laughs and want to see the inside
of a lobbyists' heart, check out this funny film. Acting: Aaron Eckhart (Nurse
Betty, Erin Brockovich, Your Friends & Neighbors and In the Company
of Men) is simply terrific as lobbyist Nick Naylor. He is the heart
and soul of this film. The supporting cast are all great except I found
Katie Holmes to be distracting.
Predilection: I tend to like satires.
Critters: 0
Food: The three featured lobbyists enjoyed lots of
meat and potatoes.
Blatant Product Placement: Duh! The tobacco industry.
Product placement actually has quite a large role in this film.
Soundtrack: Funny
Opening Titles: A very clever use of old cigarette
logos and type.
Visual Art: The art displayed in the big Hollywood
agent's offices was hysterical.
Theater Audience: I was in the secret balcony of
my favorite multiplex alone. There were some people downstairs and they
were laughing as hard as I was.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 2
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: Other than the scenes with Katie Hones
I did not drift. It was just too hard not to think of her and Tom Cruise.
Gasp!
Predictability Level: High
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Soap Box: What can we say about cigarettes that as
not been said before? If cocaine dealers had as powerful a lobby in
Washington as tobacco it would be legal here too.
Big Screen or Rental: Rental will
do you just fine. There is a segment about the old Marlboro Man and
lung cancer. In real life the actor who portrayed the "Marlboro
Man" in print and television cigarette advertisements did die of
lung cancer. http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marlboro.htm
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 6
|