Thank You for Smoking

The Lord of War, but this time about cigarettes. Personally, I don't smoke and I don’t like it: it makes my eyes sting and makes me cough. Still, I laughed at how easily Nick convinces everyone about “freedom of choice", mentioning only the pros of the so-called coffin nails. Moreover, Eckhart’s performance is excellent, and he's such a nice guy that you'll forgive him for everything (even the fact that he gets involved with Katie Holmes) and Cameron Bright pulled off a younger version of him to a T as well. P.S.: Did you notice that no one smokes during the movie? (2008-08-21)

Nick doesn’t lie or try to hide the truth... He just filters it. An (a)morally flexible picture not unlike Lord of War. Eckhart is maturing with each new movie he appears in and Jason Reitman confirmed with his (commercial) debut that he is a director that knows how to work with difficult topics intelligently and very comically and it doesn’t matter at all that the picture is a mere revue of scenes steeped in black humor and satire. (2006-09-22)

On the one hand, a very cynical and morally incorrect film that relies on extremely playful direction and the brilliant Eckhart; on the other, a charming and wonderfully brisk indie whose interpretation is probably up to each individual. I don't want to dissect the content here; what's important to me is that Reitman refrains from any judgement or evaluation and "merely" manages to reflect the facts in an excellent way and humorously portray the behind-the-scenes world of the tobacco industry. Aaron Eckhart was absolutely excellent. A remarkable debut for Jason Reitman. (2012-09-23)

There are movies that you hear about, but somehow manage to successfully avoid. "Thank You for Smoking" is exactly such a movie. I heard nothing but praise for it, which I was very glad to believe, but it took me quite a while to convince myself of the film's exceptional qualities. I succeeded and I can say that "Thank You for Smoking" is simply the best film I have seen this week. It is satirical, ironic, definitely unconventional, and although it may seem so at first glance, it certainly does not advocate smoking. In fact, it paves the way that the main character Nick Naylor, played by the excellent Aaron Eckhart, also follows. Do not force children not to smoke, let them decide for themselves at the right age. This also applies to you. Think for yourself whether this film is about cigarettes and their promotion, or prohibition, or if it is a film that tries to show us how a person is crushed by the corporate world and how few real options they actually have. Everything is presented in a way that will keep you on the edge of your seat, even though there is actually not much action. You will want to know how the hero ends up, how he ultimately stands up for what he talks about. Aaron Eckhart played his Nick Naylor incredibly, he is exactly the type we believe can be so cynical, even when talking about his son, who adores him despite everything. Nick is not a perfect man, but he still has some principles. You will root for him, just like you root for, for example, Dr. House. Nick is not such a horrible person, but if you are against smoking, he will probably kick your ass. Unless you happen to have dozens of nicotine patches at hand. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/11/deja-vu-fred-claus-oko-dravce-penelope.html (2013-03-02)

Although I understand that cigarettes are not good for your health (I have always been a non-smoker, which doesn’t really help me much), but I am strongly annoyed by the sometimes hysterical reactions to smokers. What annoys me more than cigarette smoke in restaurants is the foul smell coming from the baby-changing table. In other words, if you want your children to be healthy, learn to cook instead of dragging your kids around pubs. Even in this film, I was forced to side with the bullied, which Nick Naylor made much easier for me thanks to his perfectly cynical attitude. His colleagues from the MOD squad did not fall behind. Nick went against the mainstream and didn't give up in spite of a potential melodramatic ending, and I must give him credit for that. (2020-04-18)