Thank You for Smoking

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. (09/22/2006)

Very funny and imaginatively directed in places, especially in the opening, when we are introduced to lobbyist Nick Naylor (the utterly brilliant Aaron Eckhart) as the "embodiment of cigarettes" in an irresistibly black and humourless sequence that approximates the number of victims of tobacco addiction. Guaranteed to amuse, too, are the apt observations about the now-fashionable curses on smoking in contemporary Hollywood ("These days, when someone smokes in the movies, they're either a psychopath... or a European."). Even at the very end, Reitman elegantly gets away with moralising that smoking may be "bad", but it is up to each of us to choose. But still, in the end, only 3 stars, albeit very strong. Despite a promising start in the opening 20 minutes, the film has too many deaf spots and unfinished scenes, which is a shame, because such a hot topic is ripe for a complete explosion of politically incorrect, sarcastic humour, of which there is woefully little. Still, the "Ghostbuster" can be proud of his son, I think there is a great talent growing here. (09/30/2006)

Finally a film that has some class. It's full of intelligent arguments and quality jokes from the start. Aaron Eckhart is unflappable and handles his role with aplomb. He didn't convince me to smoke, but I found his performance very likeable. The second half of the film is a little weaker, but still deserves a full rating. (05/01/2011)

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 (03/02/2013)

A smart, sharply sarcastic comedy that spares no one and nothing and is full of catchphrases from all sides, while still being true to life. In no scene or with no character does one feel anything artificial. A good screenplay was matched with a decent director and the cast is very high-quality, so together it is not a groundbreaking film, but a very quality genre film that will please fans of intelligent humor. It is exactly the kind of movie where I will surely remember certain catchphrases even years later. Overall impression: 80%. (06/01/2009)