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)

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)

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)

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. (09/23/2012)

The phenomenal Aaron Eckhart could even make you think that smoking cigarettes is actually a healthy thing. Unfortunately, director Reitman spends the entire ninety minutes flitting between the political correctness of a hot topic and a family melodrama about model fatherhood. If it had thirty extra minutes and a more integral directorial lead who could have been more "loose" would have only helped the film. Then it would have been an absolute hit. Andrew Niccol poked at a similar theme much more vigorously, boldly, and, above all, engagingly. It’s not at all bad for a debut and the promising signs of interesting talent are definitely there. Keep it up! (02/04/2007)