Movie Review: Thank You For Smoking

Thank You For Smoking: Torgo approves

Rainster approved of this a while back, and I obediently follow all of her suggestions. Turns out, she's right about Thank You For Smoking. It's an enjoyable movie about a lobbyist for Big Tobacco.

I recommend the movie, but do have a couple of complaints. It's quick and self-consciously clever in the style of quite a few psuedo-indie movies of the last decade or so (like Election, the Wes Anderson movies, Fight Club, etc.). But it doesn't add anything new to that genre. It's not breaking any new stylistic ground. It's funny, but not unexpectedly funny. The plot is conventional and follows an uninspired course.

So it's competent but not daring. I guess that's fine. And I certainly am glad I watched it, but it's not essential.

Moreover, my biggest disappointment was how unconvincing the lobbyist was. He's supposedly the master of spin, but I wasn't ever all that amazed by his spin. It felt a bit staid. This is the type of movie where I expected to feel as though the writing was smarter than I am capable of, and I didn't.

But if you haven't seen it, ignore what I just said and see it anyway.