Thank You for Smoking a cleanly executed shallow satire.

this is really well made in all departments. a perfect film
contraption as mild satire on the politics, economics, and culture of
homo lobbicus.
but, the movie really lacks spine. for the most part, we are made to
side with the smoking lobby dude. but, as we all know smoking is a
killer, we are made to cheer him for defending our right to destroy
our lungs. he's both hero and a scoundrel, and he knows it. and we
know it. after awhile, there is too much wink wink between writer and
his character, between the character and other characters, between
movie characters and us, and between us and us.

almost flawless but basically an exercise in screenwriting/directing
101 than a truly provocative satire. ultimately, we just come off
with laughs. there's alot of wit but filtered of its nicotine.
for a satire like this to REALLY work, it needs the courage to be
really nasty and really offend. it's too well balanced for that.

readache wrote:
> this is really well made in all departments. a perfect film
> contraption as mild satire on the politics, economics, and culture of
> homo lobbicus.
> but, the movie really lacks spine. for the most part, we are made to
> side with the smoking lobby dude. but, as we all know smoking is a
> killer, we are made to cheer him for defending our right to destroy
> our lungs. he's both hero and a scoundrel, and he knows it. and we
> know it. after awhile, there is too much wink wink between writer and
> his character, between the character and other characters, between
> movie characters and us, and between us and us.
>
> almost flawless but basically an exercise in screenwriting/directing
> 101 than a truly provocative satire. ultimately, we just come off
> with laughs. there's alot of wit but filtered of its nicotine.
> for a satire like this to REALLY work, it needs the courage to be
> really nasty and really offend. it's too well balanced for that.
>

If someone else had told you what you've just told me, would you blow
CAD $3.99 plus tax renting it? I'm a smoker.

Miki