Scribe & Green on the BIG screen

There are far too many people out there writing “reviews of movie-films & articles about them with absolutely no clue what the hell they’re talking about." Here are 2 more of them! (Well, one of us knows what the h___ we're talking about, but we'll leave it up to you to decide who that is...) Ultimately, can two people as opposite as Scribe and Green agree on anything?? That's where the fun begins. Won't you join us? (Every now and then we'll add a guest review, just for kicks.)

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Thank You for Smoking

For the fourth guest review, I asked my friend "Movie Man" if he'd be interested in writing a guest review for BIG SCREEN. As I had with the other guest reviewers, I told him he could pick whatever movie he wanted. I had never heard of the film that he chose, so I was interested to see it for myself.

MOVIE MAN'S "ONE HABIT YOU WON'T WANT TO QUIT" REVIEW:

Before Juno, director Jason Reitman made a film called Thank You For Smoking. This is a satirical comedy about a lobbyist for a tobacco company named Nick Naylor played by Aaron Eckhart. He is a real spin doctor who will say anything to get the general public smoking. He is, however, very good at his job, and is able to talk people into doing anything. However, not everyone falls for his stories that he spins. One of whom is a Vermont Senator, beautifully played by William H. Macy. Nick finds opposition with this senator, who apparently would do anything to keep the public from smoking, including having Nick kidnapped and have tobacco patches placed all over his body. A sequence which has a very funny ironic twist. At the same time, Nick has a 12 year old son, whom he is trying to remain a role model to.

Aaron Eckhart really turns playing a sleazy character into an art form here, as he did in his debut film back in 1997, In the of Company of Men. You would not want any other actor playing this role. Eckhart just does it so well, and yet somehow remains to be a likable character. It’s a brilliant performance that should have earned him an Oscar nomination, especially since he did earn a Golden Globe nomination for this performance.

There are also an all-star cast of supporting characters that are just as good. Some of whom include Macy, as the Senator from Vermont, Robert Duvall, Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe, and Adam Brody as Rob Lowe’s over-caffeinated assistant in yet another very funny scene.

The film’s script, also written by Reitman, is smart, clever and witty. The kind of writing you don’t always see in comedies. All the comedy comes out of the dialogue and situations. He writes his characters with the same wit and cleverness. It’s so refreshing to see such an intelligent comedy as this is when there is so many dumb movies out there that talk down to the audience. One thing I found shocking was when it came to Oscar time, not only wasn’t this film nominated for a screenplay award, but the academy actually wasted the nomination on the dumb, and pointless, Borat. What a crime that was!

Overall, Thank You For Smoking is a smart, intelligent comedy with smart, intelligent characters. This is definitely a film you do not want to miss.



**** out of *****

GREEN'S "EVERYONE'S GOT A MORTGAGE TO PAY" REVIEW:

It was hard to choose a title for this review. There were so many good lines that I could have used.

There are some movies that you watch with zero expectations going in. I had none as I had never heard of it before. There are also movies that you can tell are going to be really good right from the opening music and credits. I had that vibe with this movie right away.

Turns out that this movie is much better than I anticipated. So much so that I bought it after I watched the library copy I borrowed in order to write this review and have watched it a few times since.

This movie is all about spin and how modern society can twist the facts to make them say whatever you want, even if it's unrealistic. It even spins the fact that you want to root for the "bad guys" and hate the"good guys."

One of the great things about this film is that not once do we see a cigarette lit up. No one smokes in this movie.

Aaron Eckhart is absolutely perfect for the role of tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor. In fact the whole cast is excellent, right down to The Captain and the ex-Marlboro Man, played by Robert Duvall and Sam Elliott respectively. The script was brilliantly adapted from the Christopher Buckley novel of the same name, which I now want to read.

Jason Reitman is proving to be one of Hollywood's brightest young (under 40) writer/directors. After this film he directed Juno, which was excellent and he has received a lot of praise for his current film, Up in the Air.

This film is irreverent and sharp and delivers a serious message in the funniest possible way. It was shown at the Toronto and Sundance Film Festivals before its wide release in 2006. Unbelievable that the run time is only 91 minutes.

The extras on the DVD are also very well done and will enhance your enjoyment of this movie. The cast and crew interviews are very insightful and they have a lot to say regarding the nature of spin. For example, William H. Macy says that the "notion of spinning the truth is totally relevant. Part of what's happening in this country is 'where's the truth?' And now people are willing to accept no truth or a substitute for truth." Dennis Miller, in his famous tongue in cheek way, adds that "a little BS goes a long way. It makes us feel better."

If you're having trouble deciding what to watch some night, this movie will not disappoint. Even if you've seen it before you will still enjoy it. It's the kind of movie that is so good that it lends itself to multiple viewings.


***** out of *****

Thank You for Smoking (2005, R, 91 minutes), starring Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes, William H. Macy, JK Simmons, Maria Bello, David Koechner, Rob Lowe, Adam Brody, Robert Duvall and Sam Elliott. Screenplay written by Jason Reitman. Adapted from the novel by Christopher Buckley. Directed by Jason Reitman.

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3 Comments:

At 08 February, 2010 15:22 , Blogger c nadeau said...

I've always wanted to see this but bought the novel and want to read that frist. I read a couple pages and laughed me arse off I did!

 
At 08 February, 2010 16:55 , Blogger Tim said...

I bought the book as well - found a nice used hardcover copy - but after I watched the movie. Will read it sometime. Jason Reitman is an excellent director.

 
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