Thank You For Smoking

I just saw “Thank You For Smoking” at the local megaplex, the last place I thought I’d see it. I’d gladly have seen it from the local independent cinema but they haven’t had it yet. They are currently locked in a battle for the souls of Corvallis’ independent-movie-loving population with the midsized-crappy-sound-used-to-be-the-big-dog theater. Winner yet to be determined.

Anyway, the movie! It was good. It’s all about the people who are the public face of the slimiest corporations in America today, starring the representative (played by Aaron Eckhart) of the biggest evil of them all, Big Tobacco. He flashes his grin, he stresses that “all findings are inconclusive”, and he doesn’t worry about his side winning as much as the question of “are cigarettes harmful?” remaining up the air. This could be a tense drama but instead it’s really funny, especially the bald guy from Anchorman as the face of the firearm industry.

Whenever I saw Nick’s ex-wife I kept wondering where I’d seen her. She’s played by Kim Dickens, also in the HBO Western “Deadwood”, one of my favorite shows, and it was a bit of a shock seeing her in something other than the elaborate dress get-ups she wears on that. Still lookin’ hot. Also, Katie Holmes, half of TomKat Industries Inc., who I wouldn’t have expected to see in a movie about throwing back the curtain on the lies and machinations of a large organization, what with her newest religious affiliation, but whatever.

I’d recommend “Thank You For Smoking” to just about anyone with a sense of humor, especially those that have consumed enough media to be aware of the constant stream of bullshit getting spewed from every direction.

Plus Sam Elliott is the Marlboro Man, and you can’t beat that.

(Trailer, website)