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Only comes out in late March, but I haven't laughed harder in ages when only looking at the trailer. Looks like my kind of comedy, and one of the sharpest to come out in years. I can't wait.

I just saw the preview for this before Munich and I really thought it looked like an ingenious film. Hopefully it will hold up with reviews etc., because it really looks like a fresh new comedy.

Can't wait.

Well, apparently some people are going to start seeing this very soon *seethes in bitterness*

Please tell me its the A+ satyric comedy I've been waiting decades for. It looks genuinely hilarious.

Drive to Philly, dolce!

I know it's a weekday, but if you want to see the film that badly, get to that screening.

Or wait the extra three weeks...

I can't wait for this film. I'll probably have to see it when I go down to LA on the 31st. Damn, Brick and Thank You For Smoking in one weekend. Sounds good to me.

Looks fantastic, but i can't find a UK release date anywhere!

Feel my pain

I can't waaait.

Looks great.

For anyone interested, there are quite a few free screenings over the next few of weeks for the film.

Here is the site, select your city and enter your name and email for two free passes.

http://rsvp.foxsearchlight.com/RSVPSyst ... p?movie=36

The city list has expanded, but still no New York.

Anyways, its getting mixed reviews, which is too bad. I'm going to go see it, and if its anything like the trailer I'm going to laugh harder than I have in years.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thank_you_for_smoking/

Going to see this tonight, up the street! I'm glad its gone up a bit in the rankings with more reviews coming in. Still looks like quality situational irony, and I hope it doesn't descend into slapstick.

Anyone seen it yet?

It doesn't. All of the humor is driven with a nice sartirical wit to it.

I'll be shocked if you don't like the film.

Side note: I'm the only one who has given it a grade over at Yahoo. The film only has one rating so far.

Well Jmart, you were right!

Some quick thoughts as I process the film. It maintained a sort of snarky humour while ultimately illuminating on all the ways in which big tobacco tries to maintain relevancy. At the same time, I found the final speech before the assembly to be interesting.

Who here doesn't know cigarettes are harmful?

The question shifts to parental responsibilty and individual choice, which is a hard line to take, but Thank You for Smoking sticks by it unabashedly. Cheese can give you heart attacks, why don't we have skull and cross-bones warnings on all cars and airplanes?

I don't know. I've always been a big advocate of warning labels, the age-restrictions, and pushing against childhood marketing. I also see the point of consumer selection. When does it become the governments responsibility to act on behalf of its constituents and outlaw a product, and when is it up to the constituents?

I'm not quite sure if I agree with this message, but Nick Naylors ultimate decision *spoilers* to quit lobbying for big tobacco* does send the ultimate message that he doesn't want to support their spin any longer. And that's the message the audience, I think, gets easily. *end spoilers*

It is a tricky line, however, of what at time the government condemns or condones, and how it proceeds to provide access to it *read...abortions, chocolate, cell phones, or anything else that at one point has been a topic of government control and not individual liberty*. I think this is made evident by the senator's "rewriting of history" at the farcical end.

Its interesting, and I'm still taking in the position and message of the movie right now. I'd be interested in knowing what you thought jmart007.

On the material level, M.O.B meetings where hilarious, as was the choice of assassination method, and almost all the conversations Nick had with his son about debating and this country.

Dolce,

You just got me even more excited for the film. I'm supposed to go sometime next week, hopefully everything works out. And hopefully I find it as interesting as you did.

(by the way, since you liked a film with a message...see V for Vendetta )

I'd have to see the film again to give you a detailed answer since I saw the film way back in October, but the biggest thing I got out of the film besides the memorable humor, was just how Nick was going to change by the end of the film because of his son and his conscience. He doesn't really though. I feel like an ass that I can't really get more descriptive than that, because I really did see the film, and I got what it was trying to accomplish, it just really didn't stick with me over time, which is really the only aspect, for me, where I would give the film some criticism. It's funny, it's somewhat poweful while you're in the theater, but I think when most audiences leave, it'll just go in one ear and out the other.

I will see it again though when it heads up my way next week.

I was invited to an early screening and wasn't able to go (Frustration). I am highly anticipating it finally being released. Also highly anticipating everyone's opinions.

I saw it last night.

It was a solid picture, but surprisingly too "nice" (not enough bite), which worked against it.

*spoiler*

Really? I thought the end where he says he would buy his son a pack of cigarettes when the boy turned 18 was quite rough, and really put alot of responsibility on parents and consumers. Perhaps too much? I always wondered if that was a viabl option for, say, parents that work two jobs to support their children, but can't be around to control everything the kids are exposed to.

I liked it becaus it faught against goverment *control* ala, dare I say it, Vendetta, but chose a far more problematic and grayscale area...the law and a notoriously antagonisitic and unhealthy product with imfamous marketing tactics.

Really, of all the comedies I've seen of late, the Merchants of Death conversations and the death-by-nicotine-patches were being a smoker actually "saved his life" were actually the funniest moments. I do wish the Senator had a bit more tooth to him, however.

Those children are doomed anyway...

I was just saying it was a middle class argument. Not a value statement. I happen to agree that at one point, its up to us if we want to consume french fries or smoke everyday.

Finally a UK release date.... June 16th

I'm still really looking forward to it.

It entered the top 10 after several weeks of good grosses.

Need to see this soon!!!

I haven't seen the movie but I read the book when it first came out and this doesn't sound like the story I read. I read a satire of spin, in which we laugh at the ways spinmasters, whether in industry or politics, will try to frame every issue as if it's about freedom and other such basic rights. I wouldn't read anything into the story as being for freedom to smoke, I am pretty sure that was intended as satire.

But it's been a while.

Well, I think the movie version begins with that sort of flavor to it; that anything can be spun into arguements of individual liberty. But after he joins the hearings, the arguement begins taking itself seriously.

So I guess it forces the audience to weigh in on whether they believe the arguement is just spin, or if there's some validity to it. The fact that it does touch upon the subject of advertising to minors adds an additional layer of complexity.

Book reviews mention that the literature is hilarious. I might check it out.

I saw this in LA last weekend. Here's my (short) review from Everyone's A Critic:

B+

It never really matches the manic and utterly hilarious opening fifteen minutes or so, but it does have bursts of gut-busting humor throughout. Aaron Eckhart is absolutely brilliant here and deserves an Oscar nomination. The script is also Oscar worthy. The direction feels trite at times, though (it's definitely a first time feature), and as I touched on before, it's pretty inconsistent with one too many slow points. Still, when it's on, it's a tough act to top.