Film Review: "Thank You for Smoking" (2006)

In the most clear-eyed political flick to come out in years, Aaron Eckhart leads a stellar cast through a hilarious look at do-gooders, special interests and those whose careers depend on the PR battles that go on between the two. Nick Naylor (Eckhart), lobbyist for Big Tobacco, gets into a massive war of wits against William H. Macy's sanctimonious, holier-than-thou and "I know what's best for you" Democratic senator from - wait for it - Vermont, who wants to put a skull and crossbones on cigarette packages. Throughout, not only those who get behind the latest cause-du-jour are lampooned, but campaign financing, the press, junks scientists, and the alchohol and firearms industries are also sent up.

If you think that people are fully capable of deciding for themselves about what to consume, you'll like this flick a lot. If you think that government knows best, you won't. Obviously, I loved it and laughed out loud several times. An intelligent, quick, and topical movie, the likes of which I didn't really think Hollywood was capable of producing anymore.

Overall rating: 9.5/10