Ebert & Roeper review "Thank You For Smoking

[ImmortalfireTheMod]

I like this movie a lot. A great cast with great humor.

[qwuezalothus]

Aaron was the perfect pick for Harvey Dent.

[kellygreen5556]

is that how Ebert got cancer?

[skinwalkerxxx]

Aaron Eckhart best actor working today

[thearthurshow]

these guys are so much like spill i don't know if they meant it but i think spell feels so much like them

[PumaSweat]

I found this movie to be a little over rated. It was well made, but just didn't impact me like I wanted. It laso was not that funny to me...it was more interesting and witty but not funny.

[rorrt]

@PumaSweat

How is it that you can find a film overrated?

Are you judging its overate-ness by this review, or people who have recommended this film to you?

Because i find this personally, to be the complete opposite. I personally have started smoking since watching this film, and think every smoker should watch this film. Its so, so sharp, well written, well directed. And what a performance by Ackhart!

[PumaSweat]

@rorrt to answer your question. It was one of those films everyone recommened to me,

and i heard many reviewers talk about positively, but it just didn't move effect me like I wanted it to. I really wanted to like it and I found the tone all over the place. Eckhart is a great actor, but i just didn't laugh much and found the humor forced. Then it gets strangly dramatic at parts i was just disappointed. Had the same problem with lost in Translation.

[ddl74]

Eckhart should've been an Oscar nominee for this. This is such a smart funny movie. Great cast all around.

[rorrt]

@ddl74

I totally agree!

Terrence Howard was the "Why is he here?" in 2005 Academy Awards for Best Actor.

I mean Philip Seymour Hoffman was the best actor that year, even above Heath Ledger in Brokeback mountain.

[ddl74]

@rorrt What a tough category that year. I thought everyone was deserving. In another year, Eckhart would've gotten a nod.

[bernlin2000]

Good film but where Ebert says the satire is "well-controlled" I'd say its pretty tame. No bridges are burned in the film, so you never get too emotionally riled at the film. Satire works best when its controversial, but I don't think Eckhart tries to do that: his solution is personal responsibility, and I totally agree.

[lepikimar]

This is really a very good movie indeed...thumbs way up!!!

[thecousinbellic]

Does anybody remember the South Park episode which made fun of Rob Reiner's anti-smoking campaign and defended the tobacco companies? It was awesome!

[apehodet]

not the biggest fan of libertarian politics, but this movie is brilliant and hilarious.

[iCyborg85]

FUCK YOU

[VikCain]

Is really cool that they mention smoking in space. I wonder about Avatar.

[Warren989]

So funny but so damn true. If you think about it. I am allergic to smoke so I hate the hell out of em but on a logical level I think people should work on obisity first. Come on, people are in space, were 2 or 3 decades off from making efficent fusion power but people still cant make healthy chips? get off your asses and make some healthy doughnuts!!! Please???

[spiderpig85]

I loved this movie. the scene where he gets nicotine patches all over him was prime.

[Nightavenger2]

@spiderpig85 Actually I think it's when his son tell's him you already are hated, that's the beauty of argument you arguely correctly you are never wrong, or the son telling his mother about the whole taking her anger out on him because of a failed marriage.

[kasrkinmullet]

Smoking, drinking, eating unhealthy food may be bad for us, but it's our choice to do so if we want.

[rktsncalnc]

@kasrkinmullet 2nd hand smoke, cancer, drunk driving, domestic violence, obesity, - do what you want, but don't pretend there aren't consequences to your actions that tax payers won't eventually have to pay for.

[kasrkinmullet]

@rktsncalnc That's what the court system is for

[rktsncalnc]

@kasrkinmullet Regulating stupid behavior? We can't wise-up and do that on our own?

[AlsatianCousin]

@kasrkinmullet - ever heard of the illusion of free will?

[godfatherofwiseguys]

this is one of the reasons i had trouble with Aaron Eckhart in TDK. i kept seeing his character from Thank You For Smoking while watching TDK, it distracted me at times. i wish Nolan would have casted Matt Damon, or Leo DiCaprio, or Guy Pierce.

[skinwalkerxxx]

Matt Damon? Leo Decaprio? arrggg

I thought Eckart was the best in the Dark Knight movie outside of Heath Ledger. He was fantastic and overshadowed Christian Bale by a mile.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

Yes Matt Damon...

Eckhart was good but you'll be lying if you don't see his character from Thank You For Smoking while watching TDK... besides, the Two Face character was already well written. Eckhart just fits it very well, but Thank You For Smoking came FIRST. that's just two years apart with TDK.

[skinwalkerxxx]

He was nothing like his character from Thank You for smoking. Eckahrt was brilliant as Harvey Dent. Oh he wears a suit! So he's exactly like the other character! lol You must not have liked the great actors of the past like Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant(they're playing the same part!).

Also Aaron Eckhart is ten times the actor that Damon is.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

have you actually seen Thank You For Smoking? or you're just one of those FANBOYS who think TDK is the best movie of all time?

I wouldn't believe you even if you say that Eckhart is a better actor than Damon. but saying it ten times better? LOL... haha... even Nolan wanted Damon for the role first so maybe Nolan is stupid and you're probably the smartest guy on the planet.. LOL... haha..

Eckhart's fast talking, smart ass persona in TDK is so TYFS. Both played great, just both too similar

[skinwalkerxxx]

Dark Knight was pretty much flawless in my opinion.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

i say it's flawless too. i'm just saying his character here were too similar with Harvey Dent.

still, TDK is an achievement of filmaking. Nolan's direction is a standard for all other directors out there tackling super hero films. and the acting are all very good.

[lwa313]

good thing i seen dark knight first. but now wenever i see him in anything i go "hey! two face!" lol. mayb if u seen TDK first you would feel the opposite. I guess it means he acts the same in all of his films.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

yeah... i kinda get that feeling too... but TYFS is a very good film and it's a loss not seeing this movie.

ps. i disagree with you, He doesnt really acts the same in all of his movies. but his acting in TDK and here is pretty close when compared

[skinwalkerxxx]

I think people have too much of a tendency to say this actor or that actress plays the same role. Look at DK and TYFS: Eckhart plays a man with a suit, who's great with people, is good at convincing too. But I think he plays both roles very differently. In Thank You...he does it almost in a cartoonish manner, always smiling, pretty amoral. But as Harvey Dent he's a serious man, a moral man and I almost feel that he's even more convincing in that role. He's as good but has more gravitas.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

i don't know about him doing it in a cartoonish manner... there is definetly suave with his performance here in TYFS. the movie was just comedy, but i don't see him doing it in a cartoonish manner. he was smiling all the time, yes, i'll give you that, but that was because the environtment of the movie is light and funny. in TDK, it is almost the same character. the difference is the environtment is dark, serious, deadly, thats why you're saying he's a serious man.

[skinwalkerxxx]

It's like we're arguing semantics here. I meant his character seemed cartoonish compared to his part in the Dark Knight. Since Thank You...is a dark comedy in a way, what was required for the movie was different for what was needed in Dark Knight. The environment was different but so was the way he played it on screen. You said you found it distracting since he was doing the same thing. And he clearly wasn't doing the same thing.

[skinwalkerxxx]

Also while his part in TYFS was more acclaimed, I found his work in DK more nuanced and harder to pull off.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

i disagree... his character was already well written in TDK... he just got to do his "lawyer" thing and go crazy in the last minutes of the film.. and he fits the character very well. Dent is well suited for Eckhart... but his character in TYFS is much harder to pull off. it's hard being funny when clearly he is in the wrong side. i mean, not alot of actors can go up against a cancer patient and still make it funny and unoffensive.

[skinwalkerxxx]

Actually after having seen Eckhart in In The Company of Men I would bet everything it was easier for him to play the character in TYFS. In that movie it was this nasty fella saying these outrageous things, doing these outrageous things with a good-looking nice guy facade. Several critics said his part in TYFS reminded them of ITCOM. It must have been a piece of cake for him. And no way was this part less well written than Harvey Dent.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

well... we have different opinion, but i appreciate your effort in explaining them...

still i saw alot of similarities that distracted me. gladly i didn't saw In The Company of Men cause it would have distracted me from his wonderful performance in TYFS... i just wish i different actor could have played either role

[skinwalkerxxx]

A big reason for me why I wouldn't have wanted it any other way is that I like Eckhart and a film like Dark Knight was a big break for him. When I heard he would be Two-Face I was happy that finally he may get recognised.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

if only another actor could have played either his role here in TYFS or his role in TDK. If TYFS hadnt been made, there will be no distractions for me while watching TDK

[skinwalkerxxx]

I understand the distraction. Alright I have to admit the similarities. In fact when Ekckart was cast I remember being enthousiatic about it since I knew he could pull if off, having seen him in other films such In the Company of Men as this dark, troubled man with a charming facade. But in Dark Knight he actually surprised me, he was better than I thought it would be.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

bottomline: Eckhart was fine in TDK... i just think that his performance was too similar here in TYFS... and ofcourse TDK and TYFS is different from one another. one is a Drama and the other is a comedy... but still, you can see the similarities..

[skinwalkerxxx]

There's no doubt there was similarities. But they were more artificial like "he's a good-looking man in a suit who is a good talker". But I think it was a pretty different performances than TYFS. More nuanced and real. I wouldn't say one was better than the other. Personaly I prefer what he did on Dark Knight because I had seen Eckhart play the other type of roles, of cynics, of smiling guys playing the system. So seeing him doing something more three-dimensonal and toned down, impressed me.

[lwa313]

yea i would like 2 c it just never got the chance 2.

[skinwalkerxxx]

He wasn't the same way at all. He just look the same. Give me Aaron Eckhart any days of the week as opposed to guys that look different but act the same like Johnny Depp.

[lwa313]

Leo DiCaprio i think is too much of a pretty boy to be two face. I mean he's a fantastic actor and sort of got out of the whole pretty boy thing since the Departed but I dont' think he'd be right for this roll. Matt Damon might hav been good.

[godfatherofwiseguys]

DiCaprio has that thing where he can look like a politician... i mean, Dent's persona is the face that the public wants. it would be interesting on what he can do with that role.

but still, Damon is the most suited for me in this role. Nolan should have persuadedhim when he(damon) turned it down... maybe a meeting with the actor would have changed his mind.

[skinwalkerxxx]

Personaly I don't like Damon and he look less of what in my opinion Harvey Dent should look. Dent is the quintessential serious man in a suit.

[skinwalkerxxx]

I can't stand the actor that plays his kid. He has the same face expression in every movies. He's like the Superman kid.

[cs925]

I loved this movie and I agree 100% w/everything they said.

[ToruKun1]

Woo, first! :D