Thank You For Smoking
Last night, Matt and I went to the Tivoli to see Thank You For Smoking. I think we would both definitely recommend the film.
I know that everyone and their mother, including Ebert, are considering this flick a satire. However, when I left the theater last night, I wasn't sold on that idea. By definition, a satire is an exaggeration of real life to the point of ridiculousness in which humor is then created. I got that from the movie. Everyone is a larger than life character, the chain of events is overly coincidental, and the not-so-subtle details stick out like a sore thumb, albeit a very funny sore thumb. However, another element of the definition of satire is that it's primarily used to promote or prevent change. That's the part of the movie that I wonder about: who's side is it on and what supposed change is it targeting?
I am highly anti-smoking for personal reasons, so I guess I hoped going into the show that it would somehow incorporate a "stop being ignorant and quit smoking" message. But, it really doesn't. I think perhaps, if anything, it calls for the American population to wise up and become educated about all sorts of issues rather than relying on the spin doctors of advertising and the special interest groups of politics to make decisions for its members.
The other thing that amazed me was the role of the protagonist, Nick Naylor, in the movie. He's soul-less and smarmy, and you don't want to like him. But even, I found myself at the end of the movie secretly rooting for him, hoping he'd give those anti-tobacco senators a piece of his mind. And then I felt really guilty. How in the world did that happen? I hate cigarettes!
Has anyone else seen the flick? What say you?
I know that everyone and their mother, including Ebert, are considering this flick a satire. However, when I left the theater last night, I wasn't sold on that idea. By definition, a satire is an exaggeration of real life to the point of ridiculousness in which humor is then created. I got that from the movie. Everyone is a larger than life character, the chain of events is overly coincidental, and the not-so-subtle details stick out like a sore thumb, albeit a very funny sore thumb. However, another element of the definition of satire is that it's primarily used to promote or prevent change. That's the part of the movie that I wonder about: who's side is it on and what supposed change is it targeting?
I am highly anti-smoking for personal reasons, so I guess I hoped going into the show that it would somehow incorporate a "stop being ignorant and quit smoking" message. But, it really doesn't. I think perhaps, if anything, it calls for the American population to wise up and become educated about all sorts of issues rather than relying on the spin doctors of advertising and the special interest groups of politics to make decisions for its members.
The other thing that amazed me was the role of the protagonist, Nick Naylor, in the movie. He's soul-less and smarmy, and you don't want to like him. But even, I found myself at the end of the movie secretly rooting for him, hoping he'd give those anti-tobacco senators a piece of his mind. And then I felt really guilty. How in the world did that happen? I hate cigarettes!
Has anyone else seen the flick? What say you?
posted by quank at 12:37 PM
2 Comments:
"i think he is so dedicated to what he does, and what he does to perfection, that nothing (including morals) will get in his way."
if this is not soul-less, what is the word to describe?
my thoughts exactly.
ps - didn't want to offend any smokers out there. they are your lungs. except for matt - i did mean to offend you. STOP SMOKING.
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