“Thank You for Smoking,” a comedy with bite.
Smoking is no joke. It kills over 450,000 people a year. But this sharp satire seeks not to denounce tobacco’s well documented evils, but to show how the best tobacco lobbyist (BYU grad Aaron Eckhart) can defend the indefensible position of his industry. The film isn’t a message movie, but when Nick (Eckhart) tries to be a good dad and a good employee (“moral flexibility”), the film shows its heart while shrewdly exposing the art of half-truth spinning and deflection.
Grade: A-
Rated R for profanity and some sexual content.