Reviews

It seems that Clint has embraced his old age rather gracefully. He's grumpier and creepier than ever. But still has that wonderful edgy flair that keeps us coming. His performance was wonderful and no one could have possibly played a racist Korean war vet quite like him. That aside the movie was terrible. Not because of writing flaws or cheesy one liners, like I expected, but because besides good old Clint, no one in this movie bothered to act. It was bazaar. Clint was spectacular, but everyone else looked like they were just reciting words on a page. I've seen better performances at middles school Shakespeare shows. The preacher had only one emotion, and it was so vague and useless that I couldn't actually understand anything he did. The bad guys were comical at best and the loyal friend, Toad, or what ever, was so unconvincingly angry that I just wanted Clint to let him out of the cage and get killed so I wouldn't have to watch him pretend he was enraged. Apparently, in his old age, Clint has forgotten how to direct actors.

Thank You for Smoking, although clever and funny, was about as poorly conceived as an apologia for the KKK. (Not that it hasn't been done!) Hollywood makes movies good, not good movies. And this film is a prime example of that maxim: good set-up, good actors, good directing, good camera work...bad movie.

Now, before you get all hot and bothered about the fact that I didn't like a movie that you thought was funny and cute, stop and think for a minute. What makes a movie good? Is it the special effects? The visuals? The cute female (male) lead? The fact that you laughed? Well, no, actually. (Although all those things help.) What makes a movie good is the IDEA behind it. And this movie was based on a very bad one.

If you watch the special features, you'll hear a lot of people say that this movie is about "spin." That's pure spin. The movie (if you pay close attention to what the director says) is about "political correctness." In this case, since you are rooting for the "bad guy" (an amoral liar and all round despicable person), and boo-ing the "good guy" (the be-sandaled Senator from Vermont), the "correctness" part can be argued. Is it merely politically correct to try and curtail smoking? Is it on a par with saying "physically challenged" or "differently abled" rather than disabled or crippled? No, it is not. It is a hard, proved fact that cigarettes do indeed kill, that the tobacco lobby doesn't give a rodent's derriere about that, and that any laws passed through the efforts of lobbyists (like the protagonist of this film) will cause you direct and personal harm.

The other reason this film is bad is that it simply didn't work as a film. You can't make a feel-good movie about a man who is immoral. The teary-eyed Child who loves and supports Dad doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Instead you feel like slapping him, as much for the sentiment as for the stilted, all too adult-sounding, and blatantly expository lines he is forced to deliver. There is no godly reason for us to feel good about the son, or about the ex-spouse for that matter, who somehow, inexplicably decides to support her ex-hubby in the end. No, a plot like that only works if the main character comes through with a change of heart. And this one didn't.

Two thumbs down on this one. If you want to see a GOOD movie about spin, watch "Wag the Dog."

To start of I must stress that I love over the top gore. I love violence and action. Even I, on occasion, like a good old human sacrifice. So this movie was a real excitement for me. One of the most important things I ever learned about film was that things you don't show on screen are always scarier than what you do show, because your audience gets to imagine it in it's most frightening form, but showing it is awesome as well. Mel Gibson went out of his way to show you all the stuff you would rather not see. Within the first 25 minutes of this movie, someone eats raw pig balls and another guy holds his own still beating heart in front of him. It just gets bloodier and bloodier from then on.

To address the issue that a lot of people brought up. This movie was not racist at all. This movie was about the Mayan upper class destroying them selves and the lower class with them. But, while the movie was for the most part a very accurate representation of the Mayans at the time there was one blaring flaw in it's accuracy and in it's message. In the end the main character is fleeing (because that's about all he ever does) when he comes to the shore to find a Spanish expeditionary force and conquistadors with bibles and crosses in hand. I though at once that Mel's crazy "God" obsession might just ruin a perfectly good gore fest. Luckily for me the movie ended soon after. But the after taste was sower. Now all I could think was "The Spanish saved him?" They, in a way, did. There arrival distracted the followers and all of a sudden, he was OK. Thanks buddies! But wait, in the beginning of this movie Mel posts a Will Durant quote about nations destroying themselves, well I've got bad news for Mel. The Spanish arrived 300 years after the Mayan empire fell and most likely, though they might have saved our beloved jaguar paw they probably would have killed him within 5 or so years. This is kind of like having a movie about a polish boy being picked on end with the Nazis coming in and saving him. The Spanish were responsible for possibly the largest genocide in human history. They killed 9 million natives in their conquest. In all the movie was enjoyable despite Mel's obvious craziness. I would suggest seeing it and just leaving before the end.

So many things were right about this movie--actors, plot, writing--it's hard to admit what a disappointment it was. The screenplay was utterly disjointed, lacking in cohesion, and, at times, sense. In part, this was due to the trendy hand-held camera work which jounced you up and down and all around, without really seeming to produce very much aside from a case of vertigo. What was the point of all those strange angles? But to a greater extent, the loss of sense was due to the fact that the film tried to be everything--a thriller, a tour of Africa, a love story, a political commentary (and rather heavy-handed at that). Sometimes it even bordered on National Geographic. (The short clip of street theater was very interesting, but not relevant.)Unfortunately, in trying to be everything, it was nothing. The emotional impact of the love story was lost because the relationship between the main characters, Justin and Tessa, remained almost entirely undeveloped. They meet, they inexplicably go to bed, they inexplicably get married (one assumes). Then presto! They are in Africa and she is working as part of an aid project (again one assumes). Then she's dead. There is no reason for us to care. There is also no reason for us to care about any of the personal betrayals--real or otherwise--that crop up in the film, because none of these relationships are developed either. As a thriller the film was also a failure, because you know practically from the start who the villains are. As a consequence, Justin's journey to final knowledge does not come as a revelation to the audience. (So where's the thrill in that?) The other hats this movie wears-- infomercial about Africa and AIDS (?), expose of pharmaceutical companies, political critique of government corruption-- are scattered, unfocused, shallow and just tend to gum up the works. In sum, this was a film which had great, but unrealized, potential. I'd say "better luck next time," except film makers don't get second chances.

This film was truly entertaining. Peter O'Toole looked like he had really bad gas through most of his scenes and was desperately trying to hold it in. (That tight, tight smile.) Also I really liked the part when that elf guy shot Brad Pitt in the heel and Brad Pit spent forever dying. (And I mean FOREVER. They all took forever to die, except for Peter O'Toole who was so relieved to get out of playing his part he just went plop.) Helen was a spectacularly rotten actress. (Look at me! I'm so pretty!) She like totally deserved that eye makeup. The rest of them got paid a lot, so it was fun watching them planning their next big party in their minds as they threatened to burn Troy, etc, etc, etc. All in all, I'd say two thumbs screwed.