Devizier

I watched this film with 36 other people scattered throughout the (mostly empty) theater. Six loudspeakers were mounted on the side walls, three on the rear wall. There were six stage lights (dimmed) in front of the screen. I know this, because I was forced to entertain myself in some fashion during this film's painful two hour duration.

There are absolutely no redeeming features to this film. Poor acting, directing, screen writing, producing, and probably gaffing, key gripping, and makeup too. Everyone involved in this effort should be ashamed of themselves. The only thing that makes this better than a one-star affair is the likely existence of even worse movies, that I have not and hopefully will never see.

And this is why my will should be more highly regarded. What to say, other than that this is the kind of sappy, melodramatic garbage that's more fit for Sunday afternoon viewing on the Hallmark channel? Let's begin with the plot, which actually doesn't exist. The movie simply rambles aimlessly from one episode to the next, shamelessly invoking deus ex machina when needed. In some ways it feels like something Terry Gilliam might have made in his absolute nadir after downing bottles of fluoxetine.

I suppose you could call this movie character driven, but those characters are depressingly shallow. Some of them, such as the one played by Robin Williams, are severely irritating and detract from little the movie has going for it. There is no point in going into too much detail here, but this brings me to the Robin Williams corollary; the man hasn't been involved in an above-average movie in over a decade. It stands to mention that only a small minority of the past decades' films featuring Williams are even actually average.

So in summary; I want my money back. In fact, I want more than my money back; I considered my time watching this movie as working. It was a truly herculean effort not to walk out. Shouldn't I be rewarded for that?

Aaron Eckhart delivers an amazing performance as the gleefully obnoxious tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor. He is so convincing, in fact, that you can actually feel yourself being manipulated by his character's scripted wiles. As for his supporting cast, they fits their roles admirably, knowing not to interfere. No complaints about casting. Unfortunately, this film falls well short of its satirical aim. There are plenty of deserving targets in the debate over smoking, and "Thank You..." takes on all of them, just not very effectively. I don't know if its the outlandish premise of the film or something else entirely, but something about it rings hollow. On final review: mildly amusing, generally harmless, goofball satire.