8. Thank You For Smoking Smoking
Ok, perhaps calling smoking terrible is a little strong. But still, it's hardly good for you, so perhaps it applies. Anyway, beyond that, I give you Thank You For Smoking, and the magnificent bastard that is Nick Naylor. The man prides himself on being able to speak and shamlessly publicise even the worst things, and god, does he do it here. I don't know if it was Jason Reitman's intention, but such was Aaron Eckhart's magnificent charisma that for a while, he has you thinking that smoking is awesome. Not good for you, mind, but hot damn, such is the power of Naylor's oratory that you'd buy volcano insurance from him if it came to it. The worst thing is that he's very up front with you in the tremendous prologue he tells you he's brilliant at bullsh*t, but he's just so magnetic in this film that you don't care. Granted, the film makes it clear that Naylor is the puppet behind some pretty shady people (B.R, for one) but still, when he gives his speech to the senators about why smoking shouldn't be so demonised, that it's all our own choice, and that if we're banning all health risks Vermont's cheeses should go to that you start to soften just that little bit on the whole smoking deal. Sure, maybe you wouldn't go out and smoke yourself because of this film, but I'm willing to bet that such was the power and coherent points of his diatribe that a good many people became a good deal less dismissive about this 'filthy habit.' Hell, it's their choice, right? ...Right?