Thank You For Smoking (2006)

Aaron Eckhart is Nick Naylor, an audacious lobbyist for Big Tobacco who seems to delight in going up against "Cancer Boy" on a morning talk show and questioning the expertise of an elementary school student's mother during Career Day in his son's class. He talks fast and smooth so that his ridiculous points seem to make perfect sense.

But there's just too much going on here. A newspaper exposé, an attack by a militant anti-smoking group, Naylor's boring divorce drama, etc. The film's strongest when we just get to hear the man talk -- no extra plotlines necessary. I especially enjoyed the early scene with the "M.O.D. (Merchants of Death) Squad," comprised of Nick and representatives for Alcohol and Tobacco.

It's a smart satire that aims a little too wide to be counted an unqualified success.

B+