Thank You For Smoking

While his Ghostbustin' dad Ivan Reitman has recently turned his talents to producing low brow fare such as 'Eurotrip', first-time director Jason here attempts to deliver a savvy satire with Eckhart leading a starry ensemble cast as spin doctor-in-chief for the US tobacco industry, Nick Naylor. Eckhart turns in a commanding and charismatic performance as the amoral-yet-likeable Naylor, as he attempts to be a positive role model for his son Joey (Bright) whilst protecting his employer's interests in the face of a bumbling, campaigning Senator(the excellent William H. Macy). There's plenty to enjoy in the anti-PC humour, most notably in the scenes of one-upmanship between Naylor and his contemporaries of the alcohol and firearms lobbies. Ultimately though, the big issue at stake is played purely for laughs, leaving a hollow ring to this muddled satire. But, hey, it's better than 'Eurotrip'. [Colan Mehaffey]