Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son.
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Director:
Thomas McCarthy
Stars:
Peter Dinklage,
Patricia Clarkson,
Bobby Cannavale
The chief spokesperson and lobbyist Nick Naylor is the Vice-President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies. He is talented in speaking and spins argument to defend the cigarette industry in the most difficult situations. His best friends are Polly Bailey that works in the Moderation Council in alcohol business, and Bobby Jay Bliss of the gun business own advisory group SAFETY. They frequently meet each other in a bar and they self-entitle the Mod Squad a.k.a. Merchants of Death, disputing which industry has killed more people. Nick's greatest enemy is Vermont's Senator Ortolan Finistirre, who defends in the Senate the use a skull and crossed bones in the cigarette packs. Nick's son Joey Naylor lives with his mother, and has the chance to know his father in a business trip. When the ambitious reporter Heather Holloway betrays Nick disclosing confidences he had in bed with her, his life turns upside-down. But Nick is good in what he does for the mortgage. Written by
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When Nick is giving the stats of how many people cigarettes have killed, the 1 appears in the millions place before the scrolling numbers hit 999,999. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Joan Lunden:
Robin Williger. He is a 15 year old freshman from Racine, Wisconsin. He enjoys studying history; he's on the debate team. Robin's future looked very, very bright. But recently he was diagnosed with cancer, a very tough kind of cancer. Robin tells me he has quit smoking, though, and he no longer thinks that cigarettes are "cool."
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Crazy Credits
The opening credits are styled to appear as cigarette boxes. See more »
Smoke Rings
Written by Eugene Gifford and Ned Washington
Performed by The Mills Brothers
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with SONY BMG Music Entertainment See more »
Very smart, funny and interesting movie. I seldom say that about any movie. The story of a lobbyist for the tobacco industry who's job is to put a spin on cigarettes, improve their image, make them cool again, and prevent one senator from getting legislature to mandate that cigarette companies place a large graphic skull and cross bones on each pack sold.
Nick Naylors character is brilliant. While he was "selling" the public on his ideas and views and convincing them, his own son, and everyone else that he is correct he actually sold me too with his good looks, charm, and logic.
Everyone knows that smoking causes cancer and anyone who attempts to sell or promote it won't garner any sympathy for lagging sales. That's where the spin doctor Nick comes in to teach everyone that smoking is cool.
Excellent movie.
89 of 127 people found this review helpful.
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Very smart, funny and interesting movie. I seldom say that about any movie. The story of a lobbyist for the tobacco industry who's job is to put a spin on cigarettes, improve their image, make them cool again, and prevent one senator from getting legislature to mandate that cigarette companies place a large graphic skull and cross bones on each pack sold.
Nick Naylors character is brilliant. While he was "selling" the public on his ideas and views and convincing them, his own son, and everyone else that he is correct he actually sold me too with his good looks, charm, and logic.
Everyone knows that smoking causes cancer and anyone who attempts to sell or promote it won't garner any sympathy for lagging sales. That's where the spin doctor Nick comes in to teach everyone that smoking is cool.
Excellent movie.