Thank You for Smoking

Last Friday, I went to 'Thank You for Smoking' with two of my friends, Joanna and Laura, whose relationship is a bit tumultuous. The movie produced a very peculiar feeling; on the one hand, it was a heart-warming father-son bonding trip; on the other hand, the father was narcissistic and amoral and probably should have been kept away. This did create some dramatic tension and was a relief from the general sentimentality characteristic of father-son stories, but it's not a movie where you can cheer for the protagonist. To paraphrase a comment on 'V for Vendetta': 'Just because he's the protagonist doesn't make him a good guy, you morons!' But perhaps this ambiguity in 'Thank You for Smoking' will shatter this delusion for at least a few discerning souls.