Meet the slickest man on the planet

Christopher Buckley, the author of "Thank You for Smoking" - the novel on which the movie was based - has a knack for developing character... er, a character that is. I'm referring to Nick Naylor, the main character.\nNaylor is one of the most charismatic characters I've seen in a movie in a long time, while the rest are more or less flat -- which still works since Naylor is so interesting he makes up for the rest (not to mention they provide a nice contrast to the centerpiece). And Aaron Eckhart is perfect for the role, born to play it. For a relatively unheralded actor, Eckhart may now be forever associated with Nick Naylor.\nThe reason I've said Naylor 53 times already is because he is essentially what "Thank You for Smoking" is about. Naylor (I'll try not to say it again for a few paragraphs) is the top lobbyist for big tobacco. He manipulates words so well that he spins evil deeds into acceptable actions, teaches his son how to argue and gets people with cancer to side with the tobacco industry. Needless to say, he spits a good game. The film follows him around as he travels across America, finding ways to spin bad publicity the other way. He's virtually untouchable, until a series of events (including a few romps with a zombie-faced Katie Holmes) alters his life significantly.\nFor a DVD that took awhile to come out (the movie finished running in early summer), it doesn't have a spectacular amount of features. It has director and cast commentaries, deleted scenes, a Charlie Rose interview with director Jason Reitman, Aaron Eckhart and David O. Sacks, a making-of featurette and an 'America: Living in Spin' featurette. The DVD is only 20 bucks in most places, so for the amount you're getting, it's still a good deal. \nThe movie is a funny, exceedingly clever satire that forces you to think and makes some interesting points. Naylor is a character with the ability to get whatever he wants, and even though his job should make him a terrible person, he talks so well, even you as a viewer will end up identifying with him.\n"Thank You for Smoking" was worth seeing, and anything worth seeing is worth having.