Blowing Smoke

I recently attended a screening of Blowing Smoke in LA. I enjoyed the film very much. To start with, this is a film that while funny & amusing, is also closer to reality than most of us would ever admit to our wives or girl friends. The premise is already covered in other reviews, but the "meat" of the film for me was the 6 or 7 different angles the viewers saw from a male perspective. From the woman hating misogynist, to the inch deep pretty boy and the pompous fool, we have all known guys like these characters. In fact we may also see ourselves in the film (no, I won't tell you who is me).

A key takeaway is the general misunderstanding most women have about men. Sure, they are in control, but that doesn't mean they get it! They don't know why men fool around (for variety, stupid), get together (because they enjoy it), or lie about stuff (because women want to hear the good story). Most of all, they can't understand why men need the company of other men from time to time to recharge and be themselves.

And then there are the cigars…wow! Key actors in each scene, each one deserving of credits and admiration. The story behind the movie is a fascinating tale of an industry full of rich characters, long tradition, and true quality & uniqueness in a time of corporate sameness.

The filmography throughout the film was superb, keeping a fast pace to a single set, making it fresh and exciting.

Would I see it again? of course, would I recommend it? absolutely! Buy on DVD? you bet. Including gifts for friends and those not yet enlightened. I give it a solid thumbs up.

Good characters and very close to a real mens club, cigar club. However at the precise moment that punk shot at that weak door he was have felt as if he was in front of a Russian firing squad if he tried this our club. Many poker games / clubs like this surely have been robbed over the years, but not going to happen at our club, it wouldn't be a cigar box the boyfriend and that tramp would need it would be 2 pine boxes. Decent movie at best, you can identify with it more if you have been to a place like this before. Might be fun to watch with your cigar buddies and talk about women and how they ruin our lives, or try to.So get a good cigar a glass of single malt, or some good whiskey and play some poker and give this movie a look. Then watch Rounders.

I wish IMDb would let me put a score lower than 1. I can't disagree more with the other comments; I'm sorry but this movie was terrible.

First off, the clearly defined personalities and stereotypes of each of the cigar-smoking poker players was too much of a cut and dry character outline. The pretty boy actor who was shallow, the suave token black guy who dressed like a pimp, the overweight middle aged club owner (who was already cheating on his wife), the effeminate guy who reminded me of the pretentious Crane brothers from the TV show "Frasier", the bitter old guy who had clearly been burned by a woman, and the filmmaker who reminded me a lot of the weirdo kid from "American Beauty".

They're sitting around playing poker with thousands of dollars on the table (yet the shallow actor hasn't gotten any work in years?) smoking their cigars as a friend makes a documentary for PBS about what guys say when girls aren't around. There's my second problem: no one cares what guys talk about except other guys, and frankly we know what we say... because we're already there saying it!! Enter the damsel in distress, who had apparently been beaten by her boyfriend and had a shotgun held to her face. Naturally this prompts every guy in the room (except the bitter old burn victim) to try to get her into bed with promises of show business opportunities, or other loads of obvious crap and lies. 99% of the guys I know are NOT like this, nor would they trash 6 of their best friendships simultaneously just for one night with a girl.

The acting skills (or lack thereof) and the damsel's appearance led me to believe I might be watching a soft-core late-night adult movie, and I sincerely hoped I wouldn't be forced to endure any love scenes, considering the male portion of the cast. Thankfully the film never went in that direction.

There's a plot twist along the way (you can easily see it coming) that made me wonder what the purpose of the movie was up to that point. I changed the channel with about 20 minutes left to go because I needed to salvage just a little piece of my life and spend it doing something more productive like sleeping, so I'm not even sure how it ended. In all honesty, I can comfortably live my life never knowing what happened. It was just terrible all the way through.

Just because it's an independent film that uses cigars as a metaphor for sex doesn't mean it's any good. It's unrealistic, poorly scripted, horribly predictable, and loses several points for the obvious product placement of an iMac.

I saw the new film "Blowing Smoke" at it's premier in LA on April 21st, and I absolutely loved it! I am a avid cigar smoker which is why I was first drawn to the movie, but the movie is really about life ... and living life ... and the sometimes (always?) strange relationships between men and women.

The writing is fast paced and well thought out, and the plot has several key twists and surprises ... right up to the end. It is an irreverent no-holds-barred view of one night at the Grand Havana Room in Beverly Hills.

I recommend it highly, and I hope it's in a theater soon. I want to see it again!

-Randy (San Diego)

First off, if you are a cigar lover...you will greatly be entertained by this movie. I went with a bunch guys (Go "Core"!!! Yeah!!) for the screening in LA on April 21st. The plot line is simple - what guys say when they are "blowing smoke". It loosely defines the fraternal brotherhood that bonds all cigar smokers. If you are a cigar smoker, you then understand the last sentence. The film also loosely resembles a PBS documentary - (wink) , but way too irreverent and political incorrect for PBS - thank God. Between you and me, I hate the current drivel coming out of Hollywood - too formula, too much CGI, too cute, too much gore..blah, blah, blah.

For the cigar lover, there are lots of details to keep you watching for the facts, taste descriptions of each cigar brand in the movie...very much like "Sideways", where I wanted to drink Pinot Noir wine. In "Blowing Smoke" it was a gorgeous Cuban or an Opus-X, etc. right after the movie with my brothers-in-smoke. I have no doubt that this will be the "cult" movie for "us" guys. :-) I would even imagine B'Smoke and Sideways as a common pairing for a double feature. Why not?

For the ladies... let's just say they have enough material to have a spirited discussion with their "cigar lovers".

The direction given by James Orr was masterful. I certainly walked away knowing each character in the movie, like a friend at my local cigar hang-out. The clever writing by Orr, kept the pace of the movie lively with the jabs between each of the "Blowing Smoke" characters as the plot and tension thickened - with smoke. Each of the actors gave a convincing, "you are my best friend" performance. Especially given the fact that none of them smoked cigars before. In addition, due to the single set (similar to the Grand Havana Room in LA), the writing style was necessary to keep the audience engaged. In my opinion, the observer felt like a guest and would easily fit in the Grand Havana Room surroundings - with the exception of that one... ex- waitress (wink).

My humble prediction? There are going to be many "Blowing Smoke" parties for years to come.

Don't be a Putz. If you are into cigars in anyway, see "Blowing Smoke" on the big screen when it comes out... AND buy the DVD. Hopefully Orr and Kamal (Producer) will have a "Director's Cut" version, that will further enchant the aficionado with "behind the scenes" information that will captivate us "gear heads".

"Cuba Libre"

-Walt

Celebrating Life!!!