For Your Consideration (2006)

Nice surprise...

I had stayed away from this feature having heard it wasn't the strongest of Guest's works. However, when I finally sat down to watch it, I have to say that I found it enjoyable. It closely resembles "Guffman" in theme, this time with a Hollywood spin. Having worked in the film and television industry, I laughed out loud at the tongue-in-cheek references and the characters with dashed dreams--all too common in la la land. Perhaps this resounds best with people who have been exposed to the LA culture, but I recommend it if you enjoy Guest's previous movies and his cache of hysterical actors that join him from film to film. August 26, 2008

Quietly amusing mocumentary satire of Hollywood

Christopher Guest set a high bar for mockumentaries, with the likes of Best in Show and of course, Spinal Tap. However, in his latest outing he fails to reach those heights, even if he makes a movie which is still intermittently mirthsome and has some heart to go with the satire.
The mockumentary style is toned down a little, making this a slightly more conventional film than usual. When the cast of has-beens and preening wannabes of a new B-movie `Home For Purim' find out that they are generating Oscar buzz, they start to believe the hype and act in increasingly erratic ways as their egos clash with the artificiality of Hollywood chat shows, agents, and producers.
There is definitely some genuine wit here - `Oscars - the backbone of an industry that doesn't have a backbone', but some characters work better than others, and there are few really scathing moments you'll remember long after the movie. (`French movies? Hate the subtitles... I keep thinking I am watching breaking news...').
Highlights include the truly dreadfully shallow Hollywood chat show presenters, and more especially the actors strained smiles as they listen to unforgivably crass questions coming their way. The moment when the show goes out to interview the `losers' who were not nominated is terrific, and seals the deal to turn warm smiles into chuckles for this reviewer. Best of all is the cameo from Ricky Gervais, the studio director who asks if it is possible to `tone down the Jewishness'.
A success then, worth watching, just not a rolling in the aisles laugh-fest.
February 20, 2008

Wash, Rinse, Repeat. It doesn't always work.

Mr. Christopher Guest has redefined the word "mockumentary". With his impressive repetitive cast outings such as "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", "A Mighty Wind", and the cult hit "This is Spinal Tap", Guest has proven himself time and time again that humor lays within the real person - the underdog - the least hopeful within the stories. He has made us laugh again and again with catchy characters, powerful rhythm, and a rediscovery of the language which allows for stronger comedy. He is the master of his trade, but recently he has gone off this golden path and lost his way through mainstream cinema. "For Your Consideration" boasts bigger cameos, bigger sets, and a bigger concept, but lacks in the originality that we obtained in his earlier films. Guest seems to be pushing the envelope with Hollywood in this feature, but it isn't funny - it is random, chaotic, and emotional when it should not be. Being a fan of Guest's earlier work, I was initially excited about this outing, but upon viewing it just didn't gel together - emotionally or passionately like Guests other work. This seemed like Guest made a film to spoof the industry, but instead created a dismal look at how comedy can self destruct, even with your regulars trying to make us laugh.

Guest announced in 2005 that he would stop making the "mockumentary" because he thought they were not funny any longer. Hoping to see bigger and braver things from this pioneering director, I hoped "For Your Consideration" would be a fresh chapter in his repertoire of films, but alas, it was nothing of the sort. To begin, the characters seemed stale and uncharismatic. As a "mockumentary", the audience may have had the opportunity to see these actors consume their roles, to build unknown back stories, or to challenge themselves to take their character to the limit, but it never happened as a full-feature film. This was a regular comedy that fruitfully never picked up speed, never pushed the limit, and tried to use similar Guest techniques that would have only worked as a mockumentary. It began to implode with the characters, since we couldn't see them talking directly to us, we had to follow their moves - watch them as they failed, and attempted to make us laugh with their irregularities. Again, what would typically make us laugh in a mockumentary-styled film failed at this level. To demonstrate the error, let's begin with Catherine O'Hara. In Guest's work, she is typically a staple of comedy. Her portrayal of Mickey Crabbe in "A Might Wind" was phenomenal, but in this film it seemed forced, unfunny, and catastrophic. From the opening scene, O'Hara never really defines her character. Is she pushing for freedom, is she ignorant to the truth, or is she trying to fit within the Hollywood scene? Valid questions that never quite get off the ground as we are bombarded with more and more "guest" characters that push this little film into non-existence. Harry Shearer is another example, typically he is genuine in his roles for Guest, but in this feature he just felt stale. He wasn't trying to be funny, nor did he push any level of comedy. The entire hot dog bit was cliché, as was Eugene Levy's performance as his agent. I think that is where problems occurred in this film - there wasn't anything original about Guest's characters in this film, and I think the actors knew it. Fred Willard was the only humorous element to this film - giving us the exact same performance as he did in "Best in Show". This may not have been a mockumentary, but it would have been a mockumentary that would have saved this little feature.

Guest had trouble behind the camera with this film. His camera work seemed staged and oblique. There was no questioning scene that pushed the limit or forced us to see Guest in a new light. He teased the audience, giving us hopes that midway through this film he would transform it into a mockumentary, but alas it never happened. The stages were set, but nothing happened. I couldn't tell if it was the actors that weren't as funny, or Guest's vision was just weak. As a viewer, you find yourself standing outside of this film. You know what Guest's potential can be, yet when you watch this you know that there are just actors playing actors playing preset roles. The addition of Ricky Gervais, Sandra Oh, and Rachael Harris made this Guest film feel like a downtrodden Woody Allen film. Was it a homage to him? The building blocks of this story were weak, thus the entire structure seemed to fall when the pieces fell apart. Comedy was horrible, the story was non-existent, and the actors just seemed used and tired of the time, place, and story.

One other aspect that bewildered me, is anyone else tired of the sad, unsung heroes of Christopher Guest's films seeming like they are being stepped on each minute of the feature. They were fun in "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show", they were endearing in "A Mighty Wind", but in this film they just felt hurt, and at times violent. While I did chuckle at Willard showing up at the non-nominees doors the next day, I thought that crossed a line from funny to violently sad. Again, I did laugh, but not in that boisterous "Christopher Guest" sort of way. I think that best defines this film, it had its moments, but overall it just felt bland. There was no flavor. The actors realized this, but Guest continued with this sad little project. Not a positive mark on his report card.

Overall, I wasn't impressed. This late in the game there is a level of necessity needed, either step up your choice of films (like direct a drama or science fiction) or continue growing the genre you have exploited. "For Your Consideration" will have some chuckling moments, but nothing that screams amazing. Guest could have strengthened his role as a comic genius by creating this same film under the guise of a mockumentary and it would have been phenomenal. There was a lacking air of originality with this film and the actors genuinely didn't fit their parts. This was a sad film that could have been more. I saw the potential, but nothing came out of it. I will continue to give Guest a shot with his amazing backlist of films, but a continuation of this type of film will lessen his appeal. Watch it once, but not a film to keep in your collection.

Grade: ** out of *****
February 18, 2008

Seemed Interesting

I DVR'd this movie because the 10-word description on the movie guide looked interesting. We watched about 45 minutes of the movie by sheer force of will, and then gave up and fast forwarded through to the end. We found the story quite slow and full of interruptions that were intended to be funny but simply fell flat. The storyline is about a movie in production that is at first about a brother and sister coming home for Purim to see their mother who is very ill. Somewhere after the first half of the movie, Purim is changed to Thanksgiving. One of the actresses is told that there is a rumor on the Internet that the film will be nominated for an Oscar. This turns out false, and the ending is about the reactions of the actors. Very strange film that we found too boring. February 9, 2008

Another Classic

This must be seen several times to get the full impact. The background quips are funny and I appreciate the whole ensemble. This is a psychological comedy with dramatic undertones. I hope this gang of talent never breaks up. February 5, 2008

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