Dir: Christopher Guest
Rating: **1/2 out of 5 stars
It really pains me to say, but this film is just not that funny. I was so excited to see it, being a big fan of Christopher Guest. In the end, maybe two or three lines actually made me chuckle.
Guest's usual crew of actors returns in For Your Consideration, a comedy about the movie industry. When a small family drama called Home for Purim begins to receive Oscar buzz, everything from the script to the actors' faces is forced to change. This film follows the same basic outline as all of Guest's previous films - the camera following a group of people as they prepare for a big performance/competition (in this case, the Academy Awards nominations).
But Consideration is different in that it's not a mockumentary. I admire the director trying to branch out, but this would have worked better as a mockumentary. If Guest wanted to switch to a traditional narrative style, perhaps he should have used a new plot outline, too. I just couldn't get into it this time around.
Some of the actors are still very much on their game. For me, the most consistently funny is John Michael Higgins, who is so dense and says the most absurd things. I think I loved him more in this than any previous Guest movie. And Fred Willard had me rolling, of course, albeit in a small role. Ricky Gervais also provides a brief but funny cameo.
It's possible this one could grow on me if I ever see it again - A Mighty Wind certainly did. But I really think For Your Consideration could've been a lot better. And I feel like a conformist jerk saying this, but I really wish the film would have been shot as a mockumentary. Nevertheless, I'll still rush out to see whatever Mr. Guest makes next.
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