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Preston Nicholson
Award Avenue
http://awardavenue.blogspot.com

For Your Consideration is just the type of movie that most people in the industry should love. It pokes fun at a practice that, for the most part, is seen as a pathetic attempt to jockey for that pat on the back that you may, or may not deserve. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the man at the helm, Christopher Guest, has a history of producing great comedy, with previous successes from Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind.

For Your Consideration breaks away from the usual patented Guest-brand of filmmaking, as the story is told in real-time format, as opposed to the mock-umentary style we've grown to love from his previous ventures. The film tells the story of the making of Home for Purim, a hammy film about a Jewish family seeking to re-congregate during war-time for a nice Purim dinner. However, when a spy on the set leaks the word to the Internet blogosphere that the film could be Oscar worthy, it makes the cast excited, and scared, at the same time. Marilyn Hack, the matriarch of Purim (played by Catherine O'Hara), becomes the first cast-member to get the Oscar buzz. This buzz brings forth feelings of jealousy amongst the other cast, until they, one by one, start getting singled out as well. What ensues is a few months of pre-nomination morning prep, including talk shows, makeovers, production changes, and award prognosticators fawning over the film and its stars. This review won't reveal what ultimately happens, but the ending seems ultimately appropriate.

A positive aspect of this film is definitely Catherine O' Hara. Her portrayal as Marilyn Hack is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. As a conflicted actress who doesn't know how to act regarding this possible surge in her career, O' Hara highlights Marilynâ's eccentricities and , by the end of the film, you are definitely rooting for her. The major laughs from the film come from her. I would wholly support an Oscar nomination for this performance.

O' Hara' s performance is almost the only thing about this film that is laugh out loud worthy. Many other aspects of the film felt empty, or like something was missing. An example is Jennifer Coolidge. Coolidge plays Whitney Taylor Brown, a producer who might not even know what the word "producer" means. I have always been a fan of Coolidge, and I generally enjoy her here, but her character felt very underdeveloped. Guest has utilized Coolidge's comedic genius in the past, so the fact that she was a little more subdued in For Your Consideration was very surprising. The same goes for the majority of the rest of the cast. Nothing in particular stands out about the rest (when in past Guest films these stars have done remarkable things), except I must admit I chuckled a few times at Jane Lynchâ's portrayal of an Access Hollywood-esque "reporter."

Overall, the film kept me engaged, I think mainly because of my interest in the subject matter and not so much due to the quality of the film. It's not inherently a bad film by any means, but it doesn't meet expectations of what it could have been. For the hardcore Christopher Guest fans, I would say definitely watch it, but don't make it the last film you watch in a Christopher Guest film marathon.

Grade: B-