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For
Your Consideration
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Directed by: Christopher Guest
Starring: Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, Ricky Gervais, Christopher
Guest, John Michael Higgins, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch,
Michael McKean, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey,
Harry Shearer, Fred Willard
Released by: Warner
Independent Pictures
In
Short: The new film from Christopher Guest
may not live up to previous “mockumentaries”
but Fred Willard’s magnificent faux-hawk
makes this amusing take on behind-the-scenes
Hollywood worthwhile. |
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Mr.
Guest Presents
Hollywood on the Chopping
Block
by
Laurie Hartzell
From
dog shows to small-town theater productions, writer, actor
and director Christopher Guest has made his mark banking
on the humorous, absurd, and sometimes pitiful drama of
real life. This time, Guest and his veteran ensemble cast
have made a movie about making a movie. Fans of the trademark
interview style that characterized “A Mighty Wind,”
“Best in Show,” “Waiting for Guffman”
and “This Is Spinal Tap” will be disappointed
to learn that “Consideration” is not filmed
in the same “mockumentary” manner. However,
Guest has not ceased to mock, and this time, the subject
matter is close to home.
“For
Your Consideration” charts the making of the movie
“Home for Purim,” a film about a Jewish family’s
reconciliation inspired by their dying matriarch. During
production, the performances of three characters generate
rumors of possible Oscar nominations. The buzz is started
by a blog entry—“The Internet: that’s
the one with e-mail?”—and gathers steam throughout
the film. Friendships are forged, romances are ended and
faces are Botoxed—all because of a blurb on the
Web.
As
in other Guest films, “Consideration” focuses
less on plot and more on personalities, which tend to
be outrageous and comically misled. Take, for instance,
the character of Marilyn Hack: classic comedienne Catherine
O’Hara stands out in her portrayal of this aging,
self-conscious actress who loses herself amidst the award
rumors. The other star of the movie is Fred Willard and
his glorious faux-hawk. You won’t be able to take
your eyes off Willard’s hair or his rendition of
the archetypal obnoxious entertainment TV host. (“Hey,
wha happened?”) Speaking of archetypes, you’ll
find many similarities between characters in this film
and past Guest ensemble pieces: Willard is outrageous,
Jennifer Coolidge is the dumb blonde and Parker Posey
is the deluded ingénue.
The
material in this case—the world of Hollywood—will
be more familiar to the audience than subject matter in
previous films, which, perhaps, is why “For Your
Consideration” is not as edgy or engaging as expected.
Perhaps it’s because viewers can find more fault
with movie actors than with dog-show personalities. Despite
this criticism, “For Your Consideration” is
an entertaining respite from the more offensive “moviefilms”
of the season.
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