Simply Perfect

Memorable, crazy movie

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Christopher Guest just does it time and time again. His comedy this go-around abandons the documentary-stylized "interview the actors" format that had defined the approach so often associated to Guest. The sound of Oscar starts to take over the production of a low-rent Jewish period melodrama, with a title that is hard to pronounce, consisting of a cast of wannabe Hollywood A-listers (Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Christopher Moynihan, Parker Posey, and Rachael Harris) who get it in their heads that some of them might be nominated…but just how realistic are these expectations?The gigantic cast is chock full of talented comedians. The list is endless: Ed Begley Jr. as a fey, hippy makeup artist, Eugene Levy as a shady agent for Shearer, Guest himself as the pot-bellied director of the production who actually encourages his cast to up their already uncanny camp performing, John Michael Higgins as this hanger-on during the production who seems to be responsible for the Oscar buzz' continued momentum, Jennifer Coolidge as this bimbo serving as financial backing for the film (when she speaks, those around her are awestruck by her low IQ), Don Lake and Michael Hitchcock as a movie critic duo who rarely agree on anything, John Krasinski and Paul Dooley as officers for a bad cop show, Simon Helberg as Levy's "junior agent", Sandra Oh and Richard Kind as marketers for the movie with some rather unsettling theater posters, Bob Balaban and Michael McKean as the writers for the movie so completely out of touch with just how cheesy their material truly is, and Fred Willard and Jane Lynch as hosts of one of those Entertainment Tonight Hollywood celebrity buzz shows.A Christopher Guest film has become must-see just because of the wealth of comedic talent that fills the running time. As you might expect, Guest aims and hits the bullseye more times than not: the acting profession, filmmaking backstage drama, production peek behind the curtain, media coverage, Hollywood agent circus, and egocentric actors often unaware of their true status in town all are perfect targets for Guest's satiric genius. O'Hara and Posey are both brilliant in their respective parts as competitive actresses hoping to score the nomination, portraying in their current production as the dying mother and lesbian daughter she so desperately wanted to "meet a fine boy and get married", but I thought Shearer (whose voice is so distinctive to The Simpsons) steals the film as a down-on-his-luck veteran actor who has been in the biz a long time and just hasn't hit paydirt. It doesn't help that his agent, Levy, undermines him by finding him bad gigs that only discourage Shearer from ever escaping the doldrums of bad television commercials. Levy has a field day with his part as this unflappable agent always trying to be an escape artist when Shearer wonders where the roles are. I could go on and on in regards to members of the cast. If you love seeing the behind the scenes of Hollywood lampooned, For Your Consideration is essential viewing. O'Hara's getting plastic surgery and Posey going the "one person show" act in the dark with just a spotlight are highlights. Balaban and McKean often finding their script disregarded, having to defend it, is another highlight among many. Higgins' disarming appearance out of the blue on unexpected members of the production is a hoot!

I have been a fan of This Is Spinal Tap (1984) for many years, also co-written by Christopher Guest, and so I was intrigued to see this more recent effort. I wasn't disappointed, although I didn't find it as funny as Spinal Tap, the clever whit was still there and so a good time was had by all. The setting is a film set where a low budget film starring a couple of lesser known and slightly ageing actors is being produced.Marilyn Hack and Victor Allan Miller, a pair of ageing actors are starring in the low budget production, "Home for Purim". Also in the film are the young actors Corey Taft and Pam Campanella and the director is Jay Berman. Throw into the mix, Victor's agent, Morley Orfkin, and the producer, Whitney Taylor Brown and that's the main part of the ensemble. The production is going quite well until Marilyn hears a whisper that she may be up for an Oscar nomination. This gets the entire cast in a bit of a spin, especially when Victor is also mooted to be up for a nomination as well. Just to make it really crazy, we then hear that Pam is on the shortlist for a nomination too! We follow the cast as they totally transform, going on chat shows, making appearances and generally behaving like the stars they think they are. Then the guys at the top get involved, specifically the studio owner, Martin Gibb. He persuades them to change the film significantly before its release. And I'll leave this little synopsis on the morning of the nominations, who will get a nod from the academy? I found this a very enjoyable film to watch, the dialogue reminded me of some of the films of Woody Allen in parts. Some great performances, in particular, Catherine O'Hara as Marilyn Hack, Harry Shearer as Victor Allan Miller, John Michael Higgins as Corey Taft, Carrie Aizley as Pam Campanella and Eugene Levy as Morley Orfkin. Also a neat cameos from Christopher Guest as Jay Berman and Ricky Gervais as Martin Gibb.Over all, a nice gentle comedy with some clever dialogue and some totally bizarre characters. Not the greatest comedy ever made, but quite enjoyable none the less. One I can recommend.My score: 6.7/10

This movie has the usual Guest-company virtues: the deep sense of ensemble, the absurdism embedded in genuine nuanced characterization, the flighty unpredictability. But the usual complaint - that things don't quite feel satisfying or resolved when the lights come up - is almost fatal here. I got the distinct feeling that as Guest strove to shoehorn in all his pals and highlight all the good bits, he lost the main thread. At first there's just a bit of discomfort with the overplayed and hyperextended what's-the-internet oldster naivete, and a vague sense of not-quite-clicking about the film within a film; but then suddenly "Home For Purim" has morphed into "Home For Thanksgiving" and it's like we dropped a reel even though I'm watching on DVD. Half the characters completely disappear (including Guest's overly familiar effete director), we never get so much as a line of dialogue from Home For Thanksgiving, and Catherine O'Hara's actress undergoes a reversal that is allowed no transition whatsoever - in one scene she's Martha Graham, in the next she's Joan Van Ark. This is highly dispiriting; it's like someone gave up. I hope they find a way to keep working together that gives things a boost, because this misses the mark.

"For Your Consideration", co-written and directed by Christopher Guest, is a funny piece of cinema, not in the same category of some of this creator's best work. Eugene Levy is the other screen writer, a frequent collaborator with Mr. Guest.The mere idea of having "Home for Purim" in the running with other, much better films, is preposterous at best. We are taken to the making of this picture and the behind scenes that go on in a lot of projects. The director, who loves to eat, has no clue about what he if actually filming. The inside intrigues behind cameras conspire to bring its making to the attention of the entertainment media that thrive in bringing the hype to the general public who love to read about it.The best thing in the film is Marilyn Hack, a character actress who has seen better days. At first, she can't understand the luck in being singled out for emoting and eating the scenery. She is equally matched by Callie Webb, a younger woman with roots in Off-Off-Broadway performance acts, which we get a glimpse of it at the end. The leading man is a man that has distinguished himself for the silly commercials he has made.Most of the material seem to be an inside joke. Some of the stuff is readily grasped, but other gags could be elusive for people not in the biz. Catherine O'Hara shines as Marilyn, a woman of a certain age that is transformed by the buzz the media has generated. At the end, she is a pathetic acting coach showing the ravages of the cosmetic changes she has gone through in order to be on the limelight.Parker Posey is also effective as Callie. Eugene Levy is funny as the worst agent anyone can have. Christopher Guest appears as the director. Ed Begley Jr. is seen as a gay makeup artist. Harry Shearer enjoys for the first time being in the spotlight after a mediocre career. Jennifer Coolidge shows up as the producer of the ill conceived film. Ricky Gervais has a small part as the head of the Sunfish studio who wants to tone down the Jewishness aspect of the initial film. Fred Willard is hilarious as the TV commentator with a reddish Mohawk.Most of the cast has appeared in other Christopher Guest movies. They all contribute to work as a team. Even if the film is not to the standards of the previous work, it's impossible not to enjoy the shenanigans of the behind the camera by the ensemble players.