For Your Consideration

For Your Consideration will surely thrill fans of Christopher Guest’s prior improvisational comedies, including Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, though it seems doubtful that the filmmaker is going win over detractors with this frustratingly one-note effort. The story essentially revolves around the cast and crew of a would-be epic called Home for Purim, and the shenanigans that ensue after Oscar buzz begins to mount. As expected, For Your Consideration is primarily a hit-and-miss affair – with an inordinately large number of the film’s jokes falling completely flat. The distinctly freewheeling tone wears out its welcome almost immediately, and there’s simply no denying that the movie often feels improvised. And unlike Guest’s last effort, the genuinely hilarious and compelling A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration is generally lacking in mainstream appeal, ensuring that all but the most ardent Guest fan will find little here worth embracing. That being said, Fred Willard’s ridiculously entertaining performance as a vacuous, Pat O’Brien-esque television personality is certainly a highlight, and it’s ultimately difficult not to wish that Guest had given the actor more (much more) to do.

** out of ****