I am a big fan of the Oscars for two reasons.  Firstly, it honours the best films, actors and craftsmen.  Whilst I don’t always agree with the Academy’s choices (such is film criticism), their names will be forever etched in the record books.  Secondly, I win money.  I’ve gambled on the Oscars for the past 12 years and have come away with a very tidy profit.  They aren’t too difficult to predict if you study the form and know how the voters think.

For Your Consideration is a comedy which centres around a fictitious movie called Home For Purim.  Whilst in production, whispers circulated that three of its stars could possibly receive Oscar nominations.  To use an industry term, there was “Oscar buzz”.

The cast members try to act nonchalant but they are secretly praying for a nomination.  They want the recognition.  Working behind the scenes are the star’s agents and the film’s marketers.  They try to generate the positive publicity that could see their client’s wishes come true.

It’s a great idea for a movie but For Your Consideration is dreadfully poor.  The entire cast act like bumbling idiots and the jokes are repeated over and over again.  Worst of all, it doesn’t make any sense.  The movie they are making, Home For Purim, looks dreadful.  How could it be receiving any acclaim?  Why do the hosts of an Entertainment Tonight like show come out to interview the cast and then get nothing worth showing?  How does no one know what the internet is???

The film has been written and directed by Christopher Guest.  Ironically enough, Guest plays the director of Home For Purim in the film.  I’m a fan of Guest and his “mockmentary” style of filmmaking.  His last two films, Best In Show and A Mighty Wind, should definitely be seen.  Unfortunately, he flounders here.  There’s not enough material to make this work.

If you’ve seen previous Christopher Guest films, you’ll recognise most of the cast.  They include Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Jennifer Coolidge, Harry Shearer, Bob Balaban and Parker Posey.  I hope they aren’t getting their hopes up because they won’t be receiving any Oscar nominations for real.  This film simply isn’t good enough.