I, personally, missed the mockumentary format in this film. That seems to me to be where Guest really shines, and has something to offer that nobody else does. But I’ve never really been the type to moan: Why didn’t they make the movie that I<\/b> wanted to see? I take it for what it IS. At least I try to. <\/p>\n
The first 10 minutes of the movie were pretty clunky, slow, and the tone was off. It didn’t find its sea legs, I didn’t know what I was watching, where I was, land that is rare with this group of talent. It just felt “off”. Without those faux documentary interviews, it was hard to get IN with these characters. The interviews in Guffman<\/i>, Spinal Tap<\/i> and all the others are psychologically devastating and astute character portraits … people whose behavior tells the whole story, while their words may try to cover up their anxiety, insecurity, whatever. “I know how the Kennedys must feel.” For Your Consideration<\/i> didn’t have that and I think the film suffers for it. <\/p>\n
Regardless, the observations about actors and scripts and directors were so spot on It’s insider humor. We insiders get to laugh and we laugh in a different way than outsiders do, who think we’re a bunch of morons, and laugh at it out of a feeling of superiority. “Hee hee, look at those morons.” But we laugh from recognition<\/em>, a cringing recognition, yes, but recognition all the same. That’s one of the reasons why Waiting for Guffman<\/i> is my favorite of his so far. Because even though it’s community theatre, and even though some of these people are ridiculous, I felt, watching it, Oh yeah. I remember that. I remember that this is why I do this, and why I love this. It’s not an unworthy pursuit, theatre. There’s a reason why people want to do it. Because it’s just fun to put on a show, frankly. And so the laughter from their silly rehearsals and theatre games and their over-dramatic moments of conflict, didn’t seem altogether stupid or pointless to me. I wasn’t really laughing AT them, I was laughing (and cringing) at how true it all was. <\/p>\n In the first scene in For Your Consideration<\/i>, an actor in a sailor suit discusses his upcoming scene with the director, played by Christopher Guest. He goes on and on about his preparation (Jen and I were losing it in the audience – it’s an “in” joke – any actor, any director would recognize this behavior). Actor drones on (and yet he’s earnest, he’s not a blowhard, he’s not arrogant, there’s just something so RIGHT about how he plays it): “So I know that my father is dead … and yet I have all of this guilt about leaving my sister behind … but I don’t want to SHOW the guilt … and yet at the same time, I need to comfort my mother and let her know I understand ….” Actors talk like this all the time<\/i>, and eventually the good ones ask themselves the question: how on earth are you going to play all of that at once?? Guest interrupts (and he’s so gentle), he says, “I think all of that is GREAT. I love that you have done all of this preparation. And you’ll definitely be able to use it. But I’m thinking maybe in another movie.” He says it with a total absence of mean-ness. What he essentially is saying is: “Wow. Don’t overcomplicate things. Just play the damn scene.” But he can’t SAY that, because he’s too invested in his self-image of being supportive and an “actor’s director”, so he says, “Use the preparation you’ve done in THIS movie for your NEXT movie.”<\/p>\n The supportive director who drives the writers crazy (writers played by Michael McKean and Bob Balaban). If a scene isn’t working, the director will “throw the script away” and have the actors do improvs to find the reality of the situation. Like he’ll have them switch parts, pointlessly (how on earth will that solve your script problems), so you see the actors, overly serious, doing games and improvs – stuff that definitely has its place but IN REHEARSAL, not when you’re on the set … Jen and I were crying with laughter.) <\/p>\n The reason to see this film is the genius of Catherine O’Hara. Catherine O’Hara is outrageously funny, of course, yet at the same time she can be so raw, and so pathetic and vulnerable that her work starts to approach that of a great tragedienne. She has it in her.<\/p>\n O’Hara is a chameleon. She is never just the surface of her character, she never just changes her hair and her accent and expects us to buy it. She BECOMES these people. In For Your Consideration<\/i> we know just who this woman is. We see her. We don’t want to see what we’re seeing … but we see it, because it’s naked need. And yet – any actor would understand it. It’s why people who aren’t actors think we’re disgusting. Because we need things so nakedly. And normal people don’t like that. People like humility, people like you to “play well with others”. Etc. Fine, fine, but that’s NEVER who becomes successful. Catherine O’Hara shows that raw HUNGER … and it’s awful to witness. It is the ugliest part of us. I can see why people may not like this movie because who the heck wants to spend time with someone like that? It’s like the best of The Office<\/i>: Ricky Gervais shows us a character like that. David Brent has a need to belong, to be liked, and he pursues that goal relentlessly, and I WINCE watching him try to get what he needs. It is ruthless humor. Brutal. <\/p>\n Catherine O’Hara is hilarious. Naturally. But then, like the true magician that she is, she goes to the heart of that need, that tragedy of failure, of loss, of not getting what she wants … and she breaks your heart. <\/p>\n For Your Consideration<\/i>, unlike many of Guest’s other movies, does not have a lot of affection for the world it portrays. It’s a bitter film. A cynical bitter film. With a ton of laughs, sure … but the last scene is brutal. You see what has become of the Catherine O’Hara character … and Jen and I both were like, “Hooooleee crap.”<\/p>\n Parker Posey is HILARIOUS (especially in her one-woman show at the end called “No Penis Intended”, and it’s a horrible man-hating rant in a tiny theatre) … Jane Lynch is VILE (as she always is – I love that woman) … Fred Willard is a soulless ignorant smiley jagoff … (he’s a genius) … Bob Balaban is overly serious, trying to discuss the tradition of Purim on an Entertainment Tonight type show … like: No. No one cares about your precious thematic elements when you only have 20 seconds to make your pitch. I love how SERIOUS Balaban is. He’s unbelievable. One of my favorites. And Michael McKean is his co-writer and the two of them try to maintain SOME control over their words, their property … but it’s so hard not to sell out completely.<\/p>\n And then, of course, the exquisite Jennifer Coolidge who plays the dimbulb and yet enthusiastic producer (she says in the middle of one meeting, completely clueless, “What is the theme??” Like – she’s producing this movie and she doesn’t even know what it’s about.) <\/p>\n Rachael Harris (new to this ensemble) plays another overly serious actress in the movie within the movie and she is HILARIOUS. On the set, she’s all dour and stern and in character, and actress-y, saying in a quiet passive-aggressive voice to a gaffer or whoever, “Excuse me, could you call me by my character name?” All that kind of crap, and being so serious: her listening face, nodding, thinking, accepting, pondering – all BULL SHIT. it’s a brilliant little cameo but then you see her at the premiere party, and she is totally babed out like Paris Hilton. <\/p>\n Deborah Theaker, a Guest mainstay. She’s the one in Waiting for Guffman<\/i> who says, “I know how the Kennedys must feel.” Nobody does gentle self-absorption like this woman. And Jim Piddock is the HILARIOUS dude who also was a dog-show announcer beside Fred Willard in Best in Show<\/i> – the really proper man, English, horrified at Willard’s inanity. But look at him here. He’s the cinematographer. He’s all spiked out, and cool, and snaps gum – almost totally unrecognizable.<\/p>\n These people are geniuses.<\/p>\n But Catherine O’Hara.<\/p>\n That woman’s talent is scary. This actually might be my favorite performance of hers even though it’s certainly not a feel-good part. She is unbelievable. A real idol of mine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I, personally, missed the mockumentary format in this film. That seems to me to be where Guest really shines, and has something to offer that nobody else does. But I’ve never really been the type to moan: Why didn’t they … Continue reading