In spite of his incredible talents as an actor (especially comedic), Christopher Guest has essentially fizzled as a director to the point that his most recent (and best-known) films have been largely-improvised mockumentaries along the lines of Rob Reiner's "This Is Spinal Tap" (in which Guest acts, quite brilliantly), which require little of him as a writer or director, instead relying on the cast. "For Your Consideration" seems to be Guest's attempt to move back toward more-demanding film directing, as it leaves the documentary style behind in favor of more typical visual film fare, has more narrative structure than his previous films ("A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show"), and even seems more comedically designed in that the scenes are built to a single joke rather than the rapid-fire succession of them in his mockumentaries. Guest even throws in that he's making a movie about the movies, perhaps the most satire-ripe subject on earth.<br /><br />However, he is not quite up to the task, though the film was a large improvement on his last traditional film, "Almost Heroes." It seems that Guest was still somewhat caught between traditional film-making and the fly-on-the-wall sort of technique that his mockumentaries used, as he often struggles between the angles that emphasize his points and simple medium-to-long frontal shots of characters speaking. He also seems to have scripted a larger amount of the film, since the scenes are almost all structured for the delivery of a single joke (which is true of most comedic films). The characterization is also dull and uninteresting, including none of the over-the-top stereotypes of his previous films (which I assume are meant to satirize said stereotypes and their use in film) and instead pushing the same characters (without the exaggeration needed for humor) we see in all self-referential films. We meet the unorthodox, somewhat disconnected director (played by Guest himself, of course, in another obvious joke), the over-emotional young actress, the aging actress trying to hold onto her youth, the studio suit trying to prove he understands the art, the smarmy agent, and the wise older actor. Overall, Guest's script and direction are so derivative that it's almost painful. It's like watching a first-year film student trying to cover the same ground an old master, Robert Altman, covered so capably in "The Player," while the student never quite understands what makes the master's film work.<br /><br />The acting in the film is quite good, though the characters require little. The only character who really does require a decent amount of work is Victor Allan Miller, who is played to perfection by Harry Shearer. (This characterization is also the subject of the best line in the film, as Catherine O'Hara tells Shearer, "You play the actor very well.") Overall, it's tough to read Christopher Guest's "For Your Consideration" as anything other than a satire-by-numbers by a director still trying to find his way and possibly fearing that his past success has come only because of his much-liked troupe of improv actors. If you are a fan of these actors (especially O'Hara, who is undoubtedly the star of the film, and Ricky Gervais, who is inexplicably given the big star part), you will probably enjoy the film. If you were hoping for an intelligent, witty comedic examination of the film industry (as I was), the film will disappoint. Let's just hope that this film's failure is enough to make Guest either stick to the mockumentaries or stick to acting.