For Your Consideration is the latest improvisational concoction from Christopher Guest and his righteously talented crew (Waiting For Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), and it couldn't come at a better time. This is, after all, Oscar season.

This clever poke at that all consuming entity known as Oscar buzz, revolves around a fictional movie set. As an independent film crew go about their days shooting a dramatic art picture called "Home For Purim," the star of the film (wonderfully played by Catherine O'Hara) gets the shock of her life when she learns (by means of internet buzz) that she might actually garner an Oscar nomination for her work in the as yet to be completed movie. Naturally, she becomes consumed by this, although she continuously plays it off like it's no big deal on the set. Following the release of the picture, the buzz continues to grow and the makers of "Home For Purim" see their lives quickly turned upside down.

Christopher Guest has been doing these mockumentaries for a long time (dating back to his performance in Rob Reiner's brilliant This is Spinal Tap) and he's pretty much a seasoned pro at this point. What's interesting about his directorial efforts is how they sneak up on you. This isn't the same sort of comical improvisation that you see in movies like Anchorman and Borat. Guest's work is far more subtle. This isn't to say that For Your Consideration doesn't offer up broad laughs. It certainly does, but as a whole the film is surprisingly low key offering tiny nuances, and even a surprising (if a tad sad) ending.

The cast is comprised of Christopher Guest regulars including Guest himself, Eugene Levy (who co-wrote the screenplay), Harry Shearer, Jennifer Coolidge, and John Michael Higgins, and they're all in top form. There are stand outs, however. Catherine O'Hara is brilliant as the vulnerable Marilyn Hack (a perfectly hilarious name for an actress). The scene in which she appears on a late night talk show (after undergoing a botox procedure) is amongst the funniest bits you'll see in a film all year. And keep in mind, there were no prosthetics used. O'Hara pulls this off through a brilliant bit of facial trickery. But this turn is beyond physical. There's a lot of heart to it. Wouldn't it be ironic (and deserving) if O'Hara was actually nominated for this terrific performance? I also really enjoyed indie film darling Parker Posey. As the up and coming Callie Webb, her character almost comes across as a younger version of O'Hara's Hack. As for straight up laughs, look no further than Jane Lynch and Fred Willard who scorch up the screen as the hosts of a famed entertainment show (think Access Hollywood or Entertainment Tonight). They're simply hilarious.

Guest and his crew aren't afraid to make fun of the industry and their own celebrity and that in of itself is refreshing. For Your Consideration is funny and edgy, providing a healthy dose of irony (particularly where the ending of the film is concerned), but it's also surprisingly heartfelt. I'm really looking forward to seeing it again.