For a movie from the director of About Schmidt and Election, and with the awards, nominations and critical acclaim it got, I expected a lot more of Sideways than I saw on the screen. If memory serves, some of those who agreed with me pointed to the Paul Giammatti character as someone with whom the critics would seriously self-identify and therefore rate more highly than, say, you or I would. TS1 agreed with me on this.
Very basic plot: Miles (Giammatti) is a failed novelist with a failed marriage but somehow still best friends with college roommate and modestly successful actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church) and the two head to Santa Barbara County wine country for a weeklong bachelors’ jaunt before Jack–who wants one last fling–marries a young hottie. Miles does know his wines, though, and Jack, well, Jack knows how to liven up a party. They meet and hookup with hot chicks (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh) but Miles has trouble getting past his despression and Jack’s sleaze.
The four main characters all do reasonably good jobs though other than (perhaps?) Oh none seem to reach too far from their natural personality. The scenery is stunning but not surprising; compare it to Kenneth Brannaugh’s 1993 version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and I think you’ll understand how a director can make more from the same general type of setting.
My core complaint is with director/co-writer Alexander Payne. All through the film I was waiting for the sly humor of Schmidt and Election and for some serious escalation of the dramatic tension but the best he managed was a faked car crash and a confrontation between Miles and his ex-wife after Jack’s wedding ceremony. Apparently the latter was intended as the last straw in Miles’ character journey but it just didn’t work for me.
barely recommended and definitely see the other two Payne movies first.
BillSaysThis 