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Sideways review
2005.03.08 — Entertainment | Movies | Movie Reviews | by Andrew Cole
Enjoying a little pinot noir, sideways. [official site] |
The sleeper hit of the Oscar season is Sideways, the tale of two friends out to celebrate one's impending wedding and the complete mess they make of their lives.
Paul Giamatti is a would-be novelist and wine connaisseur (or connoisseur, as the Americans say). He's also the neediest, most emotionally fragile man in California. And that's saying something. After this and American Splendor, Giamatti is in danger of being typecast as a screwed up loser (actually FameTracker noted this back in 99, when Giamatti was still "Hey! It's that guy!"). Maybe he should try playing a suave corporate villain in a Jerry Bruckheimer movie.
[Church's character is] also pretty screwed up, but at least he's the kind of screw up you invite to parties. |
Thomas Hayden Church—of the George of the Jungle Churches—is his best (read "only") friend, a foundering actor about to marry the daughter of a wealthy businessman. He's also pretty screwed up, but at least he's the kind of screw up you invite to parties. He's not a wine lover, but he's willing to indulge his friend as an excuse to have a good time before tying the knot.
The two of them decide to get out of San Diego for the week and take an extended bachelor party tour of the wine country. Their wine-tasting trip slides sideways into a wild mid-life crisis of misadventure, and Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen contribute to their downfall.
Giamatti... always comes off as genuine and sympathetic (well, pathetic, at least). |
The four are a terrific ensemble, mining a good script into a Big Chill-like soul-searcher at times, but Church keeps the laughs rolling by dragging the story into goofball land. Giamatti has the thankless task of setting him up continually, but always comes off as genuine and sympathetic (well, pathetic, at least).
The film is written and directed by Alexander Payne from a novel by Rex Pickett. Payne did pretty well with About Schmitt and Election, altho he also has a writing credit on Jurassic Park 3: We Don't Have a Plot.
Giamatti's character tries to describe his novel, a long, rambling, self-indulgent mess that even he can't make sense of.... |
Adapting a novel about a neurotic novelist is dangerous territory, and the fact that it's a buddy movie doesn't help. But Payne employs a light touch, and we never feel manipulated or like the plot is contrived. The centerpiece of the thing is a subtle but remarkably funny scene in which Giamatti's character tries to describe his novel, a long, rambling, self-indulgent mess that even he can't make sense of and even his best friend didn't read. We come away knowing more about him than about his book.
Thruout, the story unfolds organically, seemingly randomly, with only the main characters' own faults as an antagonist. The result is a movie full of realistic moments, both tragic and triumphant, that the characters would agree would someday make a great story. And they do.
f e e d b a c k
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