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RosŽ scenario
Wine worship suffuses "Sideways," a deep, slightly tart story about love and fellowship from the director of "About Schmidt" and "Election."
By DAVID N. BUTTERWORTH
Offoffoff.com
As crisp, fresh, and invigorating as a bottle of the season's
Beaujolais, Alexander Payne's "Sideways" is a bolt from the bright
California blue, an immensely gratifying motion picture that knocks you
horizontal with its romantic, sun-drenched scenery, its refined and
sophisticated comedy, and its dramatic underscoring.
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| SIDEWAYS |
Directed by: Alexander Payne.
Written by: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor.
Adapted from a novel by: Rex Pickett.
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh.
Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael.
Edited by: Kevin Tent.
Related links:
Official site
| All of David N. Butterworth's reviews at Rotten Tomatoes
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| RELATED ARTICLES |
NY Film Festival 2004
í¡‚ Overview
í¡‚ Official site
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Festival Internacional de Cine Contemporaneo
(Mexico City)
• Official site
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The film stars Paul Giamatti ("American Splendor") as Miles
Raymond, an aspiring but unsuccessful novelist who takes his best
friend and former college roommate Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a one-
week tour of the Napa Valley, one last fling before Jack ties the knot
this coming Saturday. The pair drink a lot of wine, ruminate over
their unsuccessful relationships (Miles is still struggling with a
messy divorce from two years ago; Jack, a former soap-opera star turned
commercial pitchman, is an overt womanizer still looking to score), and
hook up with a pair of woman (played by Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh)
who teach them a thing or two about life and love.
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There's a lot of wine talk throughout and it's rich and engaging,
as Miles teaches Jack the finer points of clarity, nose, and bouquet.
But you don't need to be able to tell a Shiraz from a Syrah in order to
enjoy the film — a restaurant scene, in which our four protagonists
first sit down to dinner together, is particularly well done, a
swirling, giddying montage of good times and good feelings.
The film unfolds slowly and sweetly, as Miles and Jack mosey their
way north from San Diego in Miles' red Saab convertible — eating,
drinking, taking the time to talk. Their friendship is wholly
unbelievable; I haven't enjoyed the company of two men, two visibly
firm friends, as much as this for quite some time. Madsen and Oh are
the perfect complement: Maya (Madsen), a waitress at the Hitching Post
restaurant that Miles occasionally frequents, and Stephanie (Oh), a
single mother and wine connoisseur, are vibrant, sensitive, and
worldly, each with endless amounts to give, demure and vivacious as
circumstances permit.
We can all relate to Miles' self-deprecating sad sack, a stoic
survivor who feels he has made less than ideal choices over the years
and blames himself for it. Giamatti's performance is even better here
than his Oscar-worthy turn in "American Splendor." There's subtlety and
pathos to his delivery: witness the scene in which the down-on-his-luck
wine snob places an ill-advised telephone call to his ex after a few
glasses too many, or freaks out when faced with the possibility of
having to drink Merlot. Alternatively Church's Jack is a likeable lug
with more libido than brains, and he gets most of the film's more
calculated laughs.
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Less caustic that Payne's previous films ("About Schmidt,"
"Election," and "Citizen Ruth") but no less complex, "Sideways" is a
bright, upwardly mobile comedy rippling with genuine emotion. It's
perfectly cast and smartly written (by the director and Jim Taylor from
the novel by Rex Pickett), as smooth as a '68 Pinot Noir and as sweet
and nutty as a finely aged Edam cheese. The film, part road movie,
part buddy movie, brims with a wistful satisfaction.
No matter which way you look at it — front, backwards, or sideways —
Alexander Payne's latest film is a dry, delicious, and sun-dappled
delight. My recommendation? Grab your best of friends and head for
the wine country!
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NOVEMBER 7, 2004
OFFOFFOFF.COM • THE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE NEW YORK
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