Sideways

Genre: comedy/drama
Director: Alexander Payne
Release: 2004
Studio: Horizon Pictures et al. - Fox Searchlight
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.5/10


Are You Happier with the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?


Saturday morning in San Diego. After sleeping late because he got plastered the night before, Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) wakes up and realizes that life is none the better for it. He’s still an eighth grade English teacher, the pain of his divorce has not gone away and no publisher has yet accepted the thick manuscript he has meticulously written. But all is not lost: today, he will be heading north with his pal Jack Lapate (Thomas Haden Church) to visit California’s wine country. Considering that Miles needs cheering up and Jack wants a few days to himself before marrying his love Christine, the trip will serve as a welcome diversion for both men. With Marylouise Burke (Miles’ mother), Sandra Oh (Stephanie), Virginia Madsen (Maya), Jessica Hecht, Missy Doty and M.C. Gainey.

Do not expect SIDEWAYS to take off like a Formula One racing car… it’s more like a jalopy that leaks and sputters but manages to reach home in one piece after a bumpy jaunt. Of course, when you watch a character study such as this one, you must give it some time to set up basic situations and build upon them… but I must warn you that the first eighty minutes with Miles and Jack yield little pleasure, except splendid views of California wineries. Later on, when the story finally jells, you will be granted a double miracle: an opportunity to laugh heartily and a clear reassurance that your wait was not pointless. You won’t be awarded a winner’s purse but you’ll gladly settle for a consolation prize.

If SIDEWAYS is not a great film in my book, it certainly isn’t a failure either. For one thing, all its characters are well-defined and they do affect you after you get to know them. The two leads made me cringe here and there (a positive sign since their roles required them to be immature and obnoxious at times) and I was also impressed by the always interesting Sandra Oh and a very fine Virginia Madsen. Between you and me, Miles’ obsession with vino was irritating but I came to understand why he acted like he did… life has been so unkind to him that he gets his kicks wherever he can find them. The story-line is flawlessly logical and its philosophical underpinnings will strike a chord with many; the music score sounded a bit stale to me. As for the direction, I thought it was adequate although I was fairly disappointed that Alexander Payne has chosen here to recycle the road movie concept he had already developed in ABOUT SCHMIDT, this time to depict two unfulfilled baby boomers looking for a break from their ho-hum lives. Luckily, this boomer story ends with enough of a bang to put a smile on your face and our two guys back on track.

All things considered, SIDEWAYS is a moderately successful romp that should not have attracted as much hype as it did but that does in no way constitute a crime against cinema. An enjoyable light comedy then, with or without pinot noir.


MBiS

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