Review of Sideways (2009) by John M — 15 Mar 2012

My awkward sense of humor. Sideways is about two middle aged men, one being a depressed wine snob in somewhat of a midlife crisis (Paul Giamatti), and the other an engaged man simply looking for one last sendoff before entering married life (Thomas Haden Church).

They go on a week long getaway in California wine country to do a little soul searching and more than a little wine drinking. For the past few years, whenever I offhandedly mentioned that I had never seen Sideways, I usually got a wild recommendation along the lines of, "oh my GOD, it is so made for you".

Well, all those people were completely correct. Director Alexander Payne knows exactly what I want out of a dramedy in that there are great, pitch perfect offbeat laughs, but there are also these extremely uncomfortable moments that just make you squirm in your seat because you're feeling for the characters.

It's very smart and laugh out loud funny; I've never seen Thomas Haden Church be as hilarious as he is in here, but the real heart of this movie is Paul Giamatti. I've never seen a film of his where I hadn't at least liked the character he is playing, and he bears it all here, fearlessly playing this flawed, unattractive man who reeks of disappointment.

There are lots of little mannerisms that make this feel real and genuine, and it really excels with its character exploration through and through. I could never argue against somebody who found this movie to be unpleasant, but films like this are the reason I watch movies.