Review of Sideways (2004) by Anna B — 15 May 2015
A very good filmmaker in Alexander Payne meets a quirky, wine-soaked script and together they create Sideways (2004) - an excellent romantic comedy and subtle road trip movie. Payne really finds the beauty in the Santa Barbara and Ventura County regions of Southern California wine country.
He combines that natural beauty with flawed people trying to find beauty and naturalness in their own lives. The low-key, jazzy musical score never interferes with the dialogue, which is key to this film's success.
It is funny and heartfelt at the same time. Paul Giamatti plays Miles as a self-loathing, wine-loving wingman to Thomas Hayden Church's up tempo, albeit wine-ignorant, charmer; a nice contrast. The female leads also complement each other nicely.
Virginia Madsen uses listening and conversation as a tool to pry open the hard-shelled, crusty Miles to reveal a good guy who loves wine, wants love, and to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, Sandra Oh's flirty Maya scores the right pitch with Church's character Jack: a man-child who is as funny and he is insecure.
Character-driven, uniquely set in the west coast wine country, and wonderful human writing make Payne's Sideways a winner. It is tough not to like it.
This review of Sideways (2004) was written by Anna B on 15 May 2015.
Sideways has generally received very positive reviews.
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