Review of Sideways (2004) by Brandon W — 29 Sep 2010

This movie seemed completely like something I'd hate, it didn't look funny, I was unfamiliar with the cast and I hate snooty wine culture so I pretty much made an educated guess and steered clear of it. But like a geek when one of my favorite internet movie critics listed it as one of his top twenty films of all time I decided to borrow it from my rich, wine loving aunt and uncle who of course had the DVD and give it a watch which I found to my surprise to be totally worth it. I really enjoyed the unique, airy direction from Alexander Payne best known for the Reese Witherspoon dark teen comedy Election, which had a really cool snobbish art style about it that felt unique and yet familiar. It's hard to explain but considering the subject matter it felt quite enjoyable and like other great films about ordinary characters having mischievous fun there weren't many shots that didn't have the main characters in it and it showed a lot of mundane things presented in an entertaining way. The film suffers mainly from one pretty weak performance which I'll get into and a general feeling of why does everyone put up with this asshole character but really that just adds to the realism right? So is this off the beaten track road trip movie for you? Let's head out to wine country and take a look.

The movie centers around Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti proving in a starring role he's one of the most underrated character actors today) who's a single, divorced loser, with an unpublished book and a love of wine keeping him going through his average life. He takes a break from his job teaching at a Middle School to take his old college roommate, actor wannabe Jack Cole (Thomas Haden Church, who can be amusing as a monotone, unlikeable, whiny manchild but really gets on my nerves after awhile, I really love his tense trying to maintain a friendship but not knowing why relationship with Miles though) on a bachelor trip into the wine country of Santa Ines Valley. Its clear Miles is there to enjoy the area for what it has to offer but Jack is more interested in getting in one last screw before he ties the knot. This just gets tiring after a while and I'm sure this is the point but it doesn't make it any more enjoyable, I mean it's no different than when some jackass you knew in high school wouldn't shut up about weed or drinking or whatever they're doing they think is edgy and cool you just want to punch them in the face. Thankfully the movie also decides to develop Miles' character as they stop at his mother's house for dinner as it's her birthday on the way down. She's obviously so doting and lonely and this scene just spirals into depression when it becomes clear Miles loves his ex and steals money from his Mom's coffee can secretly to hide his shame though she offers it. It also sets the mood for the rest of the film as it was pretty light hearted until then.

Not long after they arrive in wine country we see Miles has potential with another lovely, available woman of his age though Maya (Virginia Madsen, who's sweet but believably mean when she must be later in the plot) a waitress at his favorite restaurant. Jack quickly hooks up with her friend a winery employee Stephanie (Sandra Oh, in a solid flirty and then venomous performance) and keeping his marriage a secret sets up a double date. Miles of course blows it the first night drunk dialing his ex in a really depressing heart felt scene but after some painfully awkward conversation and slightly cheesy monologue that sends shivers down by spine by Maya the two do indeed connect. Miles also decides to give her a copy of his manuscript which like everything else he does is cute in its awkward geekiness.

So of course everything has to fall to shit the next day. Jack had said Miles was a published author and so when the book deal falls through he has to come clean with Maya who's already expressed her distaste for liars even though she did actually read and like his book. And then in the ensuing conversation he lets their secret out while venting his frustrations about Jack not just enjoying the finer points on wine country. Stephanie brutally beats him and smashes his nose in a scene me a violence hardened youngster must cringe at both in its brutality and the pain in her voice as she screams at Jack about how she loved him. Miles hits rock bottom when he drinks out of the spittoon at the wine tasting place trying to drown his sorrow which admittedly there could be worst ways to hit rock bottom.

The movie's big set piece though is when Jack on the rebound tries to hook up with a chubby young waitress and after spending the night with her is chased out of the house but ass naked by her husband and has to run all the way to the hotel. To his horror he leaves his wallet in his pants which contained one of a kind wedding bands his in laws commissioned and the duo have to go back to the house to retrieve. Ergo he convinces Miles to retrieve it...what an ass. Alright so Miles has to sneak in and get the wallet and it's pretty funny as well as tense, since the rest of the movie and this seems so believable even hardened action fans would I'm sure would be a little on edge watching this. Plus I enjoy that he does something not utilized enough in movies, uses the element of surprise once he locates the item and hauls ass out of there. I felt adrenaline when the naked biker dude pursues him all the ways to the car door swear to god. Jack thoroughly becomes a prick when on the ride home he fakes an accident by ramming Miles is car into a tree to make the nose seem less suspicious...as I said many times before ASSHOLE.

Jack than gets married and the story shifts entirely too poor Miles. He shows up and is confronted by his ex-wife who is now remarried and pregnant and realizing he gave up and lost for good the most important thing in his life skips the reception. He'd talked with Maya about a rare important bottle of wine he'd been saving for a special occasion a familiar enough concept, this being his tenth wedding anniversary. She'd countered in true THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT MIDLIFE CRISES, fashion why not drink it now it's reached its peak point and we see Miles in the next scene drink it alone out of a paper cup in a McDonalds. As someone worried about his own mortality, in a way worried my life may end up like this I almost cried in this scene by God. It's one of the more powerful scenes I'd ever seen, I had a lump in my throat and though damn what a good movie. It kept going for a few minutes...I won't spoil the ending any more than the implications of that statement's phrasing does.

The movie decides to have a happy ending after a depressing story, which shouldn't come as a disappoinment and does not because it doesn't feel forced or contrived it feels like it could actually happen and you find yourself happy for Miles. Basically this movie with only four major characters tackles something we all fear and dread and makes it witty, enjoyable and yet doesn't at all dumb it down for us. All while evoking masterful filmmaking. Truly a modern classic and one of my favorites check it out if you haven't.