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From Amazon.com
With Sideways, Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Storytelling) has become an unlikely but engaging romantic lead. Struggling novelist and wine connoisseur Miles (Giamatti) takes his best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church, Wings) on a wine-tasting tour of California vineyards for a kind of extended bachelor party. Almost immediately, Jack's insatiable need to sow some wild oats before his marriage leads them into double-dates with a rambunctious wine pourer (Sandra Oh, Under the Tuscan Sun) and a recently divorced waitress (Virginia Madsen, The Hot Spot)--and Miles discovers a little hope that he hasn't let himself feel in a long time. Sideways is a modest but finely tuned film; with gentle compassion, it explores the failures, struggles, and lowered expectations of mid-life. Giamatti makes regret and self-loathing sympathetic, almost sweet. From the director of Election and About Schmidt. --Bret Fetzer
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ACADEMY AWARD WINNER BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WINNER OF 2 GOLDEN GLOBES, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE (COMEDY / MUSICAL)
In this intoxicating, intelligent comedy, director Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) serves up "one of the best movies of the year" (Entertainment Weekly) about the ups, downs and sideways journeys of life. A wine-tasting road trip through California's famed Central Coast takes an unexpected detour as Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) hit the gas en route to their mid-life crisis. The comically mismatched pair soon find themselves drowning in wine, women... and laughter!
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Unpleasant,
By
This review is from: Sideways (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)
Teacher and would-be writer Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his actor pal Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) on a trip to the California wine country to celebrate Jack's impending marriage. Miles is a wine lover and wants to educate Jack on the best wines, while Jack just wants to sew his last wild oats.
This is a dramedy about ordinary people dealing with frustration, failure, and loneliness. Giamatti plays the sad-sack loser well, but his character is weak and unremarkable while Church is repulsive as an irresponsible, juvenile lout. The story has some humor but is ultimately grim and depressing. There isn't much action and a lot of the dialogue sounds like a lecture on wine. There is pervasive profanity and full nudity. Not recommended.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't live up to the hype,
By SkylarKD (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sideways (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)
I've heard a lot of people rave about this film, and that, combined with the awards that it won, made me think that I'd enjoy the movie. Well, not so much. While the movie had its funny moments, I didn't really like either of the main characters, and the idea of a 'last romp' before the wedding turned me off. Beyond that, I felt that you must have to be a wine drinker to 'get' this movie. It had its amusing moments, but overall, I found that this movie didn't live up to my expectations.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Film About Coming to Grips with Disappointment,
By Rob Boggs (Sioux City, IA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sideways (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)
If you're in the arts at all, this film will make even more sense to you. Certainly, two friends, both "arts oriented," are at a crossroads. Miles is on the cusp of another wasted effort (his latest literary opus is with an obscure publisher, "Conundrum," tottering on yet another rejection) while his actor friend, Jack, has come to realize his better days may be behind him (he's about to "cave in" and get married to a rather conventional, though lovely woman -- and, most likely, follow in the family business). This film is about their last hurrah; before possibly renouncing their youthful dreams of artistic glory. The character of Miles is just brilliant -- funny, neurotic, self-loathing (and real because of it); he's like a lot artist friends I know. (Okay, actually, he's like ME.) His friend, Jack, appears more stable and "together" yet he too (as we later find out) is racked with insecurities and self-doubt. In many ways, this is a coming-of-age, buddy flick; it's about making certain crucial "adjustments" and fully entering adulthood. In my opinion, the friendship is based on an unspoken mutual support; they both value the idea of clinging onto their artistic hopes despite the pressing needs of finding a way to support themselves and some kind of adult stability. And of course the film is also about "moving on" -- and the loss of youthful male friendship. This road trip is, in effect, a wake for their friendship. As Jack intends to marry, both Miles and Jack realize (without ever mentioning it) that things will never be the same. Marriage is often the final nail in the coffin of friendship between men (as, often, with women). Later, there is even a quote from the novel, A Separate Peace, in which a funeral is described -- and in which the comparison is clearly drawn. Anyway, a great film. A FUNNY film -- my review may have painted it as "gloomy" when it is not. It's VERY entertaining and lively. It's an unconventional, character-driven film for grown-ups that is FUN! In addition to this movie, I also need recommend another Amazon pick, a comic novel, "THE LOSERS' CLUB: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, which deals with similar themes of loss and friendships while also managing to be quite funny, lively, and off the cuff. An easy read with short chapters and funny characters, set in pre-9/11 New York City. A great Amazon pick!
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