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MOVIE REVIEW FOR "SIDEWAYS" STARRING PAUL GIAMATTI, THOMAS HADEN CHURCH, AND VIRGINIA MADSEN
As a lover of both wine collecting and cinema, "Sideways" was a wonderful treat for me. Never would I have imagined enjoying such a simple film on such a monumental level. Every aspect of the film amazed me. Essentially, it is nothing more than a simple love story, though it appeals to both men and women. Women get just the right amount of romance and passion, while men get everything from porno magazines to graphic scenes of full frontal nudity. While sitting in the theatre, I noticed the men were enjoying it just as much as the women, and vice versa. Afterwards, everyone had a smile on their faces. It is rare when a film finds a way to be hilarious, touching, poignant, and wholly inspiring -- "Sideways" does. This was, without a doubt, the finest motion picture I have seen this year, and a brilliant work of art from director Alexander Payne.
Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church star as Miles and Jack, to best friends who embark on a week long vacation to California wine country. Miles is a wine fanatic with an incredible palette who imagines the trip as a perfect opportunity to drink some wine, play some golf, and send his soon to be married best pal out with style. Jack, however, sees the trip as his final chance to get laid before he ties the knot in a few days. Eventually, Miles and Jack run into Maya (Virginia Madsen), a waitress at one of the local restaurants, and Stephanie (Sandra Oh), a wine pourer at a local vinyard. Jack and Stephanie hit it off immediately, most notably on a physical basis. Miles and Maya share something deeper -- something pure and genuine. Their love for wine slowly evolves into a love for one another, until Jack's secret is revealed and everything goes up in smoke.
This film has something for everyone. Miles and Maya share a scene of incredible beauty, as they both sit outside talking about their reasons for loving wine, all of their descriptions translating to their own lives. The look in Giamatti's eye when he realizes her hand is touching his made shivers run down my spine. There are also scenes of extreme hilarity, as Jack runs in the hotel room, totally nude, having just been caught having an affair with a married woman. And, there is sadness. When Giamatti learns that his ex-wife is not only happily married, but pregnant, we see the total devastation on his face, barely able to keep away the tears. "Sideways" is a perfect blend of all these genres, and it makes filmmaking look so simple and clean.
It can now be stated with all clarity that Paul Giamatti is the best character actor working in Hollywood today. I never would have dreamed he could top his performance from "American Splendor", but he has to the tenth degree. If the Academy does not award him a nomination, they should be taken out back and shot. His performance drives the emotional core of the film, and we find ourselves totally in love with him by the end of the picture. Thomas Haden Church also deserves serious Oscar consideration for the finest male supporting performance of the year. Here, he is the comedy relief of the film, but is also given scenes that reveal his true soul, like when he breaks down in the hotel room for Miles to help him get his wedding rings back, or when he instructs Miles to bucke up, solely out of concern for his best friend. Their chemistry together is absolutely critical to the films success, and they never faulter. This is what acting is all about. As for the remainder of the cast, Virginia Madsen is stunning, and Sandra Oh adds yet another amazing film to her ever expanding resume. Could an Oscar sweep be in the works?
Though the performances are unparalleled, much attention must be given to Alexander Payne, the mastermind behind this film. He is truly one of the greatest directors working today, especially considering how he is able to squeeze such amazing performances from his casts. Remember Jack Nicholson in "About Schmidt"? That character could have been Miles Raymond, had he not gone on the trip with Jack. Payne's camera work and technique is oozing all over this picture, and it shares a lot of similarities with "About Schmidt", especially the road scenes of the guys driving. If Oscar knows what is good for it, Payne should be a sure lock for a nomination, if not also a win for this crowning jewel on his already enormously impressive resume.
I said it before and I will say it again -- "Sideways" was the film I will remember most from 2004...it was the best film of the year and one of the best films I have seen in a long, long while. I left the theatre with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my spirit, and it is all thanks to tour-de-force performances, pitch perfect directing, and some of the most gorgeous bottles of wine mine eyes have ever seen. To close: Paul Giamatti for Best Actor, Thomas Haden Church for Best Supporting Actor, Virginia Madsen for Best Supporting Actress, Alexander Payne for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and "Sideways" for Best Picture. It probably won't win all of those, but is sure as hell deserves them.
Paul Giamatti (Miles)
Thomas Haden Church (Jack)
Virginia Madsen (Maya)
Sandra Oh (Stephanie)
Director: Alexander Payne
RATED R
FOUR POPS
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