So it was with eager anticipation that I went in to see Payne's latest, a buddy road trip comedy called Sideways. Though, as you well know if you've seen Payne's other films, they are not works that can be simply filed away into any one category. In Sideways, Paul Giamatti plays Miles, who's recently divorced and not handling the circumstances so well. His good buddy Jack, played by Thomas Hayden Church, is about to get married. The two friends have arranged a little getaway, sort of a last hurrah before Jack gets married, and hopefully a chance to get Miles out of his slump. As it turns out, Miles and Jack have very different ideas of what their weekend in Santa Barbara's wine country is all about. Miles is a wine connoisseur, and is looking forward to a weekend of drinking good wine, playing golf and hanging out with Jack. Jack is looking to get laid one final time before tying the knot. The two soon find a happy medium when they meet Maya (Virginia Madsen) and Stephanie (Sandra Oh), two fun-loving wine knowledgeable women. The problem is that Jack is looking simply to score with Stephanie and is willing to tell whatever lies will get him to that goal quicker. Miles may have actually found something special with Maya, but in keeping with his friend's pre-marital wishes, he's had to weave his own web of deceits.
Alexander Payne has always exhibited a very unique ability to craft characters that are extremely true to life and also different from what you usually see on screen. In a similar respect, these characters often find themselves in distinctly unspectacular situations, but the way they are portrayed by Payne, with his exceptional gift for storytelling, they are always completely engaging. Sideways is not quite at the same level in this respect, but it is still a very entertaining and moving film. This is my least favorite of Payne's work, though you should understand that I am saying that as an extreme fan of Payne's previous films, which I hold in the highest regards. In another words, Sideways is still a very good film.
Actually, the part which I found most fascinating is also the part which I've heard may alienate some audiences. As Miles and Jack head into the Santa Barbara wine country, Miles attempts to teach the wine-ignorant Jack a little culture. This is a clever device that serves to teach the audience about wine at the same time. While I've enjoyed wine for years, I've maintained my ignorance with a curiosity that I've yet to explore. I found this exploration fascinating and it was great to get a lesson when you aren't even aware of it. While the film is entertaining audiences and you are engaged in the voyage of these characters, you can't really complain about learning something along the way. I loved all the specific wine talk, such as the scene where Miles explains to Jack the proper way to appreciate, explore and then enjoy a wine tasting. There's also a great scene late in the film in which Miles talks to Maya about the reason he loves Pinot Noir so much. In the process of making an analogy, he describes the process by which the grapes are grown and chosen in the vineyards. Great stuff.
All of the performances in Sideways are very good, but it will probably come as no surprise that Paul Giamatti is the standout. After all these years of playing bit roles, it's great to see Giamatti finally rise to the forefront. Besides just being a very fine actor, Giamatti has a different look that we usually don't see in lead actors, more of a real person quality. As Miles, Giamatti doesn't hold back, fully exposing his wide range of emotional depth, perhaps in even greater detail and range then he did with American Splendor.
Thomas Hayden Church, who we haven't seen in a major role in quite some time (George of the Jungle 2 doesn't count), is very funny in Sideways. He is exactly that kind of irascible jerk friend that we've probably all known in the past. We sometimes wonder why we are hanging out with them, but before we can answer that question, he's already talked us into a few beers. Virginia Madsen is very appealing as Maya, and seems a perfect match for Miles. She's an underused actress, which she proves here. Finally Sandra Oh (who may just have a little pull with Payne, who's also her husband) is funny and sexy as Stephanie. She's a ball of fire. Near the film's end, she has an "honest moment" with Hayden Church, which I'll keep my mouth shut about, that is just priceless.
Sideways biggest fault is that it moves quite slowly at times. It often feels as if Payne was a bit too attached to the beauty of the film's setting to let scenes go that would normally be cut. These aren't bad scenes, but they slow the pacing and throw off the film in time. At 124 minutes, I think the film could have greatly benefited with by shaving off 10 - 15.
As we move into the awards season, Giamatti again deserves attention. Sideways is a good film and Giamatti gives another career-topping performance. It's got good characters, laughs and even some very strong dramatically tense moments. It even teaches you about wine along the way, so how can you go wrong? As I mentioned early, it's not Payne's best work, but even a lesser piece by Alexander Payne far exceeds just about anything else out there. Editing keeps Sideways from being the great film that it could have been, but all the same I recommend it and guarantee you'll look at your next glass of wine a little differently afterwards.
3.5 out of 5 Stars, 7/10 Score
