Sideways

Movie Name: Sideways
Year of Release: 2004
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh, Marylouise Burke, Jessica Hecht, Missy Doty, M. C. Gainey, Alysia Reiner, Stephanie Faracy, Robert Covarrubias
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

After the success of "About Schmidt", writer/producer/director Alexander Payne tackled the adaptation of the Rex Pickett novel "Sideways" in what turned out to be another critical and commercial success for him (and his team). The film follows the story of two close friends, Miles a recently divorced wine aficionado, who is struggling to get his book published, and Jack, an actor, once very popular but who now has resigned himself to doing well paid voice/commercial work. Jack is about to get married, and Miles as his best man, takes him on a weekend to enjoy the wine country and relax, before his big bash. While Miles has the best of intentions, Jack soon starts veering off the schedule, starting out with an affair with a local single mom by the name of Stephanie, who is seemingly under the impression she is entering into a relationship with him. As Miles also meets the lovely Maya, and has suddenly an opportunity to engage in a mature relationship, Jack's antics not only put himself in awkward situations, but also threaten to crumble Miles's and even potentially his upcoming nuptials.

A common thread that is clearly identifiable in Alexander Payne's films are central heroes, who are somewhat at a crossroads in life, having to figure out what they want to do next. They typically are coming off a rather traumatic event, which forces them to reevaluate what their choices in life have been, and what the next stage of their lives is going to be. These are scenarios which can be identified in "About Schmidt", "The Descendants", "Nebraska" and even "Election". "Sideways" manages to be in tune with Payne's themes, this time around focusing the narrative on two friends, one with a dour personality, who is at a junction in time, trying desperately to move past his shortcomings as a professional, as a husband and as an adult, while the other, is a perpetual irresponsible teenager, refusing to grow up and tackle the responsibilities of his own actions. As life presents this set of new opportunities for the both of them, it's interesting to witness their very different journeys. Alexander Payne smartly crafts this character study without judging these characters, allowing them to exist, as profoundly flawed and uncertain as they may be. The film flows languidly but also infused with humor, insight and at some moments, with a certain kind of tenderness, that makes it all the most memorable. The cast is uniformly fantastic, with highlights going to the tremendously talented Paul Giamatti, the iconically hilarious Thomas Haden Church, and the luminous Virginia Madsen, who manages to carry within her delivery tenderness, emotion and sensuality, in what is one the finest performances of her career thus far. It's a wonderful film, always worth revisiting, populated with characters that while flawed and somewhat damaged, are hopeful of moving forward, for the next chapter of their existence.