Sideways is
a 2004 film directed by Alexander Payne and adapted from Rex Pickett’s novel of
the same name. I was unfamiliar with both the film and director when I randomly
came across it this morning on NOW TV, but thought I’d give it a shot. For the
most part this is a very enjoyable movie, with some great character development
and a solid plot. Paul Giamatti plays recently divorced author Miles Raymond, a
troubled and lost figure who is attempting to get his novel published and make
a name for himself. He also has a passion for wine, one of the film’s main
themes. His friend and actor, Jack, played by Thomas Haden Church is his polar
opposite. He likes to party, fool around, and has little interest in wine, yet
he is the one engaged to be married. It is this central juxtaposition that
creates such an interesting dynamic between the two characters, mainly
expressed through Miles’ frustration with Jack’s flamboyant and flirtatious personality.
The first
thing I will say is that the film is beautifully shot. It takes place in
California, and the road trip the two embark on takes us to beautiful vineyards
and through rolling desert hills. It is a very American looking film. The way
Payne shot many of the scenes captures the beauty of California in the summer,
with lots of natural lighting and panning shots of the countryside. It made me
want to be there myself. The theme of wine-tasting is a hard one to make exciting,
but I genuinely found myself intently listening to Miles talk about it, so
props for that!
The film
develops at a steady pace. We learn a lot about both the characters in one of
the very first scenes when Jack cracks open a vintage bottle of champagne in
the car, to Miles’ horror. Yet here we also see the type of relationship they
have with one another, Miles soon resigning himself to Jack’s antics, and Jack
asserting a kind of dominant persona over Miles. This is fleshed out as the
movie progresses, Miles playing more of a submissive role to Jack’s exuberant
dominance. Yet, thanks to the depth of these characters, you also sense a deep
rooted mutual admiration between the two, like nothing either one of them does
will damage their friendship.
Jack puts
his cards on the table early in the film, asserting that he is not coming back
without getting laid. From this point on he very much plays the carefree scoundrel,
getting involved with a girl without realising what the repercussions will end
up being. He always has an axe to grind with Miles, who wanted to take Jack on
a more cultured trip, drinking wine and frequenting fancy restaurants. Jack
just wants to party. The good thing was that I could sympathise with both
characters and felt as if I was really starting to get to know them by the end
of the film.
The main
events of the film take place around how the two guys approach and deal with
women. They meet two attractive younger girls, Maya and Stephanie. We learn
that Miles knew of Maya from previous trips to the area and after Jack eggs him
on, he develops a fondness for her, not quite knowing how to handle it. Jack
gets involved with Stephanie, who works at a vineyard and is friends with Maya.
The most touching part of the film is watching Miles struggle to woo Maya,
whilst having to watch his friend do it in textbook fashion. I got a real sense
of his inner struggle, on the one hand wanting to move on with another woman,
yet being constantly haunted by his previous relationship. In the end, Maya
finds out about Jack’s marriage and the film transitions into more comical
territory. Jack gets beaten up by Stephanie, before seducing another waitress
and getting chased out of her house by her furious naked husband. He then
crashes Miles’ car to create an alibi for his broken nose. This third act of
the film was a lot of fun, and I was impressed with how Payne managed to
maintain the depth of the characters whilst introducing some more light-hearted
comedy.
I have very
few gripes with this movie overall. Occasionally I felt like Haden Church’s
acting came off as a little wooden, but Giamatti’s stunning performance as
Miles more than made up for it. He very much stole the show in my eyes. I wasn’t
blown away by any part of the film, but it impressed and entertained me for 2
hours this morning, so I must give it its due credit. This is a romantic comedy
with a lot of heart and an engaging subtext. The Californian setting was pure
eye candy and never got boring to observe, but if you asked me to split hairs
then I would have liked a few more ambitious shots thrown in here and there. I
definitely recommend giving this a watch if you want something that’s easy to
watch but will also make you think a little.
Acting: 80
Narrative:
75
Visuals: 80
Music: N/A
Overall:
78/100
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