‘Sideways’ attempts to answer life’s little questions through wine, women
Reel Reflections
"In Vino Veritas," a Roman sage once wrote in wine, truth.
In director Alexander Payne’s ("About Schmidt") subtle,
aching and hilarious ode to the midlife pleasures of wine and women, "Sideways,"
no one truth about the meaning of life is found. However, its troubled
characters are able to produce some measure of solace from out of the
winepress of male camaraderie.
The leading men — Miles (Paul Giamatti, "American Splendor")
and Jack (Thomas Haden Church, "Wings") make the movie. Jack,
a roguish former soap star who has been reduced to voiceover work, is
getting married. Not quite ready to bid farewell to his bachelor days,
he drives through the verdant California vineyards with his good friend
Miles, a neurotic wine connoisseur with an unpublished novel and an underdeveloped
self image. Miles himself is getting over a painful divorce, and is still
pining over his recently remarried ex-wife. Jack encourages Miles to forget
his woes, and to enjoy the beauties of the Napa Valley.
Along the way, they meet the lovely but lonely waitress Maya (Virginia
Madsen, "The Rainmaker") and lusty Stephanie (Sandra Oh, "The
Princess Diaries"). The four characters go on a double date in which
Jack and Stephanie immediately proceed to flirt like teenagers. Miles
— while smitten with Maya (and she with him) — is much more
reluctant to jump into another relationship or the sack. But still, they
enter into a strained but ardent courtship, while Jack’s dalliance
with Stephanie creates major — but hilarious — complications
for both his romantic life and his friendship with Miles.
While "Election" is a razor-sharp satire on high school popularity-politics,
and "About Schmidt" are funny, heartfelt meditations on aging
and identity, "Sideways" is Payne’s most mature work to
date. The film is brimming with pointed wit, rollicking screwball comedy
and deep compassion for its characters. In fact, Payne juggles the film’s
aspects of comedy and drama with the deftness of a master. Audiences are
likely to become misty-eyed watching the scene in which Maya rhapsodizes
metaphorically on the virtues of a fine wine while Miles watches her with
affectionate awe viewers are equally likely to crack up during a scene
that involves a cuckolded naked man and a wallet. The screenplay, by Jim
Taylor and Payne, is as strong as Payne’s direction.
The quartet of lead actors constitutes much of "Sideways" power.
Giamatti, as the world-weary but sensitive Miles, is remarkable; his poignant
failures make viewers long for him to find happiness with Maya in the
vintage years of his life. Haden Church — who displays potent chemistry
with Giamatti — is superb as Jack. His laidback charm and wisecracking
ways conceal deeper insecurities about his waning sex appeal and career.
The luminous Madsen imbues Maya with quiet intelligence, humor and dignity,
and Oh is both funny and touching as the oversexed Stephanie.
Although "Sideways" won’t cause a hangover, but it will
certainly make audiences tipsy with its richness.
"Sideways"
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church
Running time: 123 mins
Rated: R
Four 1/2 of five paws
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