Movie Review: "Sideways"
| Published 12/10/04

Graphic by: Doni Neel

That's the case with Alexander Payne's new film "Sideways." Payne, the director of "Election" and "About Schmidt," has a made a movie that might be described as a more serious "Swingers." It's the story of Miles (Paul Giammati) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), two guys who go on a kind of week-long bachelor party trip to California wine country where they drink, try to pick up women, drink and drink some more.

It's not quite as much fun as it sounds. While Jack, who's to be married in a few days, is happy to be soaking up one last week of freedom, Miles is mired deep in a complex depression. He's still pining over his ex-wife who he's just recently learned got remarried, and his career as a novelist is still nowhere near taking off, forcing him to get by as an 8th grade English teacher. Oh yeah, and he's an alcoholic who affects the pose of a wine connoisseur supposedly so he can have an excuse to drink every night. Miles just wants to show his buddy a good time, although he's clearly not in the position to do it, having to steal money from his mother's house to finance the trip. Luckily, some fun manages to find the two losers, as they meet up with two local women who are surprisingly susceptible to their charms. Most notably, Miles forms an attraction with Maya (Virginia Madsen), a soulful waitress who is somehow able to see past his considerable problems and could possibly be the key to him turning his life around.

All of this is done in a funny deadpan style with great dialogue and chemistry between all of the actors. While the film deals with some serious personal drama, there are plenty of wacky set pieces. The most memorable is when the guys get in a fight with some golfers and when Miles sneaks into a strange woman's house to retrieve Jack's wallet, which had been left there after a one-night-stand gone awry.

Giammati, who's given great performances in films like "Safe Men," "Storytelling" and "American Splendor," really shines here as Miles, making his character sympathetic even while he's behaving like a complete buffoon. As Jack, Thomas Haden Church, who before now was probably best known for playing dumb mechanic Lowell on the TV series "Wings," isn't quite as good as Giammati but still manages to hold his own and deliver a lot of the movie's laughs. Also, Virginia Madsen, who's appeared in genre movies like "Highlander 2" and "Candyman," shows that she can be a really talented actress when given the right material. And she looks really good, too, for an older woman.

This is a film that a lot of people will be able to relate to. We've all been through times in our lives when nothing seemed to go our way; this is the case with Miles. The message here seems to be that we have to fight through it, even though at times we can be our own worst enemies. Walking out of this movie, I found myself thinking about my own station in life and how to make it more fulfilling. That's why this film is a rewarding experience. Unlike a lot of movies, it makes you think.