Post by taxidriver on May 18, 2005 12:45:46 GMT -5
This has to be one of the most refreshing, well-executed comedies I've seen in a while. Due to its evidently low budget, Sideways doesn't rely on slapstick sequences and celebrity cameos (although that's not to say there isn't some fine physical comedy). Instead, it employs a tight script and superb acting from its four leads.
The story is pretty simple: Jack is getting married in a week, and college buddy Miles (a depressed wannabe novelist) decides to show him a good time in and around the vineyards of California. The great thing about the narrative is that all the situations are grounded in reality, and as a result the film is highly accessible. Every awkward pause or outburst or romantic moment is instantly recognisable as something we have either gone through or witnessed (especially Miles's doomed attempts to woo Maya - or maybe that's just me).
Everybody knows Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), albeit maybe as several different people rolled into one. Although he has good intentions, he is crass and pretty oblivious to the feelings of those around him. His boyish charm and naiveté of course make him very attractive to the ladies, and it's not long before he has jumped into bed with Stephanie (Sandra Oh), a foxy single-mum working in a vineyard. She, too, is annoyingly recognisable as that extraverted, good-looking girl, to whom conversation, charm and sex appeal come naturally.
Virginia Madsen is great as Maya, the somewhat more mellow of the two girls, an attractive AND intelligent waitress who shares Mile's passion for wine. Her obvious affection for Miles is unbearable to watch at times, as he continues to make a hash of things. This tension is exacerbated even more by their obvious compatibility: they are both sensitive, intellectual, divorcees, wine enthusiasts…
Church, Madsen and Oh are all excellent, but Paul Giamatti steals the show, as expected. His portrayal of Miles, a man with infinite potential but no real faith in himself, is sometimes hilarious to watch, at others heartbreaking. He wants to be with Maya, but a part of him uses his divorce to make excuses for his own fear hindering his relationships, when it is the man itself that is the problem. Giamatti is a great actor, both comically and dramatically. His timing is spot on, and his drunk acting in the “drink and dial” scene is some of the most realistic I've ever seen. His awkwardness in situations is never exaggerated, and his “kiss moments” with Maya are torturous to watch. As he realises - in true midlife crisis style - that his life so far has had no meaning, it's pretty hard not to sympathise with him: his best friend is getting married, his ex-wife is getting remarried, and what should have been a week of wine-tasting and golf has turned into Jack's personal quest to get laid. In one fantastic scene, Miles, in describing his love of Pinot, succeeds in summing up himself as a person.
The film is very clearly low budget: very few tracking shots or scenes inside moving cars. If an actor appears to be driving, chances are he or she probably is. Having said that, the rich cinematography is perfect, using subtle filters and playing with focus. The editing, too, is surprisingly, good, especially in the afore-mentioned “drink and dial” scene. The design captures perfectly the fake feel of California's faux-rustic vineyards; all the restaurants and motels are a little too plasticy. The music (composed by Rolfe Kent) is a good blend of twinkly piano and background jazz, underscoring the surface niceties of the people and places that appear in the film.
Overall, an excellent, intelligent (but not pretentious) comedy, which cleverly assesses the relationships between men and women, between men and men, and between one man and himself. It's very relaxed, mellow, and the chemistry between Church and Giamatti is clearly very natural in real life as well as onscreen. It's also worth noting that Sideways won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, although from what I've heard, the film is actually better than the book.
The story is pretty simple: Jack is getting married in a week, and college buddy Miles (a depressed wannabe novelist) decides to show him a good time in and around the vineyards of California. The great thing about the narrative is that all the situations are grounded in reality, and as a result the film is highly accessible. Every awkward pause or outburst or romantic moment is instantly recognisable as something we have either gone through or witnessed (especially Miles's doomed attempts to woo Maya - or maybe that's just me).
Everybody knows Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), albeit maybe as several different people rolled into one. Although he has good intentions, he is crass and pretty oblivious to the feelings of those around him. His boyish charm and naiveté of course make him very attractive to the ladies, and it's not long before he has jumped into bed with Stephanie (Sandra Oh), a foxy single-mum working in a vineyard. She, too, is annoyingly recognisable as that extraverted, good-looking girl, to whom conversation, charm and sex appeal come naturally.
Virginia Madsen is great as Maya, the somewhat more mellow of the two girls, an attractive AND intelligent waitress who shares Mile's passion for wine. Her obvious affection for Miles is unbearable to watch at times, as he continues to make a hash of things. This tension is exacerbated even more by their obvious compatibility: they are both sensitive, intellectual, divorcees, wine enthusiasts…
Church, Madsen and Oh are all excellent, but Paul Giamatti steals the show, as expected. His portrayal of Miles, a man with infinite potential but no real faith in himself, is sometimes hilarious to watch, at others heartbreaking. He wants to be with Maya, but a part of him uses his divorce to make excuses for his own fear hindering his relationships, when it is the man itself that is the problem. Giamatti is a great actor, both comically and dramatically. His timing is spot on, and his drunk acting in the “drink and dial” scene is some of the most realistic I've ever seen. His awkwardness in situations is never exaggerated, and his “kiss moments” with Maya are torturous to watch. As he realises - in true midlife crisis style - that his life so far has had no meaning, it's pretty hard not to sympathise with him: his best friend is getting married, his ex-wife is getting remarried, and what should have been a week of wine-tasting and golf has turned into Jack's personal quest to get laid. In one fantastic scene, Miles, in describing his love of Pinot, succeeds in summing up himself as a person.
The film is very clearly low budget: very few tracking shots or scenes inside moving cars. If an actor appears to be driving, chances are he or she probably is. Having said that, the rich cinematography is perfect, using subtle filters and playing with focus. The editing, too, is surprisingly, good, especially in the afore-mentioned “drink and dial” scene. The design captures perfectly the fake feel of California's faux-rustic vineyards; all the restaurants and motels are a little too plasticy. The music (composed by Rolfe Kent) is a good blend of twinkly piano and background jazz, underscoring the surface niceties of the people and places that appear in the film.
Overall, an excellent, intelligent (but not pretentious) comedy, which cleverly assesses the relationships between men and women, between men and men, and between one man and himself. It's very relaxed, mellow, and the chemistry between Church and Giamatti is clearly very natural in real life as well as onscreen. It's also worth noting that Sideways won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, although from what I've heard, the film is actually better than the book.
