Indie movies are the true beating heart of cinema, they are the niche for auteur movies which are the only genuine art pieces in popular cinema, and often because of the low marketing budgets it's hard for them to reach for a large audience, « Sideways » is no exception, and while being an Oscar winner in the writing category, is still reduced to the status of buried treasure.
So let's pick a shovel and unearth it, Miles (Paul Giammati) is a stereotypical loser, with all the ingredients that make one, abusive mother, failed relationships, denial of relationship failure, alcoholism, and is also an aspiring author who had no luck so far in publishing.
Losing loves company, the only thing working in Miles life is a strong friendship he has with Jack (Thomas Haden Church) an actor with a decent success who is about to get married, the other thing working in his life is a passion for Horticulture, and everything related to wine, and vineyards, so instead of a bachelor party, both of them decide to have a road trip through rural california, and it's wine culture, exactly a week before Jack's upcoming wedding.
The initial plan is, drinking nice wine, golfing, good food and wine, and women if possible, Jack being the best marketable of the two ends up attracting Christine (Sandra Oh) a thirty something wine grower who is still gripping on her youth, and since nobody wants to be a third wheel, Maya (Virginia Madsen) a waitress in a nearby restaurant wh knows both Miles and Christine is also part of the party.
While Jack is attracted to the nets of temptation, Miles and Maya find they have many things in common, especially the wine culture, indeed nothing goes out as planned, and this roadtrip takes an unexpected turn that will test the loyalty of Miles and Jack to each other, and to their past and future commitments, in beautiful South California.
This movie is a great loser buddy movie, Miles anxiety and issues with women drive this movie along with the wine culture, max knows the wine, he sees the beauty in it, but he can't extrapolate it into his life, the wine here is very metaphorical and is the soul of the plot, people end up alone, and they want to be more then the usual drinker, they want to do it with class, it's really about looking at reality through a half full glass of wine, it's colored and distorted, and it smells nice, but the post hangover things are here to stay, no matter what cellar you might have.
The script is wonderful, the setting in South California wine culture more then adequate, and this whole fourty something people not giving up on life has a fragile beauty in it, Alexander Payne is a writer director to follow, and the four principal actors have an undeniable chimistry, it's like one of these long melancolic jazz jams, you don't have enough of it, or just like one of these precious wine bottles you might have if you are not religously forbidden to do so like myself, you need to own this movie in any form whatsoever, it's a summer movie by excellence, missing it would be a sin.
So let's pick a shovel and unearth it, Miles (Paul Giammati) is a stereotypical loser, with all the ingredients that make one, abusive mother, failed relationships, denial of relationship failure, alcoholism, and is also an aspiring author who had no luck so far in publishing.
Losing loves company, the only thing working in Miles life is a strong friendship he has with Jack (Thomas Haden Church) an actor with a decent success who is about to get married, the other thing working in his life is a passion for Horticulture, and everything related to wine, and vineyards, so instead of a bachelor party, both of them decide to have a road trip through rural california, and it's wine culture, exactly a week before Jack's upcoming wedding.
The initial plan is, drinking nice wine, golfing, good food and wine, and women if possible, Jack being the best marketable of the two ends up attracting Christine (Sandra Oh) a thirty something wine grower who is still gripping on her youth, and since nobody wants to be a third wheel, Maya (Virginia Madsen) a waitress in a nearby restaurant wh knows both Miles and Christine is also part of the party.
While Jack is attracted to the nets of temptation, Miles and Maya find they have many things in common, especially the wine culture, indeed nothing goes out as planned, and this roadtrip takes an unexpected turn that will test the loyalty of Miles and Jack to each other, and to their past and future commitments, in beautiful South California.
This movie is a great loser buddy movie, Miles anxiety and issues with women drive this movie along with the wine culture, max knows the wine, he sees the beauty in it, but he can't extrapolate it into his life, the wine here is very metaphorical and is the soul of the plot, people end up alone, and they want to be more then the usual drinker, they want to do it with class, it's really about looking at reality through a half full glass of wine, it's colored and distorted, and it smells nice, but the post hangover things are here to stay, no matter what cellar you might have.
The script is wonderful, the setting in South California wine culture more then adequate, and this whole fourty something people not giving up on life has a fragile beauty in it, Alexander Payne is a writer director to follow, and the four principal actors have an undeniable chimistry, it's like one of these long melancolic jazz jams, you don't have enough of it, or just like one of these precious wine bottles you might have if you are not religously forbidden to do so like myself, you need to own this movie in any form whatsoever, it's a summer movie by excellence, missing it would be a sin.
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