Film Review: Sideways

Sideways is directed by Alexander Payne, the same director who bought us About Schmidt - what that movie proved is that he is not afraid of tackling people's frailties with honesty and insight. And so he does here, with a funny and sometimes uncomfortable film about mid-life mediocrity. Just like About Schmidt he manages to take some unlikeable leads, and tell a funny but touching tale.

Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) away in the Californian wine district for a week prior to Jack's Wedding. Miles is an English teacher who has been unsuccessful in getting a book published, and his character reflects these seeming underachievements; although he is clearly intelligent, he has low self-worth, and buries himself a little too deeply into his wine interest, clearly to cover up his own disappointment in himself. His friend Jack is an out-of-work actor, who, desperate not to feel like he is losing his masculinity along with his feedom turns into some sex-mad maniac desperate to get his rocks off.

This leads them to hook up with two local girls, Maya and Stephanie, and follows their progress, which is funny and tragic. Both men appear sad in their own ways, because they are portrayed as so very ordinary. This ordinariness runs though the whole movie, which has the look of a low budget affair, making it easy to forget how difficult it is for people to act in a non-Hollywood naturalistic way. To this end, there is a delightful subtlety about the film. There is a scene where the foursome are picnicing, and the sun is flaring in the camera, the trees and Maya's hair. It's simply lovely, and imbues the picture with the gentleness of touch that is Alexander Payne's trademark.

The script also manages to nicely balance some of the situational comedy with scenes that are almost uncomforable in their honesty. Giamatti is excellent as the downtrodden Miles; he manages to use the trip to explore all his fears and his failings, and every one of them is painted in his eyes. Church gets most of the laughs as the superficial Jack, but really only has his charm as a redeeming feature. Despite the fact that neither are really likeable characters, there is a decency in them that emerges, for all the bluster and misery they both exhibit. The audience are left only really liking Maya, the local girl that Miles befriends, played brilliantly by Virginia Madsen. She manages to epitomise what little hope there is, and helps to point the way for Miles.

If you're unconvinced that a movie can't entertain without big stars, over-egged special effects or slapstick belly-laughs, I recommend you see this movie. If you already know this to be true, I recommend you see this movie. 8/10