Sideways

As a person who was born in 1996, I grew up with actors, Thomas Haden Church and Paul Giamatti even though it was only two films. I liked Church in George of the Jungle which is now just a film to see how skinny Brendan Fraser was back in the day. I liked Giamatti in Big Fat Liar which now I can see as an awful film though as a kid I liked it. Seeing these two was the only reason why I sat down to watch this film. That said, it is a film that is high-minded and intelligent but again nothing I would have gone out of my way to see.

Sideways is part road movie, part drama and part relationship film about buddies Miles and Jack (Giamatti and Church) who go on a road trip for days up the California Valley tasting wine just before Jack's wedding.

As expected, Giamatti and Church are excellent but the supporting cast might be even better. The secondary cast includes Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh and it is the secondary cast that brings everything together pushing it in the right direction and fitting the film into a nice package. The characters show a variety of emotions. They can be mean, full of good sexual antics, and also show heart and warmth along the way. They might not be the most original but again, they make a good package.

The main reason why I was a little less than impressed with this movie was the rather dull plot. Maybe because I am still a teenager, I really don't see what is so interesting about wine. It is a different idea no doubt but it is still dull and the scenes are not really developed and don't go anywhere.

Sideways is a movie with an interesting idea but the movie was kind of beyond me and not a movie I would spend any time with again.

4/5