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Sideways - 10/22/04 (limited)- R - 123m
Paul Giamatti - Miles Raymond
Thomas Hayden Church - Jack
Virginia Madsen - Maya
Sandra Oh - Stephanie
Director: Alexander Payne
Screenplay by: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Official
Website
LYN
Nutshell: Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a week-long tour of California wine country, for kind of a last hurrah before Jack goes off to the alter the following Saturday. Kind of an unconventional direction for a bachelor party, especially groom-to-be doesn't know much about wine except perhaps that he likes it? Well…that’s a good start.
For the most part it’s a simple story about life. The different lives we all lead…how unique the path…how our life tends to affect others, for the good or the bad…and how we tend to rely on others in one way or another, whether we know it or not. You know slice of life stuff (for which I have a weakness). The story itself was interesting, but more in that it had an almost mirrored life quality to experiences I have had in my own life. So in that regard, it was already personal to me. Personality wise, I found qualities of myself in each of the two main characters, Miles with his almost doom-like pessimism, and Jack with who seemed to be his exact polar opposite. Include that with the fact that it was very well acted, quite humorous at time, and most importantly…charming, I could not help but like this film.
Not to also mention that my “Best of Year” film list is looking kind of sparse this time around, so this is certainly a welcome addition…
Lyn
