Sideways (2004)

SidewaysThe premise walks on familiar path and offers the same rudimentary process that is created by the usual structure that such genre consists, and it still finds a way to stand alone in its self-created journey and the primary reason to that would be the chemistry among the cast which is stronger, meaningful and not charming or cheesy. The adaptive screenplay is smarter and keeps the audience engaged not because of its grip on the characters but the constant concrete material it offers. Alexander Payne; the screenwriter and director, has done a tremendous work on executing the anticipated vision on screen where he speaks more volume that any other with an amazing camera work; it is shot beautifully. Paul Giamatti is convincing in his lead role and is supported decently by his on screen partner Thomas Haden Church. It is short on technical aspects like background score and sound department, although is edited perfectly. The minor crisis in here would be the build-up of high pitched dramatic scenes which could have been given more importance to create much greater impact. Sideways is a free spirit trip that walks miles rather than flying with the help of its pragmatic characters that keeps it grounded.

Absolute feel-good movie. So natural and easy to watch. Excellent characters. One of my favorite movies with great value compared to its low budget... A perfect blend of sorrow and joy; superficial and thoughtful.

Two friends, Miles and Jack, take a trip to California wine country. What follows is some interesting hijnks, friendship tests and self-discovery.Wonderfully funny and warm movie, written and directed by Alexander Payne. Quirky, with a solid plot that takes you on a very interesting journey. Great performances by Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in the lead roles.

"Sideways" marked Alexander Payne's first Oscar win, following a previous writing nomination for 1999's "Election". Nominated for both writing & directing, he ended up taking home a statuette for his adapted screenplay (shared with Jim Taylor, the co-writer of "Election").On the surface, the movie might not sound like much: A struggling writer takes his long-time friend on a road trip through California's wine country as a send-off prior to his impending nuptials. But what brings the movie to life are the vivid characters, their interactions with one another and their motivations.The always reliable Paul Giamatti plays sad-sack Miles, a divorced English teacher & wine aficionado whose life is mired in depression. His best friend Jack is played by Thomas Haden Church, best known for his role as Lowell in the long-running sitcom "Wings". Jack's positive outlook and energy are a perfect contrast to Miles's generally negative attitude towards everything. Thomas Haden Church snagged an Oscar nomination for his performance but Paul Giamatti was unaccountably (and unexpectedly) snubbed. Virginia Madsen also landed an Oscar nomination for her performance as Miles's love interest, while Sandra Oh rounded out a stalwart main cast.The Oscar-winning script gave these talented actors & actresses plenty to work with and they were expertly guided by director Alexander Payne. Oscar-nominated for both writing & directing, Payne exhibited his knack for crafting idiosyncratic comedies that are strengthened by a meaningful dramatic core. Both visually attractive and musically interesting, the movie is slickly produced without seeming artificial.In the end, though, "Sideways" may not be for everyone. The two main characters are admittedly not the greatest guys. They both have their faults and it's difficult to say how a given viewer will respond to them. Personally, I found Thomas Haden Church's character to be pretty unlikeable the first time I watched the movie. Then again, the fact that he made an impression on me shows that this wasn't to the detriment of the film. In any case, there's a lot to like about "Sideways", even if you aren't simpatico with the two main characters.