11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie -- for the right audience, January 12, 2008
I really enjoyed this movie. It's funny, awkward, and touching. It's got a *great* ending. But certainly it's not for everyone--this is a character-driven film--that is, the plot is about changes taking place within the characters' emotions, relationships, and understandings of themselves. If you're looking for high drama, big action, stunning cinematography--look elsewhere. But if you're interested in a small-ish film about real-ish people, real-ish situations--and genuine humor, give sideways a try.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful women and wine, besides misery, joy and newfound love - a marvellous vintage wine of a film, August 2, 2011
As any fan/previous viewer of Paul Giamatti's acting will know, no one does miserable/depressed/self-loathing/angst-ridden/complicated/face-like-a-slapped-bottom better than him. In fact, when you reflect on some of his notable roles (e.g., Lady In The Water [Blu-ray] [2006][Region Free], where he plays Cleveland Heep, a miserable, depressed caretaker/superintendent; American Splendor [DVD] [2004], in which he plays Harvey Pekar, the depressed, famous underground comic book novelist, and his vastly underrated film, Cold Souls [DVD]), in which he plays a version of his 'real' self, Paul Giamatti - angst-ridden to the umpteenth degree from losing his actor's soul - in the way Malkovich does in Being John Malkovich [DVD] [2000] - he has clearly been chosen precisely for his ability to convey such negative and complex emotions; his face is a portrait worthy of a hybrid Hieronymus Bosch-van Gogh-Edvard Munch painting). In other words, he's a master of complex, confused misery; there is no other actor I can think of that does what Giamatti does better than him.
It's a lovely, touching movie, that uses as its springboard a venture into Californian wine country, as a holiday between two male friends, one of whom, a surface-only, selfish but always good-humoured guy who is about to get married and wants to have some last flings before doing so (Thomas Haden Church plays the role very well; he's probably most well-known for playing the Sandman in Spiderman 3), and the other, of course, is Giamatti's character, an unpublished novelist, depressed and self-loathing, obsessive wine connoisseur, who is still suffering from the divorce from his wife two years previously.
The two female leads, Virginia Madsen, who plays the love interest to Giamatti's character, and Sandra Oh, who plays the sex/passion interest of Thomas Haden Church's character, are performed with charm, good humour and a touching, gentle and real grace.
While some have described this as a slow/or slow start movie, I would simply say it's a drama that builds gradually on a simple premise and, as it does so, it unravels/reveals a mesh of complex themes around love, desire, denial, depression, hypocrisy, friendship, self-respect, integrity and passion. It is a great complement to the Hollywood road movie and the buddy-buddy/friendship genres; I've now watched it a good few times, and enjoy it all the more each time. The dialogue is crisp and sharp, the acting (from the entire ensemble) is top notch and it's a joy, joy, joy to absorb (never mind the wonderful education you get about some terrific Californian wines along the way - cheers!). Utterly charming.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ages better than most merlots, February 10, 2011
Midlife ennui in wine country. Giamatti, in what some may see as a prelude to future typecasting, convincingly plays a self-loathing failing novelist on a pity binge. It works, thanks to the contrast of his costars' comparatively lively, even hedonistic, yet no less self-destructive characters. Together, they create an engaging story which exceeds the sum of its parts, loping sideways into the future.
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