Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3249 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-05-16
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 122 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
With Sideways, Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Storytelling) has become an unlikely but engaging romantic lead. Struggling novelist and wine connoisseur Miles (Giamatti) takes his best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church, Wings) on a wine-tasting tour of California vineyards for a kind of extended bachelor party. Almost immediately, Jack's insatiable need to sow some wild oats before his marriage leads them in into double-dates with a rambunctious wine pourer (Sandra Oh, Under the Tuscan Sun) and a recently divorced waitress (Virginia Madsen, The Hot Spot)--and Miles discovers a little hope that he hasn't let himself feel in a long time. Sideways is a modest but finely tuned film; with gentle compassion, it explores the failures, struggles, and lowered expectations of mid-life. Giamatti makes regret and self-loathing sympathetic, almost sweet. From the director of Election and About Schmidt. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
Following ABOUT SCHMIDT and ELECTION, Alexander Payne once again focuses on the comedy of personal tragedy in the hilarious and poignant SIDEWAYS. Paul Giamatti (AMERICAN SPLENDOR) plays Miles, the film's antihero, a failed author and self-defeatist who still pines for his ex-wife, who divorced him years before. Meanwhile, Miles's old friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) is getting married, and the two set off on a bachelors' road trip through California wine country. While Miles looks forward to male bonding over the best bottles the vineyards can offer, Jack is a playful philanderer who just wants to get laid. Thus, this fortysomething odd couple find themselves in conflict, leading to a chaotic week of disagreements, miscast romance with some local women (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh), and eventually, total meltdown. Payne's artistic direction and excellent character construction will have viewers reeling with laughter, while also feeling true compassion for these two easy-to-read buddies. The film offers beautiful photography of the California countryside, some unique insight into the wine industry, and a soundtrack featuring tunes by Luna, Pat Travers, Bonnie Raitt, and others. Viewers will come away from SIDEWAYS with a smile on their faces, and a thirst for a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

Customer Reviews

superb acting
I agree with another reviewer, you do have to have lived a little to fully appreciate this film. If you have ever experienced rocky highs and lows, then you may well find something here for you. You don't have to be male to appreciate the struggles and poignancy contained herein.

All the characters are simply superb. Anyone who has felt on an emotional rollercoaster for whatever reason, will be able to feel for, as well as laugh with, the character Miles, who is played so superbly here. There is plenty of pathos and laughter to be found here, and the ridiculousness of the human condition is laid bare without the usual Hollywood gloss. Virginia Madsen is also simply wonderful in this. I finished watching this with a real regret that I would see no more of these wonderfully flawed and rich characters.

There are many moments in this film that are funny. The humour is in a recognition of our own humanity at best and worst. To see Miles (Giamatti) act as a man on the edge is a joy to behold. His loss and rejection reflects the difficulties we all face, and I like that the film deals with this in a very `un-Hollywood' way. How one moment we can lose it and feel utter despair, but, how we can be coaxed out of this a few minutes later by a good friend to feel something encroaching on normality again. This is a film that I will gladly watch again and again.

slowly grows on you
I nearly switched this film off after the first hour,but I was glad that I stayed with it. This is a film of two halves, the first is wrapped up with the main charactors discussing types of wine or grapes which was semi educational but a little tedious, but the second half became really interesting. If you are over forty, you will enjoy this film, because like the charactors you will have suffered the ups and downs that life throws at you.

"no going to the dark side...OK"
Miles has decided to take Jack on a bachelor road trip for some hedonistic fun before he eventually gets married a week later. Miles's idea was for the two of them to enjoy Jack's last few days of freedom together in wine country and perhaps play some golf but Jack has other ideas.
to go into anymore detail would be to ruin the whole experience for you, so i'll stop now.
this film reminded me so much of classic '70's movies particularly those of Hal Ashby such as Harold and Maude and The Last Detail. were so much more emphasis is placed on characters rather than plot, which in my mind almost always makes for a more interesting experience. unfortunately some people will and have disagreed...their loss. Miles and Jack are very interesting characters, Miles is particularly prickly but Giamatti's excellent performance manages to get us to care and love the character neverthless, he is if you like the new Bill Murray playing the sort of depressed, world weary characters directors like Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola have excelled in creating for Murray. how he never recieved an academy nod is beyond me. Jack is lovable straight away with his witty fun loving antics but his infidelity makes you question his behaviour. Thomas Haden Church's performance is equal to that of Giamatti's and he definately deserved an Oscar over Morgan Freeman who was playing the same stereotypical role of reliable sidekick that he always does in the majority of his films, but anyway.
the supporting cast is equally good as well with, particularly Virginia Madsen.
the direction is understated and there are some incredibly hilarious, poignant and sad moments particularly for Miles as he struggles to accept the rejection he sees everywhere. The ending was particularly brave and allows the characters to linger on after you have watched the film and wonder "what are they doing now" perhaps the greatest compliment i could pay to a film so interested and focused with its characters.