The movie "Sideways"

[AngryAmish]

I missed it when it came out in the theaters and missed it on cable and DVD. So I watched most of it recently. I have a few questions.

1. Is this a comedy?

2. What is there to recommend this movie?

Honestly, I think it was the worst movie I saw in a long, long time. The two guys in the movie were not likeable in the least.

Somebody please explain the appeal of this movie.

[MrCoffee]

1. Thomas Haden Church is a good actor...Paul Giamatti is a great actor

so what went so horribly, horribly wrong with Sideways?

I agree with you, it was awful

[AlCzervik]

6. Thomas Hayden Church was really good in the movie "Smart People", he stole

the whole thing, Ellen Page was also good as a high school republican.

[Richardo]

8. I want to see that one, but I'll have to watch it by myself

Mrs R has a low sarcasm-tolerance threshhold, and that's Ellen Page's forte.

[AlCzervik]

9. it was pretty good but i'm not much of a Dennis Quaid fan or SJP for that matter but

Church and Page made it worth renting.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. It wasn't awful, just forgettable.

I liked the set up and the premise, but somehow it just didn't deliver.

[panhead1961]

3. It made it okay for douche-bags to become Whine Snobs

[JVS]

5. And vice-versa.

[Auggie]

4. I loved it

It's a comedy about relationships and living of the almost middle-aged.

What the critics had to say: http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/sideways/

[Richardo]

7. I really wanted to like that movie.

But you're right - the characters were unlikable. The trailers and marketing made it look like a light hearted romp.

The only belly laugh I remember was when the naked guy ran out to the car, and when Sandra Oh clocked one of the guys with her motorcycle helmet.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. what about when Sandra Oh punched Thomas in the face?

I loved that :D

[Richardo]

11. Maybe that's what I'm remembering

Didn't she use the helmet?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. hmm --

seems like, I remember she still had her helmet on her head but, you could be right. Searching for the clip, can't find it. :shrug:

[Call Me Wesley]

21. She did hit him in the face with the helmet.

Even better than the movie itself (which I love,) is the commentary. Worth every second!

:hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

29. You are talking about the DVD? commentary?

I saw it on the big screen, when it first came out. I lmao :hi:

[Call Me Wesley]

34. Uh oh,

yes, talking about the DVD. You'd never get me into a movie theater anymore. But the commentary from Giamatti and Haden-Church is just priceless. Especially when they both start to swoon when Madsen first appears. Oh, and when they're walking away from the restaurant; Giamatti examining his behind appearance. It's almost better than the movie itself.

:hi:

[MilesColtrane]

49. Very funny.

The Sideways commentary introduced me to the term "Hollywood loaf".

[AngryAmish]

15. May I ask why you loved that part?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

27. you are kidding, right?

...I liked the whole movie. Laughed all the way through it.
meh...different tastes, I guess :shrug:

[AngryAmish]

31. I am just determining when interpersonal violence is funny to you

I know it is not real, but did you think the character deserved it for being a heel? Is a woman injuring a man for romantic disappointment intrinsically funny or at least empowering somehow?

I'm just trying to remember the last time a man breaking the nose of a woman in a fit of anger was played for laughs in Hollywood.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

35. sheesh... I don't know.

I liked the Threes Stooges, too.

what about when Jack Nicholson punched Jessica Lange right in the ass in "The Postman Always Rings Twice".

I laughed at that, too. Although, I am not sure that one was played for laughs. I couldn't help it. It struck me as funny. I guess juxtatposition has something to do with it.

what is really hilarious is the turn this conversation is taking.

edited for typos

[AngryAmish]

37. You are right

Double standards are just a pet peeve of mine. Anyway, its not your fault. Cheers.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

39. meh...don't mind me... I have a very macabre and twisted

sense of humor, I guess. My profession and my walk in life has somewhat jaded me...:shrug:

cheers:toast:

[AngryAmish]

12. Alright, that must have been after I gave up on it.

I wish I could remember the point I stopped watching. I didn't fall asleep - but I wanted to. I just kinda sat there staring. The one guy was screwing that ugly asain gal in the motel room. The other guy was doing something. I forget what. Some more things went on then I turned the movie off.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. thing is ...for me...

they were the kind of characters you love to hate. In the end, I think they learned some things about life and grew up...maybe. a little. arced, as it were.

[Radical Activist]

28. Its the only movie where I can say that a naked fat man was the main highlight. n/t

[AngryAmish]

32. Borat?

[Radical Activist]

36. Ok, that's another one but Borat had other highlights.

Sideways had just one.

[Taverner]

16. I loved it

But it is not your average buddy movie. They're both losers, but very real. Real people do things like they did.

The two characters showed a level of depth that you just don't get in major movies these days.

It was a comedy, but a slightly dark one.

Read some Proust - his influence is all over this movie and "Little Miss Sunshine"

[XemaSab]

17. I thought it was hilarious

The guys were SUCH douchebags, and being from California it was nice to see a movie make an absolute mockery of wine culture.

[LanternWaste]

22. My own carefully worded review...

Well, I was going to chime in with my own carefully worded review of the pros and the cons of the movie, but after reading your succinct post which mirrors my own thoughts, I think I'll just give your review two :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


:rofl:

[Lex]

24. Yep.

Agreed!

[kwassa]

25. I also thought it was hysterical, and that Giamatti deserved the Oscar

I'd like to see it again, actually.

[Orsino]

18. I liked it a lot.

It's something of a tragicomedy. Very funny in places, but sad, too. Great acting.

[AngryAmish]

20. I missed the funny (but I gave up on the movie)

Was any of the funny bits in the first half of the movie?

[Orsino]

33. Yeah. The two main characters are pretty funny.

Each pitiful in his own way.

[JeanGrey]

19. I'm with you. I thought it was simply awful and couldn't

understand the kudos it got.

[Lex]

23. It was funny. Not for everyone. (nt)

[Radical Activist]

26. Hollywood critics loved it because it was about their failed lives.

I thought it sucked big time. Just horrible. Very few laughs. Uninteresting, obnoxious characters. Pretentious without being particularly smart or witty.
I think it got great reviews because all the failed, shallow writers working as movie critics and having their mid-life crisis identified with it.

[deucemagnet]

30. I hated it too.

The only thing appealing in the movie was Sandra Oh's character. Especially when she smashed Thomas Hayden Church in the face with a motorcycle helmet.

[Forkboy]

38. I loved it, but can understand why to some others it would fall flat.

It's a subtle movie, and it's definitely not up everyone's alley.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

43. You picked the perfect word...

"subtle"

That is exactly right about this movie. :) Some people dig/get subtle in their movies, some don't. :hi:

[Forkboy]

44. The Life Aquatic is another one.

For a movie set on the ocean it's a dry as dry can get. A lot of people hate the movie, but I think it's one of Murray's best.

"Don't point that gun at him, he's an unpaid intern."

[AngryAmish]

50. The Life Aquatic was actually funny, tho

Seeking a shark out of revenge is funny.

Portugese David Bowie songs - funny.

Sideways - not funny.

[jobycom]

40. They aren't supposed to be likable.

That's why they keep bringing up Joyce and other such anti-hero works.

I guess it's supposed to be a comedy, in that it's not an outright tragedy, and there are funny moments in it, but it's not supposed to be Monty Python. It's a film about a couple of unadmirable men in a transition period in their lives, trying to choose their paths. One is an absolute jerk with no redeeming qualities, and the other has some rudiments of decency that have been buried under a jaded, self-centered crust.

The latter is somewhat complex because of the intensity of his hobby--which is also his way of hiding from his other failures in life--and because of the dichotomy of his personality. He is at the same time selfish and selfless, awkward and competent, a failure and a champion. Often the same character traits make him both sides of the dichotomies. For instance, he is devotedly loyal. This is usually an admirable quality, but it causes him to be a jackass towards the people that his friend is hurting--fiance, mistress, etc. It also prevents him from letting go of his first wife, and treating her basically as a stalker. At the same time, you realize that when he fixes that loyalty on his new love interest, it will cause him to be loyal to her, and he shows in his treatment of her that he has redeeming qualities. He values her opinion, he is thinking about more than sex--even if she misunderstands that. He is the Pinot Noir grape, obviously, as he describes the grape.

It's just a typical character study with good dialogue, good acting--excellent acting in the case of Paul Giamatti and Sandra Oh, and an interesting setting. It's an ode to mediocrity and the struggle to remain virtuous even when you are failing to do so. In some cases, it's an examination of that struggle--should Miles remain loyal to his most loyal friend even when his friend is hurting others? Where does loyalty lie? To whom do you owe loyalty, and how far do you owe it to them?

There are also intriguing little bits of directing. The scene where Jack and Miles leave the bar after meeting Maya, for instance. They are arguing as they walk back home, away from the camera, and you get the feeling that they are almost the same person, arguing with the two halves of his conscience. Should I take the fleshly path, should I remain more spiritual? The whole film is like that, with Jack and Miles almost seeming to be a debate between the id and the ego, or the Paulean flesh and spirit.

Anyway, it's not the feel-good film of the year, and it's not for everyone, I guess. But I loved it. But I'm into dark, quixotic heroes in general, I guess.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

41. It's a film for adults....

who understand that in film (as in life) not everyone is good or bad, the situtation isn't funny or serious, and that not all the action has to flow like something manufactured in a Robert McKee screenwriting seminar. :shrug:

The movie was a character study, and the characters involved happened to be deeply flawed individuals created by incredibly talented performers.

Some people like films like that, some people don't.

I loved it, and thought Giamatti in particular was amazing.

[Auggie]

45. Well put

[Orrex]

55. There's another angle to that, though

If you dislike the characters enough, then you don't want to study them no matter how talented the performers portraying them may be.

[Rabrrrrrr]

42. It has all the wonderfully douchebaggish charm that made 30-something so douchebaggish.

[jobycom]

46. 30-something?

Wow, you're old! :rofl:

[Rabrrrrrr]

48. I'm not old - I'm over-young.

Or something like that.

I can't remember.

Whoops - Salvage is on! Gotta go! I can't be missing Andy Griffith!

[arcadian]

47. I loved 'Sideways'

Parts of it rang especially true, like when they are walking from their hotel to the restaurant, walking down a Main Street, "Anywhere USA". I think they walk past a car dealership and other such locations that are completely anonymous in their homogeny, only to arrive at a pseudo Bavarian style restaurant that is no great shakes but has become ritual for the main character. I've been on the road like that and found familiarty in the mundane, a restaurant or bar that is completely unassuming but that I've visited on several occasions when I'm passing throgh only because I just happened to stop in there my first time through that town.

[Orrex]

51. It was okay, but about two hours too long

Everything you need to know about it you can get from a 20-second summary from someone who's seen it.

Sure, the performances are good, but lots of performances are good. And you can only listen to someone engaging in unbridled oenophilia for so long before the sheer voyeurism of it becomes creepy.

[tigereye]

52. it was kind of dark, but I thought it was hilarious

but evidently not as hilarious to me as to the obviously stoned teens in the audience - who were probably skipping school at the time.



On edit, I think LIttle Miss Sunshine and Borat were also hilarious.

[begin_within]

53. I thought it was boring.

[DarkTirade]

54. Never saw it, but I have one thing to say to all the yuppies who bought into that movie..

I have good taste in wine. And I like merlot.

:P

[kwassa]

58. drank merlot before, drank merlot after ....

though we've veered off mostly into zinfandel, (not that vile concoction, white zinfandel) this was a great movie.

You either get it, or you don't. No middle ground.

[kwassa]

59. drank merlot before, drank merlot after ....

though we've veered off mostly into zinfandel, (not that vile concoction, white zinfandel) this was a great movie.

You either get it, or you don't. No middle ground.

[ikojo]

56. A friend of mine and I ended up seeing this movie because

Kinsey was sold out...it was one of the WORST movies I have ever seen, almost worse than Highlander 3 but it will take a real stinker to beat that. I fell asleep during Sideways.

Guess it was a way of showing yuppie pretention to say you enjoyed Sideways.

[Genevieve]

57. Loved it.

nt

[Lindsey]

60. I loved it. It was totally a character study and an analysis of the human

condition. I guess those of us who really liked it didn't look at it as though it was just about two very-flawed guys who are on a road trip going to wine tastings. I always end up looking at the symbolism. Several of my classes at Cal State involved analyzing films (such as some of the classics, documentaries, etc.) I felt the same way about "American Beauty." I loved it because it has layers and layers of meaning.

[Zavulon]

61. The movie fucking SUCKED.

Giamatti's character stole from his mom, which meant right away that I couldn't bring myself to care less about him. Haden Church's character, while moderately funny in certain cases, was an ass in his own right.

The only thing I liked about it was the rolling of the credits, which meant that disaster was finally over.

[cemaphonic]

62. I pretty much agree

I often like movies with unsympathetic characters, when it is on purpose, but I got the distinct feeling that the makers were going for "flawed-but-likable road buddy movie." Speaking of which, it was marketed as quirky indie movie, and yet was every bit as cliched and formulaic as any Hollywood hack would cough up in their sleep. Plus, wine culture is lame, and parodying it is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Fine acting from Paul Giamatti as always though.

[Serial Mom]

63. We saw it with a former neighbor who yelled at people in theater for laughing!

We were so embarassed. She started looking at people around us who were laughing yelling at them "that wasn't funny - you shouldn't laugh at that".

It was a little dark, but really showed the lives of two people thinking they were going to step up in life and instead, just went "sideways' from where they were.

[mentalsolstice]

64. Loved it *spoiler*

Best scene is where Miles (Giamatti) loses it at the winery, can't get served a galss of wine and the proceeds to drink from the dump/spit bucket.

It's definitely a subtle movie. My husband and I knew some wine snobs who refused to believe that anyone from the south would know something about wine other than Boones Farm.

[Fire Walk With Me]

65. I enjoyed it a lot.