Sideways (DVD)

Jack is about to get married, so his best man, Miles is taking him away for his last "week of freedom" into the wine region of California for some wine tasting, good food, golf and relaxation. But these aren't young men - they're middle aged, with mid-life problems. Miles is still smarting from his divorce of three years back and desperately trying to publish his novel. Jack's acting career has fizzled out to doing commercial voice-overs, and still isn't sure he's ready to finally settle down. The movie "Sideways" takes us on a road-trip with two men who would make "The Odd Couple" look like Siamese twins, and what a ride it ...  Read the complete review

When my husband and I were in California some years ago we didn´t make it to the so-called wine country, pity that because we would have liked to visit some wineries and see how wine is made in the New World knowing a bit about the procedure in the Old World as my husband comes from a family of vintners in Sardinia. So when I read that the film Sideways was set just there I knew I wanted to see it. Although Hollywood is located in California, the film is as un-Hollywoodian as can be, no dramatic plot, no saving of the planet, no special effects, just the story of two friends in their forties trying to cope and get on with their lives. Jack (Thomas Haden ...  Read the complete review

Jack is about to get married and goes on a week long bachelor party to California's wine country with his best friend Miles. Jack is a womaniser, despite his imminent marriage, and has every intention of getting laid at every available opportunity. Miles is a failed author with a failed marriage behind him to book, and just wants to play golf and get drunk on good wine. Soon they meet two women, Stephanie, who falls for Jack, and Maya, who is obviously fond of Miles. Jack and Stephanie are soon having a frantic carnal relationship, but Miles and Maya have a much more cerebral relationship which looks as though it is going to end in love. Will Stephanie find out about ...  Read the complete review

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room Paul Giamatti is amazing. He really is one of the finest character actors in work at the moment, and so it was shocking when he wasn't nominated for an Oscar at the 2005 Academy Awards, in what was one of the biggest Oscar snubs in recent memory, while the performances of both co-stars, Virginia Madsen and Thomas Hayden Church, recieved nominations despite Giamatti's own turn being the real center piece of the film. Nevertheless, Sideways is an extremely entertaining drama with sublime acting and a witty, funny script from Election director Alexander Payne. Miles Raymond (Giamatti) is a ...  Read the complete review

"In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves" Directed by Alexander Payne, 'Sideways' tells the story of novelist 'Miles' (played by Paul Giamatti) who takes his friend Jack (Thomas Hayden-Church) on a wine-tasting tour of California. Miles soon comes to realise that wine-tasting isn't all that's on Jacks mind... As this film documents the (usually rocky) journey of the two central characters, the key two it's success relies solely on the on-screen chemistry between Giamatti and Hayden-Church. I'm pleased to say that it's actually a big success, with both actors putting in stirling ...  Read the complete review