THB Review
by David Poland

When you pull the cork on Sideways, the new film from writer/director Alexander Payne and his writing partner Jim Taylor, you know the vintage and the grape. But how have Payne and Taylor aged?

You're too anxious to stop yourself from taking a quick swig. And it's good… but it really needs to breathe for an act. It's sparkly and delightful, but it's not quite as special as the publicist at the wine store promised.

And then, as the film enters its second act, you can start to taste all of the flavors that Payne and Taylor (and novelist Rex Pickett) grew into this film. And the flavor becomes more and more intoxicating as the film goes. You know you are in the hands of absolute masters when you get into a scene in which the peculiarities of the Pinot Noir grape are not only offered as metaphor, but manage to define and reflect on three or four different characters within minutes of the speech. It is a breathtaking piece of intimate writing, directing and performance that confirms an early feeling I had about the film. Sideways is the first true masterpiece of 2004.

The story, which is well outlined in the trailer, is not what this movie is. Don't worry about the story going in. The film starts as a buddy comedy about two mismatched college roommates, now in their 40s, spending a week together before one of them is due to be married. But as you move into the second act, you realize that this is the Paul Giamatti character's film and Payne has managed to create a new genre, mixing the buddy comedy with an absolutely personal drama… and comedy to boot.

Sideways has four great performances at its center - Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden-Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. Giamatti finally gets a chance to play a regular guy who is allowed to experience virtually every emotional hue. Haden-Church, best known for his role on the sitcom Wings, is there as "the funny guy," but really brings it on every level. Ms. Oh is sexy and funny and absolutely right in her role. But it is Virginia Madsen who is truly the revelation of this movie. She is still quite beautiful, but she is an adult woman now, no longer limited to flashing her smile, long legs and ample bosom. Here, she is a woman who has seen life's roads, putting Uma Thurman's role (as written, no fault of hers) in Kill Bill in the perspective we should all have. Uma plays a movie star in those movies. Here, Madsen is human… so human. And it is a joy to be with her. Not only doesn't she hit a single false note, she has the moments that make an Oscar run possible. Look for Madsen to be one of the great stories of this year's awards season, sure to grab a few critics' awards, followed, I suspect, by her first Oscar nod.

For each of the four central characters, the film is about something quite different. But Payne and Taylor do a remarkable job of serving various kinds of wine, from the most simple and sugary to the most complex and demanding and keeping it all in context. In the end, it is all about love and fear and pain and joy and being human. And without any of the sediment that turned some people off of About Schmidt. Life is not easy. But the filmmaker has grown beyond looking down on anyone. And he once again has a nude joke, but this time, it is twice as funny and half as long.

Writing about this film is very difficult for me, since I don't want to prepare you for a single luscious drop of the Sideways. Rarely is a the journey of a film so unpredictable, but so unquestionably right.

So when you get the chance, take a big sip… swirl it around in your mouth… take your time… and be prepared for the flavor to grow in your mouth, perhaps overwhelming you in time. When you think you know what is coming next, remember how unpredictable life really is. Breathe in the ride... linger on each flavor... and take that gum out of your mouth!

E ME: Are you ready to be knocked Sideways?