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Sideways (2004)
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Movie Review by Elizabeth 
November 12th, 2004
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"My best man gift to you will be to get you laid," Jack (Haden Church) tells Miles (Giamatti) at the beginning of their week in California wine country in Alexander Payne’s new movie “Sideways.” The two 40-something friends are on their road trip to celebrate Jack’s impending marriage (his first). While Miles envisions a week of golfing and wine tasting, Jack, an actor with a brief spurt of fame years ago, is bent on squeezing in a few last flings before getting tied down.
Terribly sad and terribly lonely, Miles is still reeling from a divorce two years ago, a frustrated novelist teaching English to eighth graders. As Giamatti plays him, Miles signals his despair and simmering anger the moment he enters a room, with his slumped posture and uncomfortable smile. But as soon as talk turns to wine, especially pinot noir – as around Miles it inevitably does – he lights up and speaks confidently, excitably, even snobbishly. This is a man who pronounces “croissant” in the French way when he orders one; he pays attention to fine details, and appreciates them.
The two women who Jack picks to take part in his plan are Maya and Stephanie. Maya is the waitress at The Hitching Post, a restaurant Miles visits every time he comes to Solvang, and he notes that she knows a surprising amount about wine. She is beautiful and kind, quietly sure of herself, and a little sad. Stephanie is a pour girl at one of the vineyards they visit; sexy and fun, she rides a motorcycle and has a young daughter. When she demonstrates her willingness to be spanked, Jack knows he’s found his fling.
The emotional center of the film comes following a dinner double date; Jack and Stephanie eagerly retire for the evening, leaving Miles and Maya alone on the porch drinking wine. When Maya asks him why he loves pinot so much – “It’s like this thing with you” – Miles describes the finicky nature of the grape, explaining that it requires just the right temperature, location, and treatment to flourish; he is ultimately revealing himself. And when Maya explains how she came to love wine, how she sees it as a living thing that peaks in its deliciousness, she is irresistible. Madsen is utterly mesmerizing in the scene.
This is a gem of a film, with pitch-perfect performances from every actor, and a story that always feels honest and true. The scenes in wine country are bathed in a honey, golden light; you wish you were right there swirling a rare vintage in your own glass. Small touches of real, everyday life, like Eddie Money singing “Two Tickets to Paradise” while Miles sits glumly in a restaurant, demonstrate again what a sharp eye Payne has. Haden Church is hilarious as Jack, making him both charming and repellent. As Miles, Giamatti doesn’t shy from gut-wrenching misery; he can be painful to watch, but hope and even glimmers of his former charm will suddenly beam forth. The two women are both outstanding: Oh’s Stephanie has a warm sensuality and unaffected assurance, and after seeing Madsen in the role of Maya, you can’t imagine anyone else playing her. “Sideways” is one of the best films of the year.
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