Last night I went to see the movie Sideways. It was nominated for an Academy Award and now I can see why. Its a great examination of the journey into older years, and the process of coming to terms with the reality of : ” Is this all there is?” to life.
Miles ( played impressively by Paul Giamatti (son of the late baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti) is a depressed, divorced, middle school English teacher unhappy with his lot in life and the lack of success that his position has imposed upon him. ( Something I can empathise with.). He wants to take his best friend from college up to California wine country to experience a final HURRAH before his descent into the human hell that is marriage in America these days. Miles , a wine aficionado wants to educate Jack ( the friend) in the finer values of Pinot and the rest of the wine stock. Jack perhaps realizing this, is on a different quest, one most of us can relate too: women to boink. Together the two of them form a series of misadventures culminating in Miles, defending his best friends honor by wrecking his car to prove that the injury to Jacks nose came from a car accident, INSTEAD of a beating with a motorcycle helmet from the girl Jack knocked the bottom out of 2 days earlier. ( That’s the story, he really pissed her off.). Miles supports his friend , but hates himself for it.
The real beauty of this movie is the dialogue between the two main characters and the dialogue between Miles and the girl he is interested in , Maya. You have to listen to each and every word to appreciate the movie. Miles character really spoke to me, for what reason I do not know, but it did. Please do not label me a loser because he chooses to label himself as that. So, to wrap up, the wine was quite good, light and tasty and now I really know why Miles does not drink merlot. Hell, I may never drink merlot again and I have no wine palate. ( But the pinot sure tasted good).
Then again I’m more of beer drinker. Can you imagine having a beer tasting? ” This San Miguel is light and fruity with just a faint hint of fomaldahyde…..” Give me a break!
Skippy-san
Highly recommended! Four stars!
The book is great as well, but a bit more blokey violence rises to the surface in the book. (Miles breaks Jacks nose, not Terra) The movie tones things down a bit.
& you find out what Sideways actually means.
Seemingly bit sad on the surface, but cheery underneath! And with a hint of sweaty saddles somewhere in there…
E@L