DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Paul Giamatti as MILES Thomas Haden Church as JACK Virginia Madsen as MAYA Sandra Oh as STEPHANIE Rated R Studio: Fox Searchlight Directed by: Alexander Payne Back to DVD Review Home |
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I don't know jack about wine. Furthermore, I don't care to know jack about wine. I'm really not much of a drinker to begin with, unless you consider Coca Cola to be a sin. If I'm out with friends, I'm just as happy to have a beer than have a glass of wine.
I'm one of those people that frustrate wine lovers. I'd rather have a wine cooler (which is nothing more than alcoholic Kool Aid) than a well-aged pinot. To me, drinking wine that comes from a box is perfectly acceptable, and I'll be the first to say (horror of horrors) that White Zinfandel ain't bad.
After seeing “Sideways,” I have to think that I could have appreciated it more if I knew more (or even cared about) wine. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t misunderstand the film. The analogies of wine to the lives of the different characters were not lost on me. I just don’t have a passion for wine, so the subject matter that weaves the story of “Sideways” leaves me a little cold.
I first saw “Sideways” in the theatres last year, and that was my problem. If I had seen it before anyone else and enjoyed it on its own merits, I probably would have liked it more. But I saw it during the hype. I saw it after it gobbled up Golden Globe nominations and became the little movie that could in 2004.
So, watching it again on DVD was a different experience altogether. The hype had died down. The buzz was gone, and “Sideways” was again just a quaint little movie with a small cast. Upon a second DVD viewing, I found a lot to like about this movie.
Initially, the relationship between Jack (Thomas Haden Church) and Miles (Paul Giamatti) was tired and cliche. But after watching the film again, I realized there was a true love there between men. Sure, Jack was a scoundrel and Miles was a neurotic mess, but they really cared about each other. As far as a male bonding movie goes, it actually worked, reminding me that not all of my friends are perfect, and that’s okay.
As a screwball road comedy, it works well too, in an art-house sort of way. Miles and Jack get in enough outrageous scrapes that even the stiffest viewer can find something to laugh about.
The only aspect about the film that still didn’t live up to the hype was Virginia Madsen. I can’t see what the big deal was with this lady. Of course, I remember her in films like “Dune” and “The Hot Spot,” which she would most likely wish would disappear off her resume. She wasn’t particularly good in “Sideways,” and she wasn’t particularly hot either - despite what Jack says about her in the film. But then again, she was believable as the woman that would lay Miles after knowing him only a couple days.
In fact, Sandra Oh scored a far better performance than Madsen. As Stephanie, Oh captured both a vixen and an innocent at the same time. It’s nice to see her blossom into something more than Rita Wu from that dreadful HBO series “Arli$$.”
The “Sideways” DVD has a decent selection of special features. There are seven deleted scenes, each with a written introduction from director Alexander Payne. Apparently, this guy doesn’t like to talk over his film because the more expected director commentary isn’t present on these scenes. He also doesn’t lend his voice to make a commentary of the film, but rather lets Giamatti and Church go at it. These two are funny and deliver an above-average actors’ commentary.
To round out the special features is a behind-the-scenes featurette and the original theatrical trailer. But the real meat of this DVD comes from the film itself.
Does it live up to the hype? Sadly, no. But it’s still a pretty good film.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5. Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1). French and Spanish language tracks. French and Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
