Saturday 20th 2004f November 2004
« « Finding Neverland| The Incredibles » »Sideways
I long ago more or less stopped going to see quirky, low budget, independent movies. I find that, snobbery aside, well funded Hollywood product tends to actually be better. This movie is about two college buddies taking a trip together into California wine country. One of them is a failed novelist, and the other an actor whose glory days are behind him. They’re not searching for lost gold, carrying smuggled documents, or embroiled in anything international, so left to myself I probably would have passed. But Hugh wanted to see it, and I thought that maybe it was time to get back in touch with the indies.
So have I been missing out? On the basis if this, maybe a little, but I’ll survive. Hollywood doesn’t really do well formed, small, focused character pieces like this, so I’m missing a lot of great acting (Paul Giammatti is particularly good). I’m missing touching, believable relationships. I’m missing watching characters revelling in their obsessions – in this case wine and getting laid before your wedding.
I’m also missing a slight flatness. A slight boredom. It’s done very well, and I laughed a few times, but I yawned a few times too. The problem with subtlety is that things can become too small to sweep you away. There’s plenty to enjoy here. Watching humans behave is always fun, but I prefer watching them behave in more dramatic circumstances than this.
Comment ID: 2305
At 12:15 pm on Tuesday 04th 2005f January 2005, AngeFaitore started typing, with this resultI liked Sideways, but it’s nothing to get all emotional and deep over. I need that energy and emotion for other things.
Comment ID: 2307
At 1:52 pm on Tuesday 04th 2005f January 2005, Anthony announcedYeah – like “Finding Neverland”.
Comment ID: 2822
At 10:53 am on Monday 27th 2005f June 2005, Mary impartedOh dear, what bad taste. It was Excellent!