Sideways

The title of this film describes the proper way to store a bottle of wine, is a slang term for being drunk and is also an apt description of the main characters’ direction in life. Miles (Paul Giamatti) is a divorced, depressed and deboned writer whose 800-page, rambling novel about pain and loss and a lack of resolution is, shockingly, not finding a publisher. He and his pal Jack (Thomas Haden Church) go on a middle-aged road trip to Wine Country, Calif., where they work on getting laid and going bald. Sad, annoying characters sadden and annoy you for about 45 minutes, and then the film kicks in and becomes sad and engaging and at times so hypnotic that you never want it to end. A great jazz soundtrack and a apotheosis-deserving performance by Sandra Oh round out this latest outing from director Alexander Payne. If you’re in the mood for something a little more mature than Tom Hanks and the Big Waste of Money, and you’re willing to sit through a long set-up, you’ll find Sideways to be one of the most rewarding films of the year.