You'll be drunk...with laughter! A review of Sideways

I saw Sideways last night and really, really liked it. This is not a shock, as I loved Election and enjoyed Citizen Ruth (but felt About Schmidt was way overrated), and they are from the same director. Who's name I can't remember. See? I'm bad at this, but I'm making an effort!

In case you don't know the story, it's basically about two 40-ish guys who take a trip to Napa Valley for a week before one of the guys, a D-list actor who sees every woman as a potential sex partner (in a very gregarious way), gets married. The groom perfectly embodies the California dude--as much as "The Dude" did in Big Lebowski. Great character! It's a classic road trip movie, but there are so many recognizable moments that it never loses its sense of reality the way Easy Rider and Thelma and Louise and others of that ilk do.

Our hero, played by Paul Giamatti--my hero in American Splendor--is a total wine snob who can't get his novel published. He spends his days teaching high school English and wallowing in divorce depression.

Both men meet up with great women in Napa and "hilarity ensues!" One of my favorite scenes took place in a trendy vineyard with embroidered hats, classy t-shirts, and cruddy wine--the kind of place that would really chafe Jack Thunder's butt, and the kind of place where our hero does something both funny and sad, but I'm no spoiler!

It was very real, it was very funny, it made me want to drink wine, it was the kind of movie that I will buy on DVD and watch many, many times, and it puts Paul Giamatti way up on the list of really great actors.

Highly recommended. I would see it again. And, oddly enough, flip and jackspatula were there!

Crappy review of great movie over.