Sideways

Having gone to a local winery yesterday, I feel obligated to write about that topic. Not many movies are based on the subject of wine. I can think of two. Sideways and Bottleshock. Having only seen this one, it is gonna be the one you hear about...from me anyway. This is one of the most brilliantly written films I remember seeing at the time I watched it. This "Independent" film follows two best friends, Milo (Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), on a road trip to wine country, California. Jack is a week away from being married and this is his bachelor party/getaway. Milo is a wine connoisseur of sorts. He loves it. The taste, the smell, the knowledge of it all. He is also very good at it. His friend, Jack, on the other hand could care less than anything other than how drunk it can get him. They have their adventure, but the two of them lead very different lives. Milo has very little in his life and he has to work is ass for that. Jack does not care about anyone but himself and he lands a wealthy fiance' that will take care of all his problems. Milo has a book deal in the works that he is banking on to get him out of his crappy life and hopefully thrust him into the next phase of his life. What happens on this trip is both funny, tragic, and scummy. Jack figures he has it made, so what the hell? He does what he wants and by "what", I mean Sandra Oh. He has a fling with her which results in him getting his butt kicked. It also leads the Milo's misery being magnifies exponentially. He also met someone on this trip and he feels she could be very long term. Unfortunately she is best friends with the Sandra Oh character and when she finds out Jack is to be wed, she will have nothing to do with Milo any longer. Milo feels he needs Jack for whatever reason, but in fact, if he cut ties he would probably be better off. He won't and this leads to the funniest staged car wreck scene of all time. This film also delivers one of the grossest scenes I have ever witnessed [Pictured above.] If you've seen it, you know. If not, then watch and you will then know. I do love this movie about friendship, love, and the American dream. Sideways also gave us the performance by Paul Giamatti that would give him A list status. Without Sideways we wouldn't have Lady in the Water, or John Adams. 

NBM rates Sideways - Phenomenal