rev_f_sideways

SIDEWAYS
paul giamatti / thomas haden church

as reviewed by Jack Crompton at Amazon.com, November 21, 2006

A deft mix of drama and humor in the California wine country...

One of the best movies of 2004 was this highly entertaining 'feel good' drama/comedy of a week-long two-man bachelor's party. It's kind of a 'mut and jeff' story as the two main characters display a comedy of errors based on their contrasting, yet very human personalities.

Set in the beautiful California wine country, this is an amusing human character study of two guys, old friends from college, and very different from each other in temperament. The dynamic between the two is great. They actually really complement each other in their contrasting yet endearing friendship.

The screenplay is exceptionally well written with very 'human' character flaws revealed in these two rather lovable clowns that are displayed in the most humorous of ways. Along the way they meet up with interesting and provocative women and each guy has a very different reaction to the whole thing. The scenery of the California wine country is, of course, wonderful.

The combination of drama to humor is a deft mix. The story is progressively interesting yet interjected with a lot of dry wit. It really captivates one's interest as these characters are further defined and we get to know them. By the end of the film both of their personas are revealed to a degree of complexity that is rare for a movie coming out of Hollywood these days. Both men have the propensity to deceive themselves, although to greatly different degrees and for different reasons. The net result is the viewer comes away with a good deal of empathy for these flawed characters.

All in all, an excellent, light film that will make you laugh out loud and end up making you feel good. Very well done.

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