YOU ARE SO MONEY AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT

By: B -- 2/16/05

It seems that every year, right around Oscar season, one movie takes the forefront of a traditional cinematic debate. Half the viewers vote it their favorite of the year while the other half, while possessing no major beef, claim it barely registers on their radar. Naysayers usually deem this movie either too subtle (read: boring) or too complex (read: confusing) to be considered a top-notch film.

I was appalled to discover that 2004’s “I don’t understand the hype” film has become Sideways. To me, Sideways is a perfect hybrid of populist and elitist qualities; the buddy-buddy relationship and gut-busting funny scenes will appease the multiplex-goers while the subtle one-liners and unique plotline should satisfy the Uptowners.

Directed by Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt), Sideways consists of two old pals, Jack and Miles, embarking on a road trip to northern California on a bachelor party weekend before Jack gets married.

Miles is a pathological bellyacher unable to recover from a failed relationship while Jack is a struggling actor and aging party-boy who says things like, “Let’s ratchet this up a notch.” (Think of the characters from Swingers, 15 years later. I kept waiting for Jack to sit Miles down and say, “Baby, you are so money,” but it never happened.)

The story is simple at its surface -- Miles is hoping to spend the weekend visiting his favorite vineyards and playing golf while Jack is hell-bent on meeting some “hotties” and getting laid -- but is randomly interspersed with hilarious, off-the-wall moments. The characters do unbelievably rash things, yet the overall storyline is grounded enough where it never ventures into slapstick territory. Lessons are learned, lives are changed, bonds are formed, etc. The script is flawless and the performances spot-on.

While Sideways is clearly one of the best-received films of 2004, the common objection remains, “I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything special.”

Yeah, well, that’s what makes it so great. The subtlety and simplicity of Sideways is precisely the reason its supporters love it so much. It’s the funniest movie of 2004 yet inspirational and oddly touching – the observational humor of About Schmidt plus the character relationships of Swingers.

Not being completely floored while walking out of the theater… that’s the whole point.

POP RATING: 9

CRITICAL RATING: 9

B’S RATING: 9

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