Sideways

The wife and I saw "Sideways" recently. It is a rare treat to see a film about adults with adult themes. The screenplay was well written, and the film was superbly acted by the entire cast. I thought Virginia Madsen put in an exceptional performance. The scene on the porch where Madsen and Giamatta discuss their love of wine (Giamatta's character explains why he is obsessed with pinot noir, and Madsen's character talks about how wine is "alive") is one of the best moments in film for years.

Giamatta and Haden-Church play forty-something old friends who go on a vacation to the California wine country in the week before the latter's wedding. Both are failures, one an unpublished novelist working as a schoolteacher, the other a former soap star now doing commercial voice over work. Giamatta's character is deeply depressed and negative, Haden-Church's character is outwardly optimistic. Both are trying to come to terms with the lives they find that they are living.

Despite the melancholy subject matter, this was one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.

I was inspired by the film to try some Califironia pinot noir. Artesa 1999 was the best wine I have ever tasted. A 1998 Tasmanian pinot noir under the name Ninth Island was also pretty good- both wines were highly structured and complex. (This comes from a man whose wine usually comes in a box.)