Sideways
Hey look, I’m writing a review! Of a film! On my own film review site! (Just in case it totally dies on me, the letter ‘G’ on my keyboard is behaving very erratically, so there might be some impromptu spelling mistakes that I fail to correct. I apologise in advance)
Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) are middle-aged, washed up wine fanatics on a trip through California’s wine region, in the week leading up to Jack’s wedding. Miles, the divorced, introspective, failing-writer-turned-teacher, just wants to taste some good wine, play some golf and enjoy the week with his friend. Jack, the bit-part actor whose best years are behind him, is determined to have some fun (read: sex) before tying the knot - and embarks on some very ill-advised romantic entanglements that his friend has to then extricate him from. The film follows them through their week, as they spend time together and apart, and evokes charm, disbelief, humour and irritation at these characters in more or less equal measure.
Giamatti and Church do an excellent job, though it really is Giamatti’s film - thankfully, as he is the more sympathetic character to follow! In fact, it’s very difficult for me to comment on anything apart from the actual characters and their story - I don’t remember the technical / directorial aspects of the film so much, as I was caught up with being annoyed with both of them! I suppose that means the director (Alexander Payne, who also wrote the screenplay) did a good job of keeping me in the story.
And here I will digress and present the reader with a spiritual quandary that I found myself in at the end of the movie; I experienced the same thing while watching Last King of Scotland, just a few nights earlier, so maybe God’s on my case… Anyway - and here I will allude heavily to the endings of both films, so look away if you don’t want them spoiled - they both presented the viewer with characters who mess up in a major way, show little to no remorse for their dumb and dangerous actions, and yet the story offers them redemption, and they take it. In LKoS, Nick Garrigan (James McAvoy), who has most definitely sinned against Idi Amin (I’ll leave the details of that out for now), is rescued from his horrific torture by a fellow doctor who dies to give him time to leave the country; in Sideways Jack’s pre-marital infidelities are flagrant and ridiculous, and get him beaten up and forced into the first act of deception in his new marriage before it’s even started. Neither of these characters show any true remorse for what they have done, but are given a way out of their mess through the sacrifices offered to them by others. Now it’s totally clear when put that way, that they could stand in for the sinner before accepting Christ - he gave himself before we had any idea of our need for salvation. And yet, something in me is annoyed and unhappy about the fact that they are redeemed (not just offered redemption) when no repentance has taken place - and sadly there is nothing in the films that tells us that from this point on they are going to be changed characters. Is this harsh on my part? Am I being legalistic and pharisaical in my lack of grace for these characters? Or is fair and true to Christian belief to expect a change in behaviour / attitude before someone is fully saved?
Comments welcome (I think!)…
When you say comments welcome at the end of the review is this the same as Simon’s reviews when he says comments welcome but then deletes posts he doesn’t like.
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 12:57 pm
Also Sparky do you use the same criteria as simon does for the star rating system or is it subjective? if it is subjective then should we have new categories like Sparky’s three star films and another category for Simon’s three star films
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
Sparky who do you think is the best film reviewer between you and Simon.
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
Any administrator will differentiate between valid comments, amusing comments and complete nonsense, hence why some of your comments were removed.
Comment by Simon — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
I am disappointed that my comments aren’t classed as valid, I would like a second opinion, any loyal readers of this blog please post in the comments section to let me know if you think my comments in the past have been valid or not.
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:11 pm
sparky, just out of curiosity how did you get the name sparky?
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
sparky your review has caused great discussion in our office, well done fella
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
Also sparky do you share Simon’s view of my comments being nonsense or invalid?
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
I don’t personally care much for reductive star ratings, but in adherence with the tradition, Sideways is a five star movie as far as I’m concerned. I prefer About Schmidt (my favourite Alexander Payne film) but this is still excellent. The acting is great, and I like the way the screenplay uses wine as a metaphor for life.
Regarding The Last King of Scotland, I do think that is a fascinating film and the ending is very much an interesting metaphor for undeserved grace. I also disagree that there is no “repentence” on his part, especially as it is hinted he does get the word out on how bad Idi Amin is.
As for the spiritual side of what you are saying, I believe that there are no easy answers to this, as only God knows what is going on in someone’s heart.
Comment by Simon — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
Adam - only SOME of your comments, not all.
Comment by Simon — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
which ones?
Comment by Adam — 8 May, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
Being called an Administrator sounds like corporate claptrap to me.
Comment by Name — 8 May, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
Several of the above comments to reply to here:
1. Sorry, Adam - as I didn’t see the remarks you left that were deleted, I can’t really comment on whether or not Simon should have deleted them. I generally trust his judgement, though, and as he actually writes more on this blog than I do I’m happy for his decision to stand on this one.
2. The star rating we give is basically subjective, and if it doesn’t help understand our opinions about movies we can always take it away. However, I quite like being able, if need be, to have a quick check on someone’s opinion of a film via the rating if I don’t have time to read the full review there and then - but as Simon says, they are reductive and shouldn’t be taken as a substitute for reading the entire review.
3. Simon. He has a lot more experience, sees a lot more films and actually writes reviews!
6. My little brother and sister used to call me Marky-Sparky.
7. Adam - What is it about the review that has caused discussion? What kind of office do you work in?
Comment by Sparky — 10 May, 2009 @ 3:41 pm
this comment will make it fourteen comments can’t remember the last time we had this many comments and interest in a review on this site.
Marky-Sparky I think you should use this instead of sparky as your reviewer name.
So who is this system administrator that deletes my comments as you and Simon claim not to take down my comments?
Comment by Adam — 11 May, 2009 @ 8:10 am