A Very Brief 'Sideways' Rant

Absolutely one of the best films I've seen in recent years, "Sideways" should seal the reputation of director Alexander Payne ("Election," "About Schmidt," "Citizen Ruth") and his co-screenwriter, Jim Taylor. Emotionally rich and complex characters, poignant, expansive and funny as hell. What else could anyone want? In the Village Voice, critic J. Haberman suggested that the two lead male characters (superbly performed by Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church) "are male archetypes, as well as the two most fully realized comic creations in recent American movies." That is not an overstatement.

Anyway, I don't have much to say other than a strong recommendation for anyone who really appreciates the potential of cinematic art.

Better yet, I will leave it to David Denby and The New Yorker to relate in this on-target review.