Sideways works because of Paul Giamatti's magnificently poignant and funny performance, Thomas Haden Church's hilariously dry (though not brilliantly written) performance, and Alexander Payne's blunt humor and humanity. There are moments when Payne misses the mark with his broad humor and makes foolish technical mistakes (like fading out in the middle of an important scene and letting the camera linger on something for too long). But Giamatti is dynamite, as always, and Haden Church is surprisingly great. A conventional story to be sure, but it is a lightly amusing time at the movies with one or two great moments (despite the fact that it is treacherously longer than it needs to be).
Review of Sideways
