Sideways (2004)

Don't get disappointed if there's actually no scene where two guys get stuck in a bottle...

Genre: Adventure Comedy Drama Romance

Starring: Paul Giamatti (The Illusionist; American Splendor), Thomas Hayden Church (George Of The Jungle; The Specials)

Directed By: Alexander Payne (Election; About Schmidt)

Overview: Two friends go on a week-long road trip, taking in some golf, some local wineries and a couple of their women, before Jack's wedding.

Acting: Awesome! That twitchy neurotic versus that care-free thrillseeker. Those two have real chemistry. Everyone did an amazing job, and the funny scenes were hilariously delivered.
Rating: 9

Cinematography: The road trip shots of the wine regions and the golf courses were real nice. There were few innovative shots and good angles. Again, very impressive.
Rating: 7

Script: The script was realistic and hilarious. All the characters speak truth, and there's definitely wisdom in the writing. Excellent.
Rating: 8

Plot: The plot's the thing. Amazing story, and they throw in such great and hilarious scenes, but each one is very character building, especially the nude scenes...
Rating: 10

Mood: The mood is calm, followed by turbulence. Dramatic and heavy, followed by funny stuff. All told though, this is a love story that is masked completely in a "guys on a bender road trip" story. The underlying and constant theme of wine really made the story a lot better.
Rating: 9

Yes, he's drinking out of the spit bucket...

Overall Rating: 86% (Awesome, Any Way You Look At It)

Aftertaste: Finally a movie that fits the rating system! Wine, you know. This movie is great. There are few love stories that entertain men, and few road trip cheating-on-the-soon-to-be-wife-Hell-Week stories that any woman would like. This is a perfect blend of the two and it's no wonder it was nominated for Oscars aplenty. See it. You'll like it, no matter who you are.