One Word Movie

Sideways

What a pile of shit. I was so disappointed. No, only joking. When all the critics line up in a 21-bum salute, it normally means it's a bit of a dull film, but Sideways is fantastic. It can do beauty and love, but it's much more interested in ugliness and shame. Alexander Payne, the director, especially loves filming ugly food. There was plenty of that in About Schmidt and it's on show here too: good work that man. You feel sorry for the actors having to put that stuff in their faces.

And you can really believe in the characters, which is fun because they go and do awful things. Great entertainment. However I was relieved not to empathise much with either of the male leads, but give me another 10 years of simmering resentment, let me go a bit balder, and I might just get there. Good support too, from Virginia Madsen, playing a wine nerd.

I have this theory about what discriminates good art from shit art. Apart from the presence of Shatner, that is. In good art, the audience has to interpret things, and work out stuff for themselves. So in Sideways you have all these shots of him from American Splendor looking pensive, and you have to work out what he's thinking. And in shit art, bloody Morgan Freeman tells you what Clint's going to do, and then Clint does it, and then he tells you what he's just done. I fucking hate that. That's why voice-overs are always shit, unless they lie, like in Fight Club, for instance.

My only gripe with Sideways is that the trailer essentially gives the entire story away. You bastards. Still, it's a very good film, go and see it.

posted by Chairman Peyote @ 11:46 AM