As the cinematic calendar year wound down, discerning audiences waited patiently for three releases from three of the best young directors who concurrently rose to prominence in 1999.
This October, David O. Russell ("Three Kings") befuddled some and wowed others with "I Heart Huckabees," a challenging, exuberant work chockfull of contagious optimism and philosophical tow. In December, horn-rimmed hipsters across the country will undoubtedly flock to "The Life Aquatic," the new Wes Anderson ("Rushmore") project.
In the meantime, this reviewer will gladly hop onto the American critical establishment's bandwagon and embrace "Sideways," the latest comedy from Alexander Payne ("Election") and possibly his richest work to date.
Riding on the heels of "About Schmidt," Payne's bleakly hilarious Jack Nicholson vehicle, it signals a change in course for the director whose portrayals of Midwestern angst have been unfairly charged by some as condescending toward its characters.
Such detractors — along with those who champion Payne and his co-writer Jim Taylor's Midwest brand of self-deprecating humor — will be surprised by their new film's warm but no-less-candid appraisal of its characters.
"Sideways" concerns Paul Giamatti's Miles, a fledging, middle-aged writer, and, in the season's most inspired casting choice, Thomas Haden Church (Lowell from "Wings") as Jack, a television actor with an impending date at the altar.
The two longtime college buddies take off on a road trip through northern California's wine country a week before the wedding. Miles, a wine connoisseur, expects solace from the environment, but Jack's intent on hooking up with Stephanie (Sandra Oh, Payne's real-life wife), whose waitress friend, Maya (a revelatory Virginia Madsen), has her eye on the recently divorced Miles.
The only cinch, aside from his wedding, is that Jack convinces the women they're traveling with to celebrate the publication of Miles' new novel, a lie further complicated by Stephanie and the groom-to-be's mutually budding love and Miles and Maya's own flirtations.
Payne depicts these characters with his typical comedic precision, casting a keen eye toward behavioral and environmental subtleties. "Sideways" is his first film set outside of Omaha, Neb., and he gracefully navigates the camera through the countryside roads, buttressing the excellent performances with a hitherto unseen pictorial beauty.
Amidst the scenery and comedy, though, Payne brands the characters' dilemmas with the melancholy he revealed in "About Schmidt." Even during their most joyous moment, Miles and Jack's weaknesses and deficiencies remain intact.
American film's perpetual sad-sack, Giamatti somehow surpasses the misery of his "American Splendor" character. They're both amazing performances, but Church's work is even more courageous: Jack's transitory acting career bears more than a passing resemblance to the actor's own sagging, post-"Wings" reputation. Here's hoping Church gets the juicy roles he clearly deserves.
Still, "Sideways" isn't a pity parade. The humanism and wonderfully written and delivered dialogue leave as much of an impression as the sadness and tender truthfulness at its core.
Grade: A