Sideways

SIDEWAYS (2004) - Jan. 15, 2005
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor do it again. While perhaps a smidgeon on the long side, this was still a very good movie. Payne seems to have an uncanny knack for picking excellent actors and coaxing the best possible performances out of them; Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church (Lowell!) and Virginia Madsen are all quite excellent. Paul Giamatti, in particular, gives an impressive performance as a struggling writer who is in the middle of reevaluating his life. The dialogue was really good (obviously) and the movie was really well directed (also obviously). ***1/2