The Film
Remember the months after Amadeus came out, and suddenly everyone was a quasi-expert on classical music? Or Jurassic Park, and gene-splicing? Movies indeed have the power to educate, as long as they do it in an entertaining way. Sideways certainly qualifies as edutainment, having probably taught thousands of non-winies most of what they now know about grapes, skins, tannins, oakiness, etc. They say that this movie even led to a boost in the popularity of previously underappreciated Pinot Noir, while also taking a bite out of Merlot's popularity.
The tale of Miles (Paul Giamatti, robbed when not even nominated for an Oscar here) and Jack (nominee Thomas Haden Church) finds the two now-middle-aged college buddies spending a week up in wine country before Jack's wedding. The caddish groom however sees this time as his last chance to hook up with any woman he can find, while Miles, a likeable loser, finally comes to grips with the fact that he is a likable loser. The story is so real, so funny but so sad, I enjoy it more every time I see it. Is it actually improving with age?
Checkout Joe Lozito's original review of the movie Sideways, too.
The Picture
Maybe I needed to review this disc with wine goggles: The 1.85:1 image is soft and grainy, ultimately manifesting itself as an unpleasant noisiness. Shadows and darker scenes are so problematic in this regard that they actually pulled me out of the movie. The patterned drapes in Miles and Jack's hotel room specifically can be nightmarish, while textures in the same scene can be drastically different: Jack's shirt reproduces cleanly, while Miles' twitches.
There's ringing around the glow of lampposts and elsewhere, while brights in general run too hot, and backgrounds tend to degrade into a digital mush. At the same time, a fair amount of detail can creep through, like the sorry state of Miles' car. The scenery is beautiful and the Blu-ray was a chance to really rock it, but I was disappointed. I should note that the DVD wasn't especially good-looking, either.
Sideways is not ambitious movie, sonically. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is remarkably front-heavy, with some rear use at times but far too timid for my taste. Off-camera voices lack directionality but are always clear, like the rest of the all-important dialogue. There are a lot of environmental sounds here, for a pseudo-naturalistic feel, plus that rare effect like an airplane passing off to the side. This disc is more about fidelity I suppose, which is fine, although not exemplary. The music by Rolfe Kent evokes many different moods, almost like a third voice among all the camaraderie.
The Extras
The movie rides upon the wonderful performances of Giamatti and Church, so their easy-going joint commentary track is a real treat for Sideways enthusiasts. Seven excellent deleted/alternate scenes include inspired, witty text introductions from director Alexander Payne, running a total of 17 minutes. The six-and-a-half-minute "making of" featurette is mostly the usual fare. Surprisingly hidden as Easter eggs in the "Features" submenu are two more bonuses: a deliberately goofy tour of the production (16-and-a-half minutes) and 14 minutes of bloopers. These are all in standard definition, direct ports from the DVD, with nothing added and the trailer actually dropped along the way. I only mention it because there was a line of dialogue in the trailer which was not in the movie and is not among the deleted scenes.
Final Thoughts
The bittersweet Sideways has the depth to emerge as a modern classic in years to come. The movie is highly recommended, although this Blu-ray represents only a marginal improvement over the DVD.
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