Anyone who's ever had to deal with infidelity will watch Sideways with knowing eyes. It's about two men who, in their 40s, are at different points in their marital careers. One has been divorced for two years, and has lived through the awful pain of it. The other is getting married for the first time. The two go on a week-long vacation in California wine country to celebrate the bachelor's last week of "freedom."

Things degenerate quickly, and there is entirely too much of real life stuffed into that week.

At various times, you'll be cheering for a betrayed spouse, a wayward spouse, and the other person.

I hope you'll also, in the end, root for the redemption of a wayward spouse who has learned and lost and learned more.

My date claimed it's not about infidelity at all, or perhaps that it was about more than infidelity -- it was about the reasons that we do all those awful tings that we do. Perhaps. Then again, well, if you haven't lived it, you don't know how utterly true the movie is.

It's a comedy, and there are still some scenes that jerked me right up straight in my chair and made me shake my fist at the screen. The characters are incredibly well-drawn. You can be angry with a character in one moment and then turn around and have compassion for them in the next. They're truly human, without anything caricaturelike about them.

If you've ever neeeded a reminder that all infidelity works from the same script, this is a great way to do it. It's also a really wonderful study of the things people have to learn in order to make it through life.

Hi JJ,

Is this a made for TV movie or due out in theatres?I haven't heard of it.I was debating whether or not to go see "Closer" with Jude Law and Julia Roberts.I am not sure if I could stomach it right now.

Also,I know in my heart I would never ever be cheering for an OP.If one day,my WH's homewrecker apologized for what she did to me,my children and two families/friends and ended the A then I would accept that apology but that's it's.

O

Duplicate.

<small>[ December 05, 2004, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Just J ]</small>

It's in the theaters. Rated R -- there's some sex (not erotic, though!) and male full frontal nudity in the movie. Comment on male nudity -- doesn't it hurt when guys run? I mean, really. All that bouncing? Ow.

Well, maybe you wouldn't be cheering for this one, OG. She -- and all the other characters in this movie -- are terribly flawed human beings. It may be a tough movie for people here to watch, but it's still worth it.

J, I wrote a post reviewing Sideways the other day, but ditched it because it was taking too long and I was at work.

I had exactly the same reactions as you - shaking my fist at the screen!

I think the story was completely about infidelity, but it didn't beat you over the head with that being the root of everybody's problems. Except for Jack. Oh, was he a riot.

I'd have liked a story with the female characters more developed. Virginia Madsen was awesome, and I wanted to get to know her character more. Sandra Oh's character was not fleshed out at all, but from her circumstances it was clear there was a story to tell there.

In fact, you could create an entirely different picture just by telling the story from the perspectives of the women.

I disliked the male characters and didn't so much care what happened to them. But they were drawn well!

Jack was a perfect philanderer, whining about his "plight" and expecting everybody else to tolerate the effects of his shenanigans on their lives and to accommodate him and help him.

SPOILERS:

I had Miles pegged for a WS and was not at all surprised when it was revealed.

I was disappointed when Maya called Miles at the end. When she told him earlier that she'd just got out of a relationship full of deception and didn't want another one, I was impressed. And I didn't want her to call Miles back. That phone call was a bit "Hollywood".

Okay, gotta go.

GC

OG, I read a review of Closer and it pretty much said there is nothing appealing or redemptive about these characters. I am skipping this film for sure.

FF,

I usually don't listen to reviews since isn't it just someone else's OPINION? What credentials do they have that make them experts anyway? Yes they see movie after movie,etc but I have been to many films where I just loved the movie and it got panned.Or vice versa.

In my experience,I just don't place much credence on movie critics but rather,what is the story about,who is the director and who are the actors.I just don't know if I want to succumb to another Infidelity movie that most likely isn't going to express how it feels to be me.

Thanks for the tip though. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

O