Some time ago I came to the conclusion that film is the highest art form for it can combine all means of communication: words, pictures and music. It comes closest to how we actually experience life and in the hands of a competent director, movies can make you forget completely your own reality for two hours. Watching Alexander Payne’s Sideways reaffirmed my conviction that film is the pinnacle of art.  Payne is one of the masters of contemporary cinema. He picks excellent novels and then turns them into fantastic motion pictures.  Sideways just like his previous masterpiece About Schmidt reaches deep into the human heart. Two college buddies who have seen better days spend seven days touring the wine region around Santa Barbara, California. Jack is about to get married in a week and his old buddy Miles, who is deeply depressed over his failed marriage, wants to take Jack out for a week of prenuptial fun. On the surface, Jack in his happy-go-lucky way seems to be the polar opposite of Miles and his pessimistic approach to life. But both of them are joined at the hip in their ability to screw things up for themselves. While Mile’s notion of a fun week means tasting a lot of good wine and playing some golf, Jack is eager to revise his buddies plans in unpredictable ways. Jack diagnoses on the second morning of their weeklong journey that both of them badly need to get some action during this week.  Joining them for a week in California is richly rewarding because Payne embellishes the California landscape with beautiful drama and music. If you are a wine connoisseur, this is definitely a movie you will savor.

On the surface, Jack in his happy-go-lucky way seems to be the polar opposite of Miles and his pessimistic approach to life. But both of them are joined at the hip in their ability to screw things up for themselves. While Mile’s notion of a fun week means tasting a lot of good wine and playing some golf, Jack is eager to revise his buddies plans in unpredictable ways. Jack diagnoses on the second morning of their weeklong journey that both of them badly need to get some action during this week.  Joining them for a week in California is richly rewarding because Payne embellishes the California landscape with beautiful drama and music. If you are wine connoisseur, this is definitely a movie your will savor.