Sideways

[MacGuffin]

Giamatti's the PAPER MAN
Sideways star signs up for his next leading role in the Michele and Kieran Mulroney-helmed Paper Man.

Paul Giamatti, who just picked up an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his role in Sideways, has attached himself to the comedy Paper Man, which will mark the directorial debuts of writers Michele and Kieran Mulroney. Management 360's Guymon Casady and FilmColony's Richard Gladstein are producing the project, which should begin production in April, with Darin Friedman serving as co-producer.

In the film, which Kieran Mulroney -an actor - and his wife Michele Mulroney - who has directed theater - wrote as part of the Sundance Writers Lab, Giamatti stars as a successful novelist who has lost his inspiration as a writer and whose marriage is falling apart. Not helping matters is the fact that he still has an imaginary superhero friend who has been with him since childhood. He then goes to Cape Cod, where he strikes up a platonic relationship with a high school girl who puts the spark back in his writing.

Giamatti will soon be seen with Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger in the Ron Howard-helmed Cinderella Man, which he will follow with Paper Man. His other recent credits include Paycheck, American Splendor and Confidence.

Gladstein recently produced Finding Neverland and The Cider House Rules.

[SHAFTR]

very good film.  Payne is always able to balance comedy and drama as good as anyone.  I think this is a much better, more mature work than About Schmidt.  This film should, and probably will, get the academy noms it deserves.  It's nice to see a movie about friendship that does it well.

***** out of 5 stars, #2 film of the year (behind eternal sunshine)

[Sal]

I didn't expect to like it, but Payne moved me to enjoyment.  I've been weary of praising Payne for previous efforts like About Schmidt and Election...I thought both were a bit too distant from the characters we were purported to care for.  But here we are right with Giamatti, and towards the end, his friend.  So it was endearing for me.  The distance was halved and it benefitted the film enormously.  Dramatic, funny, small, light on its feet and heavy at others...it even takes some visual chances with a split screen scene that I enjoyed.  I think it deserves a viewing.

[Myxo]

Just saw this tonight. Very, very funny and well done.

I knew the director's name was familiar.



My friend is leaving the theater and he says to me, "Wow, that was really great but I don't think I wanna see it again. Kinda reminded me of About Schmidt.."

Heh.

The naked repo man was hilarious..

[Gold Trumpet]

Alexander Payne is growing on me. Election was really good writing for a comedy, but just a comedy nonetheless. About Schmidt is beautiful if only for Nicholson's performance, but a flat observation on someone finding out his life may be over. The symbolic filmmaking really didn't allow me be involved in the story. And with a subject as general as that, you realize that the film is not only eclipsed by so many other films, but by so many other works of art, period. Now, with Sideways, Payne has ridden himself of the pretensious filmmaking gestures and allowed the story to take over. The film is so simple but amazingly deep because its really not punctual at all. Most movies, if even they don't consider themselves savants of film school ideals, still take away the story they are trying to tell by following the three act structure. Payne has moments of this, but the film is amazingly without many film tricks or ideas that there are moments through out the film that really are touching in a way I hardly get from even great films these days. Sometimes the story is all that needs to be told. Sometimes its better to remember the experience of watching a movie than the memorable moments in one added up. Payne has simply allowed for me to appreciate the experience of watching a story unfold.

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

Saw Sideways again last night and it just hits me how personal Payne makes his movies.  I normally see it, but watching it the second time I was able to look at it even more closely.

I can't wait for more of his work.

[Pozer]

Alexander Payne is growing on me.

gross. However, there are many Payne relievers out there.

[Finn]

ha ha

[Jeremy Blackman]

This was so much more profound than I thought it would be. And so much better than About Schmidt.

The writing was amazing. This will win best screenplay awards. The directing was also noticeably excellent, especially the Dirk Diggler moments (like the hold on Paul Giamatti when he's alone in the car toward the end).

It has a Wes Anderson unpredictability. The whole thing was really massively surprising in small ways.

Also, it was about social awkwardness, which I appreciated.

And most importantly, it was 1000 times better than American Splendor (Does anyone even remember that movie? It seemed forgettable.) This must be the role Paul Giamatti was born for.

Unlike Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, people will remember this one since it's been shown late in the year, and it has the perk that Sunshine doesn't have that it doesn't use technology as a crutch or distraction.

How was Eternal Sunshine's technology even remotely a "crutch" or "distraction"? The style is the substance, Ono! The style is the substance!

Eternal Sunshine did leave me a bit cold, but for different reasons (the Winslet character).

[Myxo]

BIG FAT DRUNK SLOPPY SPOILERS

In the end, the alcoholic gets to go on with his life and be with an enabler, and the sex addict gets away with his week of infidelity. Anyone else notice that kind of stuff?

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS

In the end, the alcoholic gets to go on with his life and be with an enabler, and the sex addict gets away with his week of infidelity. Anyone else notice that kind of stuff?

Yes, but I think the Dirk Diggler scene was a sufficient apology.

And if I understand the movie correctly, it thinks he's only temporarily alcoholic (and temporarily depressed).

[ono]

Possible spoilers.

How was Eternal Sunshine's technology even remotely a "crutch" or "distraction"? The style is the substance, Ono! The style is the substance!

Eternal Sunshine did leave me a bit cold, but for different reasons (the Winslet character).

I love both of these movies very much (I've only seen each once, though, so I don't know how much that will change).  However, until I see Million Dollar Baby and decide about it (and Aviator ... I guess), Sideways will remain best of the year in my book.  Just to let you know where I'm coming from, that we're in agreeance.

But I think that you need to accept that we differ on that one point here -- agree to disagree.  The style, IMO, is NOT the substance.  The style is the style.  They are two different terms, two DIFFERENT ENTITIES.  That you can't seem to understand my side of things (and I yours) shows we just look at movies differently.

There, earlier, I wasn't even entirely agreeing with that statement about Sunshine.  The feeling you get while sitting through Sunshine for the first time is either one of confusion (if you aren't used to movies like these) or giddy awe.  For me it was giddy awe.  One of the criticisms of this movie (that I was merely pointing out) is that some people may be so overwhelmed by this use of technology that it may take them out of the movie a little bit and leave them cold and detached.  I can see that, though I don't entirely agree with it.  Sideways is so beautiful simply because it's so well written, acted, and directed, and none of these things rely on fancy technological tricks; a triple-threat of filmmaking excellence.  If you're gonna reply, please try not to pull a Jeremy Blackman (Stanley Spector) on me and quote every other thing I say.  That kills the fun of discussing things really quickly.

As for the whole Miles/alcoholic/depressed thing, he's been that way for a good long time (two years/since his divorce).  It's not just a passing thing.  I had to think about it afterwards, and wasn't quite sure at first what I was seeing, but he shows all the signs of someone who really is seriously troubled.  It's not just a passing thing, but the end definitely points the way towards things getting better.

[Jeremy Blackman]

SPOILERS

But I think that you need to accept that we differ on that one point here -- agree to disagree.  The style, IMO, is NOT the substance.  The style is the style.  They are two different terms, two DIFFERENT ENTITIES.  That you can't seem to understand my side of things (and I yours) shows we just look at movies differently.

That's just black and white silliness, Ono. It's ridiculous to believe that style and substance are two different, absolute (and separate?) entities. Do they never overlap? Do they never become the same thing? Like I said before, it's a totally false dichotomy, and you can't just say "the definition is the definition, and the definition always applies," because terminology is not sacred.

Sideways is so beautiful simply because it's so well written, acted, and directed, and none of these things rely on fancy technological tricks; a triple-threat of filmmaking excellence.

But is there really a huge difference between "technological tricks" and "stylistic tricks"? There are plenty of stylistic tricks in the film... and I think it flows so well because of them (not in spite of them).

As for the whole Miles/alcoholic/depressed thing, he's been that way for a good long time (two years/since his divorce).  It's not just a passing thing.

It's two years, sure, but it's still temporary. According to the movie, it was caused by the divorce... it wasn't a character trait.

he shows all the signs of someone who really is seriously troubled.

If you mean he's more or less permanently troubled, I agree, but I'm not sure the movie believes the same thing.

[SiliasRuby]

Saw this last night and loved it. I felt lukewarm about "About Shmidt" but this one I thought was another winner....I loved election by the way.

[Thrindle]

This is one movie I had to post about.  I saw "Sideways" a couple of weeks ago and was moved (and scared) by the reality of the characters.  It was the kind of reality that picks apart personality traits until they are glaringly obvious in front of you, yet some of us live these everyday.  

To say it simply: sometimes life is suffocating.  There are moments when you can feel the water rushing above your head, and you are looking up (you see the water), and you know full well, that you are drowing.  

This movie captured that feeling perfectly.

Brilliant.  And if anything, kudos for an honest depiction of some human experience.