Sideways

Best line in the movie, "No, if they want Merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any fucking Merlot!"

Before this movie, I thought wine connoisseurs were so pretentious. Throwing big words around like they're writing a novel, it made them look like bigger snobs than they really are.

The movie is careful not to poke fun of that, though they could have very easily done so. They have this officially depressed person who goes travelling around Santa Barbara, wine country, from one wine-tasting vineyard to the next not as a wine expert but just as a wine lover, where he gets into a couple of mis-adventures with his about-to-be-shackled best friend.

What would normally have ben a boring character in real life, the movie brought out a character, a hero, if you will, that you just can't help but like a lot. His like-ability is done in a way where you feel bad for him and hope that he turns out okay, but you also want to just give him a good swift kick in the butt to make him snap out of it!

I liked the dialogue between the two main characters, Miles (played by Paul Giamatti - how he was snubbed by the Oscars I'll never know) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church - who I believe was fittingly nominated for Best Supporting Actor)...it was funny and smart without being too fancy about it.

I think that's what I liked most about the movie, the storyline was simple enough and it was written around characters who pull at your heartstrings, that it kept you from losing interest without even breaking a sweat.

I'll tell you this much, the movie got me thinking that maybe I should try drinking something other than White Zinfandel. Check out the movie's website where they have wine-tasting tips and a snob-free guide to wine.

A bottle of white
A bottle of red
Perhaps a bottle of rosee instead