Sideways

“Sideways,” the first comedy (well, dramedy) to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture in recent memory, is in serious danger of being overhyped. Viewers will come to it expecting “one of the best films of the last decade” or a “hilarious” film and be disappointed, which is a shame, because the modest charms it actually has are quite engaging.

To wit: This is a film that substitutes quiet charm for laugh-out-loud jokes, wry observations for deep insights into the human condition, and a mellow rambling pace for a plot that pulls the characters (or viewers) along. It is more a mellow afternoon spent at an out of the way winery than it is a glitzy event of a movie.

This is definitely worth a rental, but do not go in expecting to have your life changed by “Sideways.” And, frankly, thank goodness for that. If only more Best Picture nominees were created by film makers content to make a satisfying film, instead of a religious experience.

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