Friday, January 28, 2005
Sideways (2005) and About Schmidt (2002)
Alexander Payne is obsessed with pathetic men, and apparently movie critics are, too. That's the only way to explain the praise that's been heaped on these movies. The movies aren't terrible, but they're both kind of boring, nauseating, and exhausting. But I guess it's not so surprising that movie critics would like these movies -- I mean, movie critics are mostly middle-aged white guys who never did what they really wanted to do (make movies). Of course this kind of sad-sack man movie would appeal to them.
About Schmidt is definitely the better movie, with more interesting visuals and characters, like the hummels falling off the roof of the Winnebago as it moves, and the neglected, failed daughter (Hope Davis). And the characters, while not at all appealing, are at least somewhat sympathetic.
But Sideways is just irritating. The sitcom-level disparity between the attractiveness of the female and male halves of both couples in Sideways (Viginia Madsen and Paul Giamatti; Sandra Oh and Thomas Haden Church) is offensive. And the two main characters become less sympathetic and more pathetic not only during the course of the movie, but for weeks after viweing, sticking in my mind like the taste of bad food sticks in my body, making me feel ill again and again. ¶ 10:55 AM
Alexander Payne is obsessed with pathetic men, and apparently movie critics are, too. That's the only way to explain the praise that's been heaped on these movies. The movies aren't terrible, but they're both kind of boring, nauseating, and exhausting. But I guess it's not so surprising that movie critics would like these movies -- I mean, movie critics are mostly middle-aged white guys who never did what they really wanted to do (make movies). Of course this kind of sad-sack man movie would appeal to them.
About Schmidt is definitely the better movie, with more interesting visuals and characters, like the hummels falling off the roof of the Winnebago as it moves, and the neglected, failed daughter (Hope Davis). And the characters, while not at all appealing, are at least somewhat sympathetic.
But Sideways is just irritating. The sitcom-level disparity between the attractiveness of the female and male halves of both couples in Sideways (Viginia Madsen and Paul Giamatti; Sandra Oh and Thomas Haden Church) is offensive. And the two main characters become less sympathetic and more pathetic not only during the course of the movie, but for weeks after viweing, sticking in my mind like the taste of bad food sticks in my body, making me feel ill again and again. ¶ 10:55 AM
