Sideways

Directed by Alexander Payne. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett (which I have not read, but might like to.) We watched it last night. I was left feeling wretched. Very rarely do I despise characters with such vehemence, but I really did feel that both main characters were not only despicable in their behavior and lack of backbone, but embarassing specimens. Are all men like this??? Perhaps this means that the acting was good. Certainly I found myself laughing out loud, but the wine-tasting demagoguery got old, I think even before it was supposed to. Interesting directorial choices: the soon-to-be-Armenian-wife was a faceless and voiceless entity, female characters had no interiority, and sex scenes were anti-erotic, more monstrous than anything. This was, of course, the ultimate dysfunctional male flick... but it depressed me, truly, so much that after I was left alone, I couldn't even write anything... I just wanted to curl up into a ball of nothingness and cry. Which I also didn't do. I'll give it a two-thumbs wavering ambivalently in the air.