--- title: "Sideways: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/sideways/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/sideways" critics_score: 88 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Sideways (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 88 from 15 reviews: 15 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Sideways a great deal, and the praise lands in the same two places: the writing and Paul Giamatti. Payne and Taylor’s script is credited with drawing two flawed, middle-aged men so exactly that critics find them likeable without being flattered, and several reviews note that the film is funny and sad in equal measure. Giamatti’s depressive Miles is singled out almost everywhere, with Thomas Haden Church close behind, and the pairing itself gets as much credit as either performance. The wine-country setting and the tasting scenes are mentioned repeatedly as more than decoration. The spread is narrow. Reservations are minor: Empire notices a slight sag in the second act, and Slant Magazine, the coolest of the fifteen, objects to a late contrivance and to Payne’s fondness for cheap jokes even while admiring his structure and his cast. Nobody else sees much wrong with it, and more than one finds it lighter and better than Payne’s earlier films. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 28 October 2004. Ebert calls the film lovable and as wonderful as Fargo, praising its complex characters, necessary ensemble, and Payne's direction that distributes happiness where deserved. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sideways-2004) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2012. The critic praises Payne and Taylor's script for its sharp observation of flawed, relatable characters and the uniformly excellent performances, especially Paul Giamatti's. Minor flaws like a slight second-act sag do not detract from the wonderful, original result. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sideways-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2004. Turan praises the counterintuitive triumph of turning morally sketchy characters into a satisfying movie through exact writing, precise directing, and transcendent acting, highlighting its emotional reality and maturity. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-oct-22-et-sideways22-story.html) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2004. The critic calls the film a wonderful road comedy that uses wry behavioral observations and wine as a metaphor for life. He singles out Giamatti's performance and the film's ability to blend comedy with emotional resonance and intimacy. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sideways-1798200057) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2005. This is a glorious, bittersweet comedy of male friendship and midlife crisis, even better than Payne's prior films, and a new classic of American cinema comparable to Cassavetes or Ashby. The critic singles out the beautifully written and acted observations, sight gags, and exquisite sadness that give the film its emotional power. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/jan/28/paul-giamatti) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2004. The critic praises the film as a hysterically funny yet melancholy comedy with a beautiful structure, buoyant romance, and tight control of subtext. He highlights the strong pairing of Giamatti and Church and the effective use of the wine country setting. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sideways-review-movie-2004-1246643/) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2004. The critic calls the film wonderful and Payne's largest, most candid work, a comedy poised at the edge of despair. It singles out the sensual pleasure taken in wine-tasting scenes and the scathing intimacy of the two male friends. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/10/25/drinking-and-driving) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2004. Festival review. The critic praises the film as a heart-piercing story of a disappointed man whose struggles make him decent and good. It singles out the director's skill with actors and the central performance by Paul Giamatti. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/16/movies/popping-the-cork-for-a-twist-on-a-socalled-life.html) ## The Times — James Christopher Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2005. The critic calls it the most exquisite stag movie yet made and praises its portrayal of an unlikely friendship between two middle-aged men. The gentle pacing, chemistry between leads Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, and masterly script are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/sideways-58v5gt5x7bs) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2004. The critic hails the film as wonderful and accomplished, restoring humanism to American films with its beautifully observed study of personal foibles and romantic uncertainty. It singles out the exceptional performances, especially Giamatti's nuanced portrayal of the depressive Miles. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/awards/sideways-4-1200531112/) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcom Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the road movie astonishingly surefooted and the adaptation shrewd, with brilliant casting that makes the flawed leads entirely believable and likeable. Giamatti's performance is singled out as almost beyond praise in this funny and sad character study. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/two-for-the-road-7383705.html) ## Sight and Sound — Mark Salisbury Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2005. Payne delivers a full-bodied and winningly downbeat comedy that mixes road-movie and buddy-film conventions with a lighter, more soulful touch than his previous work. The critic singles out the richly drawn, flawed characters and their relatable human foibles for particular praise. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/113) ## Time Out — DC Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2005. This low-key road movie grounds mismatched friends and mishaps in serious, intelligent and affecting themes of male crisis and disappointment. The critic highlights Payne's confident restraint in pacing and humour, along with sharp oenophile dialogue, as key strengths. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sideways) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2004. The critic notes Payne's skill as a structuralist filmmaker with pitch-perfect character moments and attractive visuals. He praises the cast but complains about a late contrivance and the director's fondness for cheap jokes. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/sideways/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2005. The critic praises the film's intelligent writing and sublime performances, especially from Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, as two friends embark on a wine-country road trip. Payne is commended for remaining loyal to his characters without mocking or overly praising them. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/sideways-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/sideways.md