Mulling Over Movies With Merlot
It may come as a shock to some of you, but I am, for the most part, an uncultured swine when it comes to the cinema. Why waste precious neurons contemplating the heavy issues of existence and civilization when I can burn calories cheering as Arnold Schwarzenegger uses gratuitous amounts of force to devastate entire nations? The answer is obvious. Nonetheless, despite this propensity for "bad" movies, I do on occasion encounter something of the more artistic and/or cultured variety. So here goes!
Sideways
I've always wanted to know the ins and outs of professional wine tasting. I'm not entirely sure why, since wine tasters spit more than they swallow (insert tasteless joke here), and to be honest, wine is not one of my favorite alcoholic beverages. But somehow the knowledge of wine tasting is a badge of cultural honor, something that makes one cool at snotty parties and shindigs, and something that can generate an extensive, if perhaps overly pompous, conversation. So, despite all my misgivings about it, I still want to know. I want to be that jerk who sips at a glass of wine, sticks his nose in the air in a manner that would make a Frenchman proud, and declare, "Ahhh... a fine '72 Pinot Grigio, made from grapes with ADD, crushed by a midget with a degree in criminal psychology, and bottled in 100% recycled glass."
This movie takes all my wine-based fantasies and blends them into a milkshake. I'm not sure what that metaphor means exactly, but it's true. Now, admittedly, the wine-tasting part of this movie is not actually the primary plot as much as it is a very prominent device, but still. You come out of this movie and you will say to yourself, "Damn, all of a sudden I am seriously jonesing for wine."
The plot: Two guys get together and go on a winery tour of California just before a wedding. Oddly enough, wacky hijinks ensue. I could not have foreseen that.
The pros: The scenery of California Wine Country is pretty. I'm such a tool for scenery and vistas and plants and yadda yadda. The story is one of those highly regarded personal achievement type stories- the "what have I done midlife crisis go out and discover myself" type things that win awards. Academy Awards, in fact. Several nominations and one successful Oscar, so people who are into that sort of thing can be impressed. The writing is alternatingly soul-searching and comically intense. While some parts dragged a bit, the humor was witty enough to carry the film forward and link up the more dramatic sequences. There's lots of drinking, which I support fully. There's some sex, which manages to be wildly hysterical, especially in one of the later scenes. There is The Drunken Phone Call. There is the crazy violent Asian girl. For a movie with no explosions and ninjas, it still covers a few good bases.
The cons: Here's where my lack of culture kicks in. I do need my fix of energy and excitement at the movies- too many dull talky bits bring me down. While the movie does have its share of excitement, there are several scenes that I think drag on a bit too long with exposition and unnecessary character development. But that might just be my opinion. The movie in the end achieves partial resolution- there are no real consequences for the adventurous Jack, and no real progress or regress for the less outgoing Miles. Do they change? Do they succeed? Do things get better for them? I want to know. Some movies are ok to end on a note of uncertainty... but in this one, it's not just uncertainty, it's almost as if nothing in the previous two hours had ever happened. Almost. As always, a healthy dose of Lo Pan could have spiced things up in the absence of ninjas and explosions.
The verdict: It was worth seeing. More so if you like wine and personal development type movies. Not as much so if all you want are ninjas and explosions.
Disclaimer: OK, I'm exaggerating. I don't really need ninjas and explosions in every movie I see. I liked Dead Poets Society, after all, and there were no ninjas or explosions there. Not even a zombie or an immortal sorceror. And yet, still a good movie.
Sideways
I've always wanted to know the ins and outs of professional wine tasting. I'm not entirely sure why, since wine tasters spit more than they swallow (insert tasteless joke here), and to be honest, wine is not one of my favorite alcoholic beverages. But somehow the knowledge of wine tasting is a badge of cultural honor, something that makes one cool at snotty parties and shindigs, and something that can generate an extensive, if perhaps overly pompous, conversation. So, despite all my misgivings about it, I still want to know. I want to be that jerk who sips at a glass of wine, sticks his nose in the air in a manner that would make a Frenchman proud, and declare, "Ahhh... a fine '72 Pinot Grigio, made from grapes with ADD, crushed by a midget with a degree in criminal psychology, and bottled in 100% recycled glass."
This movie takes all my wine-based fantasies and blends them into a milkshake. I'm not sure what that metaphor means exactly, but it's true. Now, admittedly, the wine-tasting part of this movie is not actually the primary plot as much as it is a very prominent device, but still. You come out of this movie and you will say to yourself, "Damn, all of a sudden I am seriously jonesing for wine."
The plot: Two guys get together and go on a winery tour of California just before a wedding. Oddly enough, wacky hijinks ensue. I could not have foreseen that.
The pros: The scenery of California Wine Country is pretty. I'm such a tool for scenery and vistas and plants and yadda yadda. The story is one of those highly regarded personal achievement type stories- the "what have I done midlife crisis go out and discover myself" type things that win awards. Academy Awards, in fact. Several nominations and one successful Oscar, so people who are into that sort of thing can be impressed. The writing is alternatingly soul-searching and comically intense. While some parts dragged a bit, the humor was witty enough to carry the film forward and link up the more dramatic sequences. There's lots of drinking, which I support fully. There's some sex, which manages to be wildly hysterical, especially in one of the later scenes. There is The Drunken Phone Call. There is the crazy violent Asian girl. For a movie with no explosions and ninjas, it still covers a few good bases.
The cons: Here's where my lack of culture kicks in. I do need my fix of energy and excitement at the movies- too many dull talky bits bring me down. While the movie does have its share of excitement, there are several scenes that I think drag on a bit too long with exposition and unnecessary character development. But that might just be my opinion. The movie in the end achieves partial resolution- there are no real consequences for the adventurous Jack, and no real progress or regress for the less outgoing Miles. Do they change? Do they succeed? Do things get better for them? I want to know. Some movies are ok to end on a note of uncertainty... but in this one, it's not just uncertainty, it's almost as if nothing in the previous two hours had ever happened. Almost. As always, a healthy dose of Lo Pan could have spiced things up in the absence of ninjas and explosions.
The verdict: It was worth seeing. More so if you like wine and personal development type movies. Not as much so if all you want are ninjas and explosions.
Disclaimer: OK, I'm exaggerating. I don't really need ninjas and explosions in every movie I see. I liked Dead Poets Society, after all, and there were no ninjas or explosions there. Not even a zombie or an immortal sorceror. And yet, still a good movie.