Alexander Payne’s Sideways is instantly reminiscent of his About Schmidt and to a lesser extent Election. The film’s protagonist, Miles feels largely like a cross between Jack Nicholson’s character in the former and Matthew Broderick’s in the latter. This isn’t necessarily all that great of a thing, though, since Sideways ultimately isn’t as good as either earlier Payne film. It’s not as sharply funny as Election (or, for that matter, Citizen Ruth) nor is it as poignant and heartfelt as About Schmidt.

Paul Giamatti has probably never been more all-around affective than he is here, but, c’mon, he still doesn’t hold a candle to Nicholson working at the top of his game (as he definitely was in About Schmidt). Thomas Haden Church is very good, too, and the clear contrast between Miles and Jack illustrates (if a bit too obviously, at times) the two archetypcal extremes of forty-something men that they represent. Both are immature but in entirely opposite ways. Miles is clinically depressed. He sees his life as a big failure that’s probably only going to get worse as the years of disappointment and regret set in. He steals cash from his mom. Jack, on the other hand, is the more typical Peter Pan-type. He refers to sex as “partying.” He doesn’t consider the consequences of his actions. He’s dead-set on getting pussy the week before his wedding–and will almost certainly continue to fool around on his wife once they’re married.

Virginia Madsen’s character, on the other hand, felt rather token and underdeveloped, though I guess that stands to reason seeing as how the movie’s focus centers on the relationship between Miles and Jack. Madsen surely does the best she can with Maya, but I don’t understand the hyperbole her performance has drawn; she’s no more remarkable here than Sandra Oh is. I suppose the difference lies in Madsen’s Big Dramatic Solliloquy, whiich struck me as rather sanctimonious and awkward in relation to the seriocomic tone Payne otherwise sustains quite nicely throughout the film. Until the end, that is.

Put quite simply, I don’t think Sideways earns its happy ending. That this is a movie is basically the only explanation as to why Maya, a smart, beautiful woman, would actually want to be with Miles, a miserable, depressive schlub. Sure, they’re both divorcees, and then there’s his book, but to have her forgive him and want to meet with him again because she was moved or whatever by the book feels too little too late to me. It’s a cop-out, and, really, not too far a cry from the series finale of Friends–except that after nine or however-many seasons, their was obviously no other way to end the show. It was just handled rather lacklusterly, feeling less like romantic fate than contractual obligation.

Jack is the sort of guy that no matter how much of a shit he is he’ll find some way to side-step it. I think Payne is perceptive, and admirably non-judgemental (thought I wouldn’t necessarily say uncritical), in his treatment of Jack. Miles, on the other hand, seems the kind of guy who’s destined to wallow in self-pity and disgust until the day he dies. Good things (much less down-right miraculous things, like hooking up with a woman as seemingly saintly as Maya) rarely happen for Miles-type guys, partly because they’re too hung up on bullshit to spot the silver lining in anything. The scene in Sideways that touched me most was Miles talking to ex and her new husband after Jack’s wedding. The expression on Giamatti’s face is absolutely dead-on. He’s clearly still too hung up on her to healthily move on.

My hope is that this doesn’t turn out to be the year’s top critical darling–as, at this point, it’s looking likely to be. It’s a good movie, even, arguably, a very good movie, but it’s not a great one. I can think of at least a dozen better films I’ve seen this year.