20th and 10th Anniversary TLDR: Sideways (2004) and Chef (2014)
If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot.
Sideways (2004)
Plot: Two middle-aged men embark on a spiritual journey through Californian wine country. One is an unpublished novelist suffering from depression, and the other is only days away from walking down the aisle.
Direction & Screenplay: Alexander Payne directs a script co-written with frequent collaborator Jim Taylor, from the novel by Rex Pickett. I've never read the novel so I don't know how much of this is already in there, but I like this movie enough that I want to find out. This movie is excellent, but it's important to note that Payne has both been accused of doing terrible things and that he wrote I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.
Performances: Did you know that Da'Vine Joy Randolph was the first person to win an acting Oscar for an Alexander Payne film? Kinda crazy, right? Especially considering the four performances in this film. Paul Giamatti is always excellent, an excellent blend of melancholy and passion, but gosh...the way he runs is just so funny. Thomas Haden Church pulls off a magic trick here. His character is such a smarmy douchebag, but he's so damn charming that you hardly even notice. Virginia Madsen has never been better than her monologue on the back porch. Sandra Oh is so captivating in this. She was married to Payne at the time and he shoots her like we should be jealous.
Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael (great name) shoots a little bit of everything, from Oscar bait (The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Pursuit of Happyness) to action flicks (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Knight and Day) to movies we've covered on our podcasts (The Locusts, Poison Ivy) to early-career efforts for movies with insane titles (Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls, Prayer of the Rollerboys.) That's range.
Best moment: It's a movie centered around wine, but the best scene features a dump bucket.
Fun fact: This film legitimately affected wine sales, particularly Merlot, for years.
Imaginary accolade: Winner of the 2004 "So Good That Rex Pickett Decided to Never Do Anything Else" Award
Everything is too long. Is it too long? 127 minutes feels like a little much, but no individual scene feels long or unnecessary. I suppose it's just what this story needs.
Rating: This movie makes me want to like wine more.
Chef (2014)
Plot: When Chef Carl Casper suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner, he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife, his friend and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen – and zest for life and love.
Direction & Screenplay: Aside from The Lion King (which is utterly indefensible but not really his fault), I've liked every movie that Jon Favreau has directed. He tried the one for them, one for me thing with Chef, his most autobiographical picture about an artist experiencing a mid-life crisis...and then got swallowed up by Disney and hasn't been allowed out since. It's a shame because this film is excellent. I want more of this and less Star Wars.
Performances: Favreau also takes on the leading role and I like his energy. He's clearly a passionate guy, a life-long student of his hobbies, and that shines both in front of and behind the camera. John Leguizamo plays his sidekick and is the perfect kind of annoying - well-meaning and lovable. Favreau casts Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johannsen as his ex-wife and kinda-girlfriend respectively and, honest to God, good for him. No jokes here. He also apparently had Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, and Robert Downey Jr. limited-roles cache, so once again, good for him.
Cinematography: Kramer Morgenthau (great name) has only shot three movies that I've seen, aside from Chef: Creed II, Creed III, and The Express: The Ernie Banks Story. So I can't say too much about his career, but his work here is vibrant and pleasant. I'm more interested in the fact that he's the great-great-grandson of Mayer Lehman. I saw a production of The Lehman Trilogy recently. It was too long.
Best moment: How can it be anything but the grilled cheese scene? It inspired an entire television show.
Fun fact: Food truck business rose 2% in the months following this film's release. (Unlike the Sideways fun fact, I made this one up. But it could be true.
Imaginary accolade: Best Cinema Cubano (is this true?)
Everything is too long. Is it too long? Not only do I love these 114 minutes, but I also watched all 25 episodes of the show. So no complaints.
Rating: Better than almost all food truck food.
Credit: Plot synopsis from Letterboxd via TMDb.