Why did Alexander Payne's Sideways top pretty much every critic poll last year in the US? Because, like Paul Giamatti's Miles, most critics are balding, socially maladroit, snobs who dream of writing the great American novel and bedding a hottie like Virginia Madsen. And why, some 11 months after its theatrical release, does Sideways top Empire's own critics poll this year? Because... it's fucking great. Sure, it does speak directly to men of a certain age and disposition (not us), but unlike some of Payne's earlier, meaner, movies, Sideways is brimming with enough life, colour and flavour to convert every palate - even if you don't like wine.