杯酒人生 - 灰色的喜劇

有些電影, 你只需看上一眼, 就會深深地喜歡上, 這裡面的故事彷彿就像在你身邊正在發身的一樣,那麼近, 有時候又會感覺自己已經跳了進去, 和兩個可愛的傢伙, 一個敏感憂鬱, 一個簡單豁達, 一起去美麗的北加州葡萄莊園品酒旅行.

這是一部非主流的電影, 卻能夠囊括去年奧斯卡最佳影片和最佳導演兩項大獎, 我相信人類(human being)對於許多東西的感受和理解是一致的, 包括挫折感, 孤寂, 友情, 慾望以及愛和希望.故事講的是的是一位失意的小說家Miles與二流的電視廣告演員Jack的一週旅行故事。這是一次追尋美酒、佳人，同時也是一次迷失了自我的心靈之旅。站在人生十字路口的男人面對未知的生活心懷強烈的渴望，伴隨著同樣強烈的惶惑，最終主人公在這次旅行中經歷了獲得了再一次的成長。集導演編劇一身的Alexander Payne’s 共執導了四部長片電影。另外三部是公"Citizen Ruth"；"Election"；"About Schmidt". 這第四部電影"Sideways"最為成功的一部,為他贏得了廣泛的讚譽。
 
電影中最棒的無疑是四位角色自然卓越而又真實的表演以及大片有趣的對話, Miles, 這位有著不凡品味, 懷才不遇, 孤單失意而又渴望愛情與成功的小人物, 經歷著痛楚與絕望,最後不得不妥協的形象具有強烈豐富的立體感. 儘管這是一次中年人的經歷,然而任何曾經徬徨失意的成年人或許都可以從他們身上找到自己的一面.
 
影片還有非常有意思的關於酒的東西以及非常迷人的北加州田園風光(看過之後誰不想去那裡像他們那樣品酒旅行呢).
 
這是一部"成長"電影, 一段浪漫的愛情故事,帶灰色的喜劇,這也是一次找尋"希望"的旅行, 快樂總是要夾帶著酸楚, 我們必需要學會經受挫折, 我們必需要走出過去, 開始新的生活.
 
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片中最精彩的莫過於Miles與Maya充滿溫情睿智的關於如何迷上葡萄酒的對話，那自然真切而又充滿思索的對白成為經典。這段對話也展開了Miles與Maya真摯但卻極易受傷害的感情.

【精彩對白一】：
Maya:You Know, Can I ask you a personal question?

Miles:Sure.
 
Maya:Why are you so into Pinot Noir. I mean, it’s like a thing with you.
你為什麼那麼著迷pinot Noir。就好像完全為你而釀造的一樣。
 
Miles:I don't know, Um, it's a hard grape to grow, as you know, right? It's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early, you know. It's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot Noir needs constant care and attention. In fact, it can grow only in these really specific tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot Noir's potential can then coax it into its full expression. And then, I mean, oh, it's flavors. They're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and ancient on the planet. No, I mean you know, cabernets can be powerful and exalting too, but they seem prosaic to me, by comparison. What about you?
 
我也不知道，這是一種很難種的葡萄，你也知道.它的皮很薄，非常敏感，而且早熟。它不像cabernet那種葡萄一樣易於生長可以在任何地方生長，而且即使是被忽視的時候它也能茁壯成長。Pinot noir 需要不斷的照料和關注，它只生長在這個世界上那些隱蔽的、特別的角落裡面，也只有園丁最大的耐心和培育才能讓它生長。只有肯花時間去了解Pinot Noir 的人才能理解它的潛質，才能感覺到它所有的表情，我的意思是說味道。它是這個世界上味道最綿長(haunting)，最奪目(brilliant)，最精緻(subtle)，最古老(ancient)的東西。我是說紅酒也可以很有勁，但是想比較而言，cabernet就俗氣了。你呢？

Maya:what about me?
 
Miles:I don't know, why are you into wine?
 
 
Maya:oh, I'm I think I , I originally got into wine through my ex-husband, you know. He had this big, you know, sort of show-off cellar, you know. But then I discovered I had a really sharp palate. And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about.
 
我一開始是從我前夫那裡開始對葡萄酒感興趣的。他有個特大特張揚的酒窖。但是我的味覺非常敏銳，我喝的越多，就越發的喜歡酒能啟發我思想的那些東西。
 
Miles:like what?
 
Maya:Like what a fraud he was. No, I like to think about the life of wine, you know. How it’s a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year of grapes were growing. How the sun was shining, if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it is an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today, it would taste different than if I opened it on any other day. Because a bottle of wine is actually alive, and it is constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is until it peaks, like you 』61, and then it begins its steady, inevitable decline…
 
比如說我會想我的前夫是個怎樣的偽君子。我總是聯想到酒的一生。想到它是個有生命的東西。 活著的，有生命的。我總會想到，葡萄生長的那一年裡都發生了什麼，陽光是如何撒滿大地，而下雨的話，又會是什麼樣子。人們又是怎麼照顧那些葡萄和採摘的。如果是一瓶陳酒，那麼已經有多少照顧過那些葡萄的人已經死去。我總是想酒是如何不斷的生長變化的，就好比今天我如果打開了一瓶酒，它的味道一定和其他任何一天打開的時候有所不同。因為酒是有生命的，而且它在不斷的變化並變得更加複雜。直至它達到顛峰狀態，然後就開始了它穩定的，衰老過程，就像你說的61年一樣……
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據說因為這部電影, Pinot Noir酒在04/05聖誕期間銷量猛增了20%,而電影中遭Miles強烈鄙視的Marlot酒則下降了不少.
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還有一處對白, 剛剛獲悉圖書出版又一次遭受挫敗, 備受打擊的Miles和Jack來到河邊的對話, 那種無比失意的感覺在他們灰色幽默的對話中讓人體驗地更為強烈.
 
【精彩對白二】：
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Miles Raymond: Well, the world doesn't give a shit what I have to say. I'm not necessary. Had. I'm so insignificant I can't even kill myself.
 
Jack: Miles, what the hell is that supposed to mean?
 
Miles Raymond: Come on, man. You know. Hemingway, Sexton, Plath, Woolf. You can't kill yourself before you're even published.
 
Jack: What about the guy who wrote Confederacy of Dunces? He killed himself before he was published. Look how famous he is.
 
Miles Raymond: Thanks.
 
Jack: Just don't give up, alright? You're gonna make it.
 
Miles Raymond: Half my life is over and I have nothing to show for it. Nothing. I'am thumbprint on the window of a skyscraper. I'm a smudge of excrement on a tissue surging out to sea with a million tons of raw sewage.
("我渺小地就像是摩天大樓里玻璃窗上的一塊小指紋, 我就是衛生紙上的那一堆排泄物, 急著要衝出來去大海是為了見成千上萬噸更多的污穢")
Jack: See? Right there. Just what you just said. That is beautiful. 'A smudge of excrement... surging out to sea.'
 
Miles Raymond: Yeah.
 
Jack: I could never write that.
 
Miles Raymond: Neither could I, actually. I think it's Bukowsky.
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A smart movie, highly recommended!!!