THERE is a dark horse cantering hard on the rails at this year's Oscars, and its name is Sideways.

Showered with countless rosettes from the critics, Alexander Payne's fourth feature as writer-director is another bittersweet survey of the human condition, based on the novel by Rex Pickett.

Here, Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor focus on the romantic and sexual dalliances of two forty-something men, each burdened with insecurities and emotional scars.

English teacher and wine connoisseur Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) celebrates the impending marriage of his vain actor buddy Jack (Thomas Haden Church) by driving the pair of them off to California wine country for seven days of alcohol, food and golf.

As Jack's best man, Miles intends to give his former college roommate a week to remember for the rest of his life.

Jack intends to use the break for one final fling before tying the knot, and he is determined to find Miles a partner too so that he can stop obsessing about his ex-wife.

"My best man gift to you will be to get you laid," Jack tells him cheerily.

The perfect woman for Miles seems to be waitress Maya (Virginia Madsen), whom the teacher has admired from afar for months and is equally passionate about vino.

However, Miles's lack of self-confidence continually stymies any romantic overtures.

Meanwhile, Jack enjoys a passionate dalliance between the sheets with Maya's friend Stephanie (Sandra Oh), neglecting to mention the fact he has a fiancee waiting for him at home.

Comic misunderstanding follows missed opportunity as these four people search for lasting happiness and a really tasty pinot noir.

Sideways is a beautifully crafted film and the performances are exemplary but with so much hype and expectation riding on such a small movie, it's difficult not to feel a little disappointed.

The 127-minute running time feels long and Payne occasionally breaks the heady spell with an unlikely flight of fancy, like Miles breaking into an overweight waitress's apartment to retrieve Jack's stolen wallet.

Church is in show-stopping form as the blond womaniser in the prime of his bed-hopping middle-aged life and Oh rounds out the cast wonderfully as a fiery-tempered vixen who doesn't take too kindly to Jack's deception.

All of the romantic to-ing and fro-ing culminates in a lingering final shot that proves Payne is a director who knows how to leave you wanting more.

Rating: 8/10