What different path would your life follow if you happened to say, miss a tube-train by only a second? What effect would that second have on your life? Would it be different? Or is your destiny inextricably mapped out?
Sliding Doors, directed by Peter Howett (of 'Bread' fame) explores this question, following the life of recently fired PR Girl Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) as she misses a train in one scenario but catches it in another. The movie cleverly switches between the two storylines - in the first, after catching the train, Helen arrives home early to find her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) enthusiastically entertaining his brash American bit-on-the-side (the ever-sexy Jeanne Tripplehorn). In the other, missing the train, she arrives home much later to find Gerry guiltily washing the mornings pleasures from his body, unsuspecting of her boyfriends propensity to roll around with sexy American women.
It's an interesting premise and one that Peter Howett has directed with assured authority - no mean feat for a directorial debut. Helen is played wonderfully by Paltrow, sporting a convincing plummy English accent (which also pops
up in 'Shakespeare In Love') and I found it to be quite an under-stated performance but no-less effective because of that. She's a Hollywood A-lister for a reason - she oozes magnetism and radiance on screen. Gerry, the selfish wayward boyfriend struggling to complete his first novel, I found hard to believe. His mannerisms, verging on Woody Allen-type neurosis, make him come across as weak and bumbling - not particularly endearing qualities. Helen even points this out to him much to his chagrin. All through the film I kept thinking to myself, 'how has this idiot managed to snare both Gwyneth Paltrow AND Jeanne Tripplehorn?'. It doesn't seem possible. Tripplehorn in particular seems out of sorts with the character. We're led to believe she's a confident, strong, high-flying career woman and yet she's happy to play second fiddle to a dour, almost prude-like, Paltrow. Maybe this happens? I don't know, but in this case, it's stretching the imagination a little too far.
The supporting cast play their parts well with John Hannah in a charming, restrained turn as James, a romantic suitor to Helen after she kicks out Gerry. He comes across as very much the good-guy of the piece - a quality he seems to bring to any role he undertakes. Gerry's best friend, the loutish and eternally pub-bound Russell (Douglas McFerran), nabs a great comedic role with some of the best lines in the film. As Gerry moans about his lack of ability in keeping two girlfriends happy, Russell bursts into laughter, stating it's the problems in Gerry's life that only manages to get him through to the next episode of Seinfeld.
To distinguish between the two parallel plot lines, Howett sees fit to give Helen a drastic haircut in one of them (perhaps washing that man right out of her hair?) - helping the viewer to follow each story and there are lots of nice little touches that explain the similarity in events between the lives of the two Helens. In one scene, Helen is seen shouting excitedly as her new boyfriend James competes in a rowing race on the Thames. The view quickly changes to the 'other' Helen, walking down a tow-path, a rowing boat seen anonymously in the background, seemingly playing no part in this facet of Helens duality. In another, Helen is seen commiserating the loss of her job by drinking herself to distraction in a bar with Gerry. James is in the background, talking to a friend and paying no attention to the inebriated couple. Helen number 2 however, is seen drinking in the same bar, commiserating the loss of a job AND her boyfriend to which James sidles over, offering sympathy, a shoulder to cry on and a taxi home - nicely setting up the subsequent relationship.
Director Howett arranges some lovely scenes which are befitting of a romantic comedy. Helen and James, on an early date, float on the Thames in a small rowing boat with one of the London bridges lit up behind them in sartorial splendour. It's a pivotal scene as Helen and James tentatively try out their feelings for one another and is rendered more heart-warming against such a splendid backdrop. Another scene, set in an American-style diner, works particularly well with Hannah on top form helping to bring Helen out of her cheating boyfriend, lost-job malaise.
As a romantic comedy, the film works well. As a discourse on the nature of fatalism and destiny, it's probably too light to engage on a philosophical level. That being said, it's directed with a very clever and sympathetic hand by Howett, making the two story-line structure believable and easy enough to follow. Overall, it's a likeable, watchable film with an interesting and engaging premise, played with conviction by the actors and it's a great film to watch with the missus or intended loved one.
Running time: 99 minutes Director and Screenplay: Peter Howitt Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Zara Turner
Trivia: Peter Howett played 'Joey Boswell' in the long-running BBC 'sitcom' (used loosely) before turning his hand to directing. He appears in the film as a drunken customer trying to hassle Paltrow in her job as a waitress.
The idea of two parallel plot-lines was used in an episode of Frasier entitled, 'Sliding Frasiers'.
John Hannah AND Jeanne Tripplehorn have both appeared in episodes of Frasier.
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Nice concept, shaky execution--that about sums up the mixed blessings of British actor ... more
Peter Howitt's intelligent but forgivably flawed debut as a writer-director. It's got more emotional depth than most frothy romantic comedies and its central idea--t...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Nice concept, shaky execution--that about sums up the mixed blessings of British actor ... more
Peter Howitt's intelligent but forgivably flawed debut as a writer-director. It's got more emotional depth than most frothy romantic comedies and its central idea--t...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
The split-second moments that can take a life down one path instead of another form the ... more
tantalizing 'what if?' in this delightful romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow.Paltrow plays London publicist Helen, effortlessly sliding between parallel story...
Advantages: Good story, original idea, good actors, very moving Disadvantages: Getting used to Helen's character at the start - she seems a bit 'plastic'
Deenie 09.08.2001 ·
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Review of Sliding Doors (DVD)
![Sliding Doors [DVD] [1998]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78539865.jpg "Sliding Doors [DVD] [1998]")
Feb 18th, 2008
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