Sliding Doors

Gwyneth is absolutely perfect, John Hannah delivers more one-liners than you could think of and yet never sounds contrived, his total lovability and his accent turn him into this so obvious babe. Jeanne Tripplehorn is cast in this very unrewarding role, yet -in one very memorable monologue especially- she manages to give it more than one "evil" dimension. In fact, all supporting roles are extremelly well-crafted and allow the movie never to see its pace slow down.

I should add that the first time I saw it I was wondering how the story would fall back on its feet in the end and I was so pleased to see how they had dealt with it. Thumbs up ! and thank you for this little gem.


The Meaning of Life   May 11, 1999
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Okay, that's probably a bit over the top, but the movie deserves it. Top marks to Gwyneth for her accent - it's so unusual to hear a convincing English accent from an American (even Helen Beckinsdale - who's English - put on a 'what Americans think we sound like' accent when she played Ross's girlfriend in 'Friends'). The story is simple, yes, and Gwyneth's character is not a ober-babe. She makes stupid mistakes. She's not always intelligent and says the right thing...she's human. It was also very interesting to see how the other characters changed as her life changed, too. Her boyfriend, in one life an uncaring pig, in another desperate to rekindle what he had lost (fat chance). When I watched this, my friend (of the female persuasion) shrieked at the car crash/stairs incident. It's one of those. You'll love the characters, you'll hate what happens to them, but it all makes your own life seem somehow richer.


Absolute Jewel   August 27, 2001
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Gwyneth Paltrow's best film to date, performance-wise, even better (I think) then 'Shakespeare in Love'. She plays Helen, and... Helen. Should be confusing, but surprisingly, isn't. The movie really picks up when Helen, who's just been fired from her major PR job in downtown London, misses a train. And then, rewind, she catches the train. What insues is a delightful, unique, and surpisingly deep film about what her life is like traveling down the two different paths. On one hand, she has lazy, scummy boyfriend Jerry, who you somehow can't help liking at least a little bit (at least, you never hate him as much as you'd like to). He's a great comic presence, confused and trying to do the right thing, but keeps tripping over his own self-indulgent feet. On the other hand, you have John Hannah's character, and good-hearted and hilarious bloke who's original and quite cute. The way Helen reacts with others in a scene is wonderful. Definitely worth watching over and over.


One of my All-Time Faves!   December 31, 1999
 12 out of 14 found this review helpful

This movie always puts a smile on my face. It may not be the most complex storyline, or have amazing special effects. But this movie is still special. This is my "Having a Bad Day" movie. I put it on, and it never fails to put a smile on my face. Even with the opening song, it's just a fun, kick-back and enjoy-the-show movie. Gwyneth Paltrow is my favorite contemporary actress, and she does a superb job in this film. Her English accent is wonderful and fun to listen to, and the comic timing of Gwyneth and John Hannah are amazing, as well as the rest of the cast.

This is the movie to watch if you're feeling down and need a fun pick-me-up. It takes your mind of of things, and for a good 2 hours, you just enjoy!


Fate- like never seen before.   February 14, 2001
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Have you ever had one of those days when you find yourself thinking "if only I caught that bloody train, none of this would have happened"? Well in this beautiful romantic comedy starring Gwenyth Paltrow and John Hanna, that simple question is the primary focus of the story. When Helen, played by Gwenyth Paltrow, misses the train going home her life takes an amazing change in course by showing her life as it would have happened if she caught the train. Athough it sounds confusing in text, the movie clearly presents Helen's destiny one two seperate diverged roads. The symbolism of Helen's two new characters signify how singular events can permanently alter your life forever. John Hanna plays James, the nicer of Helen's boyfriends. Although he is the typical flat male charachter in romantic movies, the viewer never seems to tire of his "cheesiness." He cheers Helen up by quoting Monty Python, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquistion." This also is significant towards the movie's story since it focuses on how nobody can truly expect how their life can change in a split second. Since I don't want to give away the ending I can only tell you that it, in my opinion it symbolizes fate better than I have ever seen before. This movie brilliantly shows us the meaning of life, fate, destiny, and love. I would reccomend it especially for those who seem to feel like life is not going their way or if only things went a little differently everything would be different. I would especially recommend it for anyone who appreciates British humor.