Sliding Doors (Gwyneth Paltrow)

(Amazon UK link)

I don’t know why Amazon recommended this film to me, unless it’s that I’ve liked other films with Gwyneth Paltrow. However, the blurb sounded intriguing, and I put it on my wishlist. I was given it for Christmas a few weeks ago, and we watched it on Monday evening. I was surprised to learn afterwards that it's twenty years old; it didn't feel particularly dated at all.

I knew, from the description on the back of the DVD, that it was the story of a young woman called Helen who is shown in two parallel lives, depending on whether or not she makes a particular action. It’s just as well I knew this in advance or I might have been confused. It’s no spoiler to mention this, as the turning point happens quite early in the story.

Helen lives with her boyfriend Gerry. He is an aspiring writer, and she commutes to an office where she works to support them both. On the day when we meet them, she is given the sack so has to go home early. What she doesn’t know is that Gerry is having an affair…

As Helen rushes for the train, she just misses it. Then there’s a back-track when we see her getting to the platform just in time to catch it. From that point, there are two parallel stories. In the one where she catches the train, she sits next to a chatty young man called James (John Hannah) - and then, inevitably, walks in on Gerry with his other lover. When she misses the train, she gets involved in an accident so does not arrive home until her normal time - and is met instead with sympathy and affection.

As the film progresses, the two strands of Helen’s future diverge more and more. In one she gets a glamorous haircut which makes it much easier to remember which life we’re seeing. Sometimes the same basic scenario is shown from two different perspectives, depending on what Helen knows, and whether or not she is still living with Gerry.

There’s quite a bit of humour in the film, mostly from James. I kept wondering where I had seen his distinctive face before, and afterwards discovered that John Hannah was in the classic ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. James is a very likeable person, which makes it all the more shocking when Helen (in the first scenario) discovers something unexpected about him…

While the storyline itself is far-fetched, it’s a thought-provoking idea to show how a life can change so dramatically depending on such a small incident. I wondered how it was going to end, and thought it was managed very well indeed. Moreover, there’s a strong hint that some things are meant to be, and will happen eventually.

Some poignant moments, some great acting, and an ultimately satisfying film. Definitely recommended. The 15 rating (PG-13 in the US) is about right, in my opinion. There are ‘bedroom’ scenes which, while not explicit, are rather obvious, and there’s some bad language including some normally considered ‘strong’. It’s not the kind of film that would appeal to anyone under the age of about fifteen anyway.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews