Sliding Doors

Very well made with a nice witty script and a decent pace so it doesn't get bogged down too much. It does look slightly dated though, but that's mostly to do with things like fashion and technology.

I must admit I did find the premise of this film quite interesting; how just a couple of seconds at a crucial moment can make drastic changes to a life did intrigue me. I did enjoy the way it was done but ultimately it is about feelings and relationships which is fine as far as it goes. It did leave me with a few questions by the end and I see that as a good thing; there were certain things open to interpretation and any film that does that is always going to be worth a look, in my view. I will admit I did enjoy it up to a point; I found the characters quite engaging, there is some great dialogue and I even recognised one or two of the tunes! Over all, worth a look but I feel its one of those I'll only watch once (although I've been wrong about that before).

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.2/10

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

S!icing Doors is a very sweet, moving, almost charming comedy, it's a smashing what if story, what if you just made a small change, never caught a train, how would your life go, this film tells that story.

It's hard not to empathise with Helen, she's a sweet character, well meaning, and on the receiving end of a selfish, scheming partner. Paltrow does a cracking job here, made at a time when her popularity was pretty huge, John Hannah perhaps steals it for me.

It has more humour than I remember, there are several laughs throughout, it's good to see how good Paltrow's timing is.

I really did enjoy the soundtrack, some cracking songs, including Aqua's Turn back time, what a difference to Barbie Girl.

7/10.

This caveat should be posted every month or so... you will be confused if you dont give it all your attention.

If you havent got the idea by now, the movie intercuts between two plot flows.

It's an excellent Paltrow exhibition, and not overly smarmy.... and I suppose the Comedy referred to in the classification is meant to be "Human Comedy"

The cast is excellent, the editing is very good - considering the scenario.

I dont care for the ending but sometimes life takes those turns.

Guys.. you had better have your life in order, and be beyond suspicion, to be watching this with your wife or GF.

I don't remember reading a thing about this movie when it originally appeared, and that's odd because I enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow's work. I caught up with it on DVD, and I thought it was a superior movie with an extremely interesting premise and splendid performances by Paltrow's co-stars. Without giving too much away, the film deals with two separate scenarios that evolve from Paltow's (a) catching or (b) missing a subway train. The director manages skillfully to lay the two stories down alongside one another without confusing either one. Although the two Paltrows are distinguished by different hair styles, even that isn't really necessary. She (becomes) happy in one story, desperately unhappy in the other. She succeeds (eventually) in one story, fails in the other. She is the same character but entirely different. As she proved in "Shakespeare in Love," this girl can act. There aren't many films where chance causes alternate fates that are followed through to a rather surprising end. Worth seeing for that reason alone. Plus Gwyneth Paltrow, of course.

I have probably watched this movie about 10 times since its release and still enjoy its twists and turns. John Hannah is simply adorable as James and his Glaswegian sense of humour still makes me laugh out loud even though I know the jokes in advance. Every performance is great but Gwynyth Paltrow deserves a special mention for her faultless role as two different versions of the same woman at once. Without giving anything away, I did not see the ending coming at all the first time through but it was entirely satisfying without being cloyingly Hollywood. Don't expect a cultural masterpiece. Just 'the Spanish inquisition' and some fine entertainment. Highly recommended