Nearly everyone has, at one time or another, played with the notion of "what if." Whether it concerned wishing you had done something different -- maybe just one small thing -- that could have prevented something bad from happening, or kicking yourself for not having done something else that would have changed your life for the better, we've all played that game. Of course, logic dictates that we not cry over spilled milk and that it's all water under the bridge that can't be retrieved, but still, we all persist in thinking about what would have happened had we done just one thing differently.
Taking that notion and turning it into a full-length motion picture, writer/director Peter Howitt (a former Oscar nominated set decorator) has crafted a clever and wry romantic comedy. Allowing us to see how different, and yet how similar one's life would be if just one thing had changed in the past, this story is not only easy to relate to, but also a lot of fun to watch.
Of course a story like this does require an extra dose of attention so that one can remember which version of each character they're watching. It's easy with Helen, for quite early in the story Howitt has one of them injured in a mugging, thus requiring an identifiable bandage. Later on, he then has one of them get a new hairdo thus making it that much simpler to keep track of the "twins." Yet it's those other characters that may give audiences a devil of a time making sure they know which Gerry, James, or other character they're watching at any given moment.
Things could have gotten much more complicated had the two parallel lines suddenly criss- crossed, and while they do bump near each other, they're fortunately kept apart enough to avoid a major headache. Even so, the thought of the many comedic possibilities of such interchanges and mistaken identities with two sets of identical people makes one wonder if this were something that should have been explored. Yes, I'm guilty as charged for wanting to rewrite the script -- and it would have resulted in a completely different movie -- but the thought is still tantalizing.
What's also interesting is that unlike other similar stories ("A Christmas Carol," "It's A Wonderful Life," "Groundhog Day," etc...) where a person's life is inexplicably altered and they learn to become a better human being from their experience, that doesn't occur here. It's as if Howitt is saying that life is only a matter of chance and that we have no control over our destinies. It's also never really explained why this odd phenomenon occurs. While an explanation would have been nice, it turns out it's not overtly necessary and after the brief odd moment where the film suddenly backs up, we never really think about the how's and why's of what did and is currently happening.
A bigger, and nearly devastating problem, however, is the manner in which Howitt resolves the split identity problem. Although everything turns out okay in the end and the characters, like the audience, seem pleased with the finale, the moments leading up to it nearly derail this pleasant little story. Suffice it to say, the route taken to resolve the predicament is quite sudden and shocking, but fortunately isn't damaging enough to ruin the film. Even so, one has to question why Howitt didn't use a more pleasant "fix" to wrap up the story.
On the positive side (which is significantly greater than the sum of our criticisms), the writing is quite good, even beyond the split identity plot concept. The characters are believably written and deliver sharp and witty bits of dialogue that, while never quite nearing what you would call knee- slapping status, are often funny and charming. It's always nice to find characters that seem and sound real, and this film delivers both.
In direction correlation, the performances, for the most part, are good across the board. Currently a quite busy actress, Gwyneth Paltrow ("Great Expectations," "Hush") inhabits her role of dual parts with great ease. Sporting a quite natural sounding English accent (that is actually harder than it seems), she's perfectly believable as both the mousey girlfriend and the now- liberated -- and stronger for her tribulations -- woman. Apart from her role in "Emma," this is her strongest performance of recent and readily showcases her acting abilities. For instance, her perfect deadpan reaction to catching her boyfriend in bed with another woman is comedically priceless.
So is John Hannah ("Four Weddings And A Funeral") as Helen's new boyfriend. Playing an unassuming character -- and Monty Python fanatic -- who's oozing with charm, Hannah is delightful in his role. Given the best lines in the film -- commenting, for instance, on how they should call the Beatles the "Featles" since everyone subconsciously knows their lyrics as they've been passed from mother to fetus through the amniotic fluid while in the womb -- his frequent appearances and funny observations bring a smile to both Helen and the audience.
John Lynch ("Moll Flanders") is perfectly cast as the cad who nearly makes Helen -- and the audience -- think that he's changed his ways and that perhaps she should return to him -- until his real motives ooze to the surface once again. Jeanne Tripplehorn ("'Till There Was You," "Waterworld") is good as the despicable "other woman," although it would have been nice to see what it was about her that Gerry found attractive. Even so, the shallow characterization easily allows us to boo and hiss at her behavior and she does provide some moments of humorous conflict.
This film should please fans of the romantic comedy genre, as well as those who like movies with a "Twilight Zone" fantasy twist. Although we never learn whether the parallel lives plot is supposed to be "real," or whether it's just a "what if" daydream on Helen's part, the concept works and draws us in hook, line, and sinker. Despite the momentary, but near calamitous resolution that almost ruins what came before it, the film is still quite enjoyable and charming. We give "Sliding Doors" a 7.5 out of 10.
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