Gwyneth Paltrow (Helen), John Hannah (James), John Lynch (Gerry), Jeanne Tripplehorn (Lydia), Nina Young (Claudia), Virginia McKenna (James' Mom), Kevin McNally (Paul), Terry English (Cabbie).
Sliding Doors begins with some mild character introduction and background before the plot begins to unfold. As the two alternate timelines begin to take shape the theme holds interest well and both stories develop nicely. Past the first half of the film however, things begin to feel a bit psychotic as the realities overlap and blend to some extend. Things are finally unwound a bit and the film finishes about as expected, but also on a bit of a flat note as the hanging philosophical question is pretty much swept aside.
Acting was pretty good in Sliding Doors with Paltrow delivering quite well as usual. Hannah was an interesting choice to play against Paltrow, and felt very much like a mismatch at first, but he pulled it off well and managed to fit nicely. Lynch was solid with reasonable delivery. Tripplehorn fit her role perfectly and was enjoyable as always, as was the remainder of the cast.
Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are good and appear to use natural sets and scenery most of the time. Action scenes are mild, often funny, and enjoyable. Dialogue is solid and fits the film well. Sound and soundtrack are good.
Overall Sliding Doors is an enjoyable Romantic Comedy with some nice laughs and a dose of moral dilemma. What it doesn't have is a well done ending, leaving us feel like there was a lot of buildup without satisfaction. Genre fans should enjoy this one.
With some sexuality, mild violence, and mild foul language this should be fine for mature teens and above.
Released: 1998
Reviewed: 9.7.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Romance, Comedy, British Movies, British Romance
copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel
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