Gwyneth Paltrow is magnificent in Sliding Doors

After seeing Sliding Doors, one begins to think that the best comedy comes from situations that are never fully explained. For example, the 1988 romantic comedy Big starring Tom Hanks. In this film, a young boy makes a wish while playing with a mystical arcade game. The next day, his wish came true: he was an adult. Another example would be the recent Jim Carrey film, Liar Liar. In that one, a young boy wishes that his father wouldn't be able to lie for one day, and it comes true. The comical situations that arise in these two movies are riotous, and both contain moral themes (the latter film laid them on pretty thick, though).

So here comes Sliding Doors, a new romantic comedy from Peter Howitt which doesn't bother to explain its rather simple premise. The story centers around Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow), an advertising executive who suddenly gets fired one day for stealing four bottles of liquor. On her way home, the fateful event occurs, setting the film's main plot into motion. Trying to catch the subway before it leaves, she runs down a flight of stairs, only to have to move around a young girl standing in her way. She barely misses the train. Unexpectedly, the film rewinds itself, and then proceeds to re-run the situation, only having the young girl's mother pull her out of Helen's way. This time, she does catch the train, hopping through the sliding doors just before they shut.

The film launches into two different timelines--or more like dimensions. Helen #1 (I will have to refer to both as Helen #1 and #2) catches the train, and meets James (John Hannah), a Monty Python fan who happened to pick up her earring in the elevator at her office. After some awkward moments of conversation, James gets off, and Helen #1 follows. She apologizes for her behavior, and then goes home--only to catch her live-in boyfriend, Gerry (John Lynch), "shagging" Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). All of this goes on while Helen #2 tries to hail a cab, gets mugged, goes to the hospital, and returns home just after Lydia leaves. She walks in, and the only thing she notices is the two glasses sitting on the dresser.

Normally I would give away a little more of the plot, but since experiencing the film's tricky plot is half the fun, I will digress. Films of this type have been done before, but not in a comical way. Krzysztof Kieslowski, the French director, has displayed this type of a theme before in his movies, particularly the wonderful Red, which shows how the main character hits a dog and how that changes her life forever. Everyone is fascinated by this type of a story because everyone has looked back at some point in there lives and thought, "If only I had done this thing differently..." Helen gets to experience this, though not to her knowledge. In one dimension, she exists as a long-haired redhead, while in another, she is a blonde (mostly in order to clear up any confusion between switching timelines).

Director/writer Peter Howitt makes his debut with this witty and stylish film. Howitt took it to the Sundance Film Festival where it played successfully, and picked up a distributor quite quickly. Thankfully, Miramax is going to give the film a wide distribution, and everyone will have a chance to see this crowd-pleasing film. One important thing that the screenplay does right is it entertains as well as ask philosophical questions. Everyone can appreciate this, whether you are looking for an intelligent film that challenges the mind, or for a great date film.

The screenplay masterfully balances both timelines, making us care about what happens to Helen in each. Usually, a film of this type focuses in on one particular timeline, and letting the other one fade into the background. Sliding Doors combines the two simply by occasionally having Helen in the same location. This allows director Howitt to transfer easily from Helen #1 to Helen #2. Unfortunately, one of the few flaws of this film is that some audience members will be confused that James doesn't recognize Helen #2. This mostly comes from a confusion of the central premise. In actuality, the film goes along in two different timelines, but some people may think that both Helen's are occupying the same time and space. In one, Helen breaks up with her boyfriend and meets James; in another, Helen never meets James, therefore he never acknowledges her presence. Aside from this, the script is smart, witty, and very funny. The dialogue is always well-written, sometimes incorporating pop-culture references, such as a hilarious Seinfeld crack.

Of course, what makes the film work is its charming cast of characters whom range from normal to zany. Mostly, though, the characters are down-to-earth and smart, reacting to everything as normal people would. Gwyneth Paltrow gives her best performance to date, besting her turn in Emma. Paltrow adopts a flawless British accent, and then lets us joyfully experience her situations. She projects Helen #1 as an insecure woman struggling to get through a male-dominated occupation, and then changing into a confident and carefree woman. She keeps her insecurity on hand for Helen #2, but she still grows emotionally. Paltrow steals the film, and shows that she isn't just a pretty face to be left with small roles (Seven, though she added a lot to that character). John Hannah is enjoyable and fun to watch. John Lynch has a difficult job, because he has to react separately to both different situations (Hannah is only exposed to one). Lynch pulls it off successfully, creating a very good character. Jeanne Tripplehorn sometimes got rather annoying with her tries at broad humor, but she does succeed overall at creating a good villain who is not stupid. One of the supporting cast requires acknowledgment, and that is Douglas McFerran, Gerry's best friend. McFerran has the aforementioned Seinfeld line, but he also steals every scene he is in. His slightly over-the-top performance is a crowd-pleaser, but does serve as sort of a moral advisor for Gerry. The acting, overall, is strong and fits the film perfectly.

I also want to make a special note to two things: Peter Howitt, and the music. I want to mention Howitt again, mainly to bring up his inventive ways of separating the two dimensions without confusing audiences. As you would suspect, it would be difficult to present a film that contains two characters with the same personality and appearance (Big Business succeeded because both sets of twins had mismatched personalities). So Howitt skillfully gives us a marker, which he slyly intertwines with the plot. At first, Helen #2 hits her head, and gets a nasty cut. She has to have it bandaged, and this allows us to see the distinction between timelines. As the wound heals, we grow increasingly afraid that we will be lost trying to figure out which Helen we are watching. Just then, Helen #1 gets a new haircut in order to celebrate her liberation. It's a very smart move by Howitt. Also of note, Howitt slyly adds quite a few sliding doors into the action. At first, it is mildly distracting, but then we get caught up in the plot, and we forget that he is still putting these in (my favorite is when she stands next to two of them which open and close repeatedly). Secondly, the music is mostly comprised of a variety of songs from mostly unknown musicians (at least, according to this critic's knowledge of music). Most of the music has relevance to the plot, and most directors just choose music that is appropriate for the setting (The Wedding Singer suffered because of this). One of my favorites is Have Fun, Go Mad by Blair. It begins the film with a great feeling and a great tune. Also worthy of note is Turn Back Time by Aqua (one of the two that I have heard of). This song gives the film a summation of the events that we will see, and it boosts the themes by itself.

Sliding Doors is rated R for sex and profanity, and a little bit of violence. Mostly profanity, though. Sliding Doors is a wonderful treat from Sundance, which usually releases serious dramas. This romantic comedy is a surprise, and one that should not be forgotten about. Paltrow is appealing and makes for a great and loveable heroine, while the rest of the cast must balance delicately between the timelines. I haven't seen a film like this in a long time, and it's a great pleasure to witness it. The greatest forms of comedic films are those that express morals while entertaining the audience. Sliding Doors is no exception.