Sliding Doors

I saw this last Sunday when it was on. Stayed up to 1.50am on a schoolnight too. Tsk tsk.

I don't know why I've never seen this before. I guess I always thought it wasn't my kind of film. Well it turns out, this is exactly my sort of film. I'll try to explain.

I don't mind if a film is shown to preview audiences and changed accordingly. What I don't like is when a film is changed beyond it's original intention because of the preview audience's comments. It's akin to "decision by committee" and we all know why that's always a bad idea. This is a reason that Hitch¹ always irritated me. I love the film, but the ending and one scene that sets up the ending feel like they've been tacked on, and badly at that. They're out of character for the film, as it were.

This film, in some ways, is the polar opposite to that kind of movie. Almost sending it up, in a subtle, intellectual way. Films like How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days always have to be balanced, like the makers are scared of offending half the audience. If the female lead is shown to be nasty and ruthless in love, then the male lead must also be shown to be that way. If one of them is "dating the nerd for a bet", then either the other person needs to be doing something similar, or there has to be the "big redemption scene" at the end.

Sliding Doors breaks away from this trap with the two versions of Gwyneth running about. Each of them encounters different disasters and different joys. And the ending is superb, and quite a shock. No happily ever after, but a nice 'maybe, just maybe...'

Score B+ Entertaining. Good for comedy/entertainment value, worth seeing. Possible contender for the DVD collection.

OQ 'You know what the Monty Python fellows always say...'

¹I don't know if Hitch was shown to preview audiences and changed, but the two scenes just feel like that's what happened.