Wonderful character development!

Absolutely Brilliant!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

A great movie which depicts two possible outcomes for random situations, so in essence you watch two movies for the expense of one in time without the usual drag of boring bits. Well worth watching.

This movie is right up there with The Princess Bride, except it has a time dimensional twist. I just watched it for the 5th time, in a few years. It never disappoints. The first time I saw it I couldn't believe what I'd just seen! I just sat back and said, "Wow!" , and I've literally been thinking about the movie ever since, in one way or another. it's the kind of movie you expect to hear Rod Serlings voice at the end.It is a very clever story, with 2 paths of Helen's life being depicted throughout the movie, same characters, similar events, but different life decisions and subsequent fallout. Both paths are very interesting, and the movie does a great job of seamlessly letting you know which path you are watching at any point in time. Although a simple story, the developing plot had me hooked the entire movie. I loved it, beginning to end. I don't think it is really a comedy, I would call it more a drama. It is a very serious look at life, paths taken and not taken, and destiny. Paltrow is her charming, adorable self, her character very engaging, and a masterful actress.

Unlike most romcoms Sliding Doors has a touch more intelligence, wit and depth. It uses as its pivotal moment how one woman's life splits at the missing or catching of a train and the different consequences of each event. We've all said "what would have happened if..." and this film opens with that premise.The film is average, although there are great performances. I love John Hannah and he's always convincing and steady whatever he plays. Gwyneth Paltrow playing the two parallel life Helens is good, not brilliant, and a little bit flat, but it was perhaps perfect for this role where she goes through quite a bit. John Lynch and Jeanne Tripplehorn (both rather wooden) and a great Zara Turner adding a few laughs as the feisty supportive best friend are the supporting cast. Whilst quite a dark film, there's a fair bit of comedy. Set in a rather sterile looking London (I've never seen the Tube look so perfect), it's an intriguing concept and is executed well, the split easily and not-improbably identified via Helen's change of hair length and colour, and so you follow the two Helen's to the conclusion implying that - like all love stories - true love (probably) triumphs no matter how bumpy the road. Like time travel films (this is a similar though a different phenomenon) there are possible loopholes that you can talk yourself around to ponder. Sliding Doors is interesting and different, and whilst it's not Shakespeare in Love (my fav Paltrow film) or anything high brow it's good entertainment and greatly thought provoking.

The central plot device notwithstanding, "Sliding Doors" is a formulaic romantic comedy, with Paltrow a seemingly reluctant constant in the middle of the formula. (Peter Howitt, writer and director, does deserve credit for not trying to explain how the two wormholes through the romantic cosmos diverge--rather just presenting the intertwined versions of Helen's life). Jeanne Tripplehorn and John Lynch are each a lot of fun to watch. Lynch maintains a wonderfully dazed and confused demeanor in the face of womankind on the warpath, and Tripplehorn trods said warpath with great brio. Their lines aren't original, but they get into the spirit. The climax of the movie (no spoilers here) seems way contrived, and it disturbs whatever flow has been developed: writer-running-out-of-ideas material. Douglas McFerran, as Gerry's de rigueur funny mate, does a workmanlike job in magnifying Gerry's angst.