Sliding Doors - 7 stars out of 10

Sliding Doors - 7 stars out of 10

This is much more than a chick flick.  "Sliding Doors" does have its cute love story but this film is incredibly creative because of its script.  This unique story examines how one insignificant event (missing a subway train) completely alters a person's life and will have you wondering what insignificant events have changed your life.  Unlike "It's A Wonderful Life," this one shows the two different stories in tandem, alternating scenes along the same timeline.  You have to pay close attention to fully appreciate this film and the parallels between the two universes, as the character ends up in the same places but under different circumstances.  The director cleverly uses a change of hairstyles in one of the storylines to help us distinguish one reality from the other, and I am making this film a lot more confusing than it actually is.  I love that this isn't a "here's what your life would have been" film; rather, we are presented with two possible outcomes and are never sure which one was her actual fate.  Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderful, portraying one character on opposite ends of the happiness spectrum" and this film elevated the lovable John Hannah (the brother from "The Mummy" franchise) from character actor to romantic lead.  John Lynch is despicable and I would struggle to see him as a protagonist in another film due to his excellent character development here, and Jeanne Tripplehorn is great as the biggest "B" that you've ever met.  There were a few times that I was convinced that this movie would end the wrong way, but leave it to the writers to avoid predictability while still providing the perfect ending.  The cover of this film may be a bit off-putting in the Walmart $5 bin, but this movies have some awesome layers that make it worth watching over and over again.