Sliding Doors

I've just finished watching the movie "Sliding Doors", a movie in which two versions of the character Helen's (played by Gwenyth Paltrow) life is mysteriously created. The dual lives carry forward simultaneously and we see how each life plays out, hinging on whether or not Helen catches the train on time.

In one life, Helen catches the train and arrives home to find her lover in bed with another woman. In the other, Helen misses the train and must find an alternate method to get home. The delay causes her to arrive home after her lover's mistress has gone, sparing Helen immediate knowledge of the affair.

The two lives are played out at once, showing the audience in simultaneous fashion where different choices and circumstances lead Helen. Ultimately, the culmination of events leads Helen to the same place in both realities, suggesting that certain things are just so and the choices we make don't have significant bearing on certain things in our lives.

I'm not altogether comfortable with this line of thought, as I prefer to believe that I don't have a future that is unchangeable. I'm dissatisfied with the idea of certain things being fated, and I (un)secretly wish both Helens had died at the end of the movie. As it was, the ending leaves room for unicorn farts and rainbows (to quote two of my favourite ladies) and enough romance to choke on.

I enjoyed the movie despite all the hearts-and-flowers business, and thought it was both well directed and well acted. I think Gwyneth Paltrow does quite well with the British accent, and I especially like the way she says "twat".