What if…you could view your life from two separate angles to see what would happen if one significant moment had gone slightly different? Peter Howitt depicts this scenario in his screenwriting/directorial debut “Sliding Doors.” A story about love and loss, time and fate, “Sliding Doors” examines life’s destiny and how one small incident can change its course forever.Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) portrays a young PR executive living in London with her aspiring novelist boyfriend, Gerry (John Lynch). Her life changes significantly one morning when she is unexpectedly fired from her job. On her way home, Helen misses the London Tube (subway) by a mere second. But what if she had made it? “Sliding Doors” explores this question by taking one woman’s life down two different paths – one in which Helen catches the tube, while in the other one she misses it.On the tube Helen meets the sarcastic and witty James (John Hannah) and instantly becomes intrigued by his obvious attempts at conversation. After a short time, he reveals his interest in Helen but she graciously spurns his overtures. When Helen gets home she finds her beloved Gerry in bed with his ex-girlfriend, Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). With her relationship with Gerry in upheaval and her life in despair, Helen ventures to a bar in order to drink away her sorrows. Fate reacquaints Helen and James when he arrives at the bar and spots the distraught young woman. His sense of humor distracts Helen from her problems long enough for a special bond to form between them. This day marks the beginning of a new life for Helen, with a new career to come and a new man in her life. Meanwhile, the other Helen misses the tube. She hails a taxi and almost gets mugged while she is waiting for it to stop. After a short detour, Helen returns home too late to catch her boyfriend with his lover. The unsuspecting Helen tells Gerry about her horrible day while basking in the comfort of his arms. At the end of the day, the unemployed Helen has no idea her lover has been unfaithful to her and she faces the future with an aura of hopelessness.Contributing to this movie’s intrigue are its realistic characters and the actors who portray them. With a perfect British accent, Paltrow portrays two distinct women who were once the same. The single Helen acknowledges her chance for a new start at life. With eagerness, she explores a happy existence making the most out of each opportunity. The other Helen’s life freezes in time. Each new day resembles the one before. She settles for part-time jobs and remains absorbed with her unfaithful boyfriend. The most fascinating aspect of this movie was the simultaneous enactment of one woman’s life. Even though Helen’s life takes two separate courses, the similarities between the two become apparent. For example, in one scene Helen is in the bar drinking by herself until James joins her. In the same scene, the other Helen enters the bar with Gerry and walks right by James. Various times throughout the movie, both Helens ended up in the same place at the same time, but in different lives. Without paying close attention, it could become tricky to tell them apart, especially in the beginning of the movie.Overall, the biggest flaw of the movie is that in some parts it dragged. Toward the end, both of Helen’s lives are going well and the action slows down considerably. But the action rises once again, so it doesn’t drag for an extensive amount of time.Although the movie takes the form of a romantic comedy, it tackles deep philosophical questions such as fate and destiny. This inventive plot explores life’s possibilities by taking one significant moment and testing other possible outcomes. “Sliding Doors” creates curiosity and intrigue for the audience.