Gwyneth is absolutely perfect, John Hannah delivers more one-liners than you could think of and yet never sounds contrived, his total lovability and his accent turn him into this so obvious babe. Jeanne Tripplehorn is cast in this very unrewarding role, yet -in one very memorable monologue especially- she manages to give it more than one "evil" dimension. In fact, all supporting roles are extremelly well-crafted and allow the movie never to see its pace slow down.

I should add that the first time I saw it I was wondering how the story would fall back on its feet in the end and I was so pleased to see how they had dealt with it. Thumbs up ! and thank you for this little gem.


The Meaning of Life   May 11, 1999
hockhamb@hotmail.com (England)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Okay, that's probably a bit over the top, but the movie deserves it. Top marks to Gwyneth for her accent - it's so unusual to hear a convincing English accent from an American (even Helen Beckinsdale - who's English - put on a 'what Americans think we sound like' accent when she played Ross's girlfriend in 'Friends'). The story is simple, yes, and Gwyneth's character is not a ober-babe. She makes stupid mistakes. She's not always intelligent and says the right thing...she's human. It was also very interesting to see how the other characters changed as her life changed, too. Her boyfriend, in one life an uncaring pig, in another desperate to rekindle what he had lost (fat chance). When I watched this, my friend (of the female persuasion) shrieked at the car crash/stairs incident. It's one of those. You'll love the characters, you'll hate what happens to them, but it all makes your own life seem somehow richer.


Absolute Jewel   August 27, 2001
K. Dickson (New England, USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Gwyneth Paltrow's best film to date, performance-wise, even better (I think) then 'Shakespeare in Love'. She plays Helen, and... Helen. Should be confusing, but surprisingly, isn't. The movie really picks up when Helen, who's just been fired from her major PR job in downtown London, misses a train. And then, rewind, she catches the train. What insues is a delightful, unique, and surpisingly deep film about what her life is like traveling down the two different paths. On one hand, she has lazy, scummy boyfriend Jerry, who you somehow can't help liking at least a little bit (at least, you never hate him as much as you'd like to). He's a great comic presence, confused and trying to do the right thing, but keeps tripping over his own self-indulgent feet. On the other hand, you have John Hannah's character, and good-hearted and hilarious bloke who's original and quite cute. The way Helen reacts with others in a scene is wonderful. Definitely worth watching over and over.


Interesting Concept, fulfilling development   December 13, 1999
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

This movie must've started with someone wonderng "What if?" as we've all done. From there, it keeps viewers interested by turning into a double feature of sorts, What if Helen catches the train? What is she doesn't catch the train? I was first interested in this movie because of the interesting premise, but it more than delivered. A very satisfying movie, and very entertaining, I recommend it highly!