Recent Netflix release Look both ways is a pleasant, airy romantic comedy about life’s limitless possibilities and those twisting forks in the road that make you think “what if…?” Viewers who are young enough to be particularly interested in this film may be too young to remember a similar 1998 film: Peter HowittX Sliding doors. This film uses the same innovative storytelling techniques to explore more than one story of its protagonist, her life trajectory split into two timelines by one fateful circumstance.

Look both ways talks about a young college graduate, Natalie, played by Lili Reinhart (riverdale), whose world is turned upside down the night she suspects she might be pregnant after she has a one-night stand with her friend Gabe (Danny Ramirez). The moment Natalie reads the results of her pregnancy test, two storylines unfold at the same time. In one of them, a childless Natalie moves to Los Angeles with her best friend Kara (Aisha Dee) to pursue his dream career in animation. In another, Natalie discovers that she is actually pregnant with Gabe’s child and they move in with her parents to quietly raise their daughter as platonic parents. These stories take place over the years to track Natalie’s progress in both scenarios.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Same plot, different tones

AT Sliding doors, Gwyneth Paltrow plays Helen, whose paths part ways as she races home on the subway after being fired from her public relations job. In one case, she takes the train, and in the other, she misses it and returns home late. The timing of her unexpected return to the apartment determines whether she catches her boyfriend cheating on her with his ex. Two very different versions of Helen develop depending on whether she stays with a partner who is clearly using her, or if she catches him in the act and runs away.

These two films have quite a lot in common. Since they are both romantic comedies, we get not one, but two the leading men in the film - one for each portrayal of Natalie and Helen’s life. Both female leads are driven, career-focused young women who struggle to establish themselves in their respective industries. Both films use haircuts as a way to identify which version of their protagonist belongs to which plot; a sporty short haircut is a win-win option for a rethink! Tonally, however, the two pieces could not have been more different. Sliding doors relentlessly dramatic, teeming with deceit and manipulation with a matching dark, dreary palette. Look both ways light and idyllic, there is a noticeable lack of adversity among all the characters, which is why the film takes on a more observational tone, simply because the stakes are so low.

Aside from the challenges of making her first major life decisions as a fresh graduate, Natalie leads a very charming life. The visuals sing as they use two different color temperatures to distinguish one storyline from another. Her life as a mom is tinged with subdued, cool blues, while her life in Los Angeles is filled with bright, warm light. Suits also adhere to these color rules and are a very effective way to signal a switch. Natalie’s passion for art is also used when drawings convey the passage of time or the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

Two very different characters

While these films use the same ingenious plot devices to explore questions of fate and uncertainty, they are different rather than the same. First, the representations of the female protagonists are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Helen, starting with the fact that the film collapsed to the very bottom, spends most of her time on the screen unhappy and angry. Because of this, we learn very little about the true nature of her as a person, she is closed to others and closed to her audience. Natalie, on the other hand, is painfully vulnerable. Her penchant for hiding her heart on her sleeve is fitting for a wide-eyed LA freshman, but her naivety and lack of real-life experience often come across as immature. The honesty that Reinhart brings to this role goes a long way, and this likable character proves appealing to young viewers looking for a little comfort among all the unknowns of growing up.

The most noticeable difference between the two films is how much choice is given to the protagonist as he navigates the circumstances of his many lives. Natalie’s constant focus on her own choices demonstrates that the screenwriter April Prosser and director Vanuri Kahiu I want to convey this message to a young audience: choice is power. This ideology is especially evident when Gabe first learns that Natalie is pregnant, and this constantly proves to be a major theme throughout the film. Natalie is at the wheel of her life. Often we can observe that fear keeps her from certain choices, but at every step she shapes her own destiny. AT Sliding doors, Helen is portrayed as a victim of circumstance. The unexpected pregnancy is used as a defining moment for both Helen and Natalie. Where Natalie is given the opportunity to decide how she wants to act, Helen does not. She unexpectedly loses her child - in both timelines - through tragic accidents.

It’s all about choice

For that matter, Helen’s whole story is what happens to her. From the very beginning, the timing of her train determines the trajectory of the story, she remains in the dark with important information and takes an extremely passive approach when adjusting her life after it falls apart. The men in her life seem to have more influence over her actions than she does, and as a result, the overall storyline hinges on their intentions more than hers. This approach to a female protagonist will never be popular today, so younger female viewers are more likely to resonate with the story’s incarnation in 2022.

Both films use a sort of narrative meeting point to connect the two lives of their main characters. In Helen’s case, the cycle of her story ends with her finding her soul mate even in a timeline where they’ve never met before. For a romantic comedy, knowing that your true love is just around the corner, no matter how many degrees of separation there may be, is somewhat comforting. However, in her other life, once she finds happiness with this man, she just dies. This is not quite the image of a woman who decided to change her life for the better. Common moments in Natalie’s stories include her visit to South by South West after a long period of rethinking and focusing on her art. Sure, she finds love in the end, but in the film’s closing moments, we’re reminded that despite the ups and downs, Natalie’s path is her own path, mistakes and all. Her confidence and comfort in the life she has created encourages others to look down their winding paths with the same contentment and satisfaction.

New story for a new audience

Look both ways maybe not a perfect movie, but the improvements this story chose to include distinguish its style from Sliding doors despite their similarities. Look both ways demonstrates that in life there is no unambiguously right or wrong, just different. Both of Natalie’s lives are filled and completed in their own way. Unlike Look both waysplayful tone, Sliding doors feel claustrophobic. The notion that Helen’s story painstakingly revolves around other characters, especially her love interests, makes her seem contrived, and the situations she finds herself in seem uncomfortable and forced as a result. Natalie isn’t a saint either, she too tends to wallow in self-pity and is pretty bad at coping with some challenges, but it’s a step in a new direction for adult teen rom-com protagonists. The opportunity to reinvent this story with a more modern set of values ​​suggests that viewers’ appetites change depending on how young women and love are portrayed in movies; especially in films aimed at younger audiences. Sliding doors walked so that Look both ways could walk…a little faster. Maybe it works in a different timeline?