Task: Sentiment Analysis
Input (English): eddie murphy has had his share of ups and downs during his career .
known for his notorious late 80 's slump , murphy has still managed to bounce back with a handful of hits in the past few years .
with the exception of the dreadful holy man , he appears to be on pace for a full - fledged comeback .
life was a great move on the part of murphy and co - star martin lawrence , because it 's a great showcase for both actors that never resorts to slap - sticky drivel . director ted demme is smart enough to realize that the two comedians can generate enough genuine laughs on their own , and does n't insert a distracting plot to back them up .
life is , in a sense , one great balancing act with murphy on one end and lawrence on the other .
amazingly , the scale never tips in either 's favor due to the marvelous chemistry and wonderful contrast that each actor allows the other .
as the movie opens , we 're introduced to ray gibson ( eddie murphy ) , a two - timing pickpocket who schmoozes his way into a club .
there
he meets a successful businessman named claude banks ( martin lawrence ) .
somehow , after multiple contrivances , the mismatched pair find themselves on their way to mississippi on a moonshine run .
when all is said and done , ray and claude have been framed for a murder that was actually committed by the town sheriff .
hence the setting of life : mississippi state prison , where the main characters come to realize their unlikely friendship is important , and become set on finding an fool - proof escape plan .
the film takes us from the 30 's all the way to the 90 's , presenting a difficult task in showing how the aging process affects ray and claude .
luckily , rick baker handles the makeup effects of the two actors in a fantastic , academy award caliber manner .
not only do we believe the characters look as if they 're 90 years old , but they sound like it , too .
murphy and lawrence are completely convincing in the lead roles , even as crotchety old cons bickering over a game of cards .
this is just one of the pleasant surprises that the film has tucked up it 's sleeve . while the ads are marketing life as a straight arrow comedy , there is a hefty amount of dramatic material hidden at it 's core .
but the comedic aspects work wonderfully , wisely drawing strength from the talents of the two stars .
the movie is more of a comedy than it is a drama , but in both senses , it 's an overwhelming delight .
i could say a few bad things about the movie , but i do n't want to .
it 's such a nice surprise , such a great vehicle for eddie murphy and martin lawrence , that it warrants a huge smile as the credits begin to roll .
Output (English): P