In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.

[Q]: any remake of an alfred hitchcock film is at best an uncertain project , as a perfect murder illustrates .
frankly , dial m for murder is not one of the master director 's greatest efforts , so there is ample room for improvement .
unfortunately , instead of updating the script , ironing out some of the faults , and speeding up the pace a little , a perfect murder has inexplicably managed to eliminate almost everything that was worthwhile about dial m for murder , leaving behind the nearly- unwatchable wreckage of a would - be ' 90s thriller .
almost all suspense films are loaded with plot implausibilities .
the best thrillers keep viewers involved enough in what 's going on so that these flaws in logic do n't become apparent until long after the final credits have rolled .
unfortunately , in a perfect murder , the faults are often so overt that we become aware of them as they 're happening .
this is a very bad sign .
not only do such occurrences shatter any suspension of disbelief , but they have the astute viewer looking for the next such blunder .
of course , in the case of a perfect murder , at least that gives an audience member something to do besides concentrating on the inane plot and the lifeless , cardboard characters .
a perfect murder is n't a strict remake of dial m for murder , but it does borrow heavily from frederick knott 's play ( which was also the source material for hitchcock 's version , as well as a 1981 made - for - tv retelling ) .
emily hayes ( gwyneth paltrow ) is the wealthy wife of powerful wall street mover - and - shaker steven hayes ( michael douglas ) .
their marriage is n't going well -- emily resents steven 's controlling instincts , and , as a form of rebellion , she is having an affair with a penniless painter , david shaw ( viggo mortensen ) .
when steven learns of the relationship , he decides to confront david , but his approach is n't that of a typical cuckolded husband .
instead of yelling or threatening , steven offers david a proposal that 's too good to resist : for $ 500 , 000 in cash ( $ 100 , 000 before , the rest after ) , he is to break into steven 's new york apartment and kill emily .
( of course , after getting the first payment , david never bothers to ask how he 's supposed to get the rest . )
ultimately , i 'm not sure which of the three main characters we 're supposed to be sympathetic to : the cold - hearted husband , who wants his wife dead so he can get his hands on her fortune ; her mercenary lover , who is willing to do the deed for half - a - million ; or the woman , who is happily carrying on an extramarital affair .
not only are these individuals all profoundly dislikable , but they 're not interesting .
( it 's possible to make a good movie with detestable characters -- see reservoir dogs -- but there has to be something compelling about them , which , in this case , there is n't . )
steven , emily , and david are all lifted directly from the screenwriting 101 text book on stereotypes .
the actors in this film are obviously just on hand to get their paychecks .
michael douglas is playing the kind of heartless tycoon that he can do in his sleep -- he 's gordon gekko with an unfaithful wife .
gwyneth paltrow , who was recently delightful and appealing in sliding doors , is simply awful here .
she now has the dubious distinction of have starred in two of 1998 's worst thrillers ( the other being hush ) .
at least viggo mortensen ( g .
i .
jane ) has a little fun with his part , but then he usually does interesting things even in bad movies .
the thin supporting cast includes david suchet , the star of " poirot , " as a police inspector , and sarita choudhury ( kama sutra ) as emily 's best friend .
a perfect murder is a plodding production that generates almost no suspense from beginning to end .
there are n't many twists and turns in the unexpectedly linear script , which makes the ending inevitable almost from the start .
it 's surprising to see director andrew davis , the man behind the fugitive , involved in this mess
, but , like his stars , he too needs to earn a living .
it 's just that remaking hitchcock , and doing it so badly
, hardly seems to be an honorable way to go about getting the dough .
[A]: N


[Q]: there 's more to a quilt than fabric and thread -- each patchwork design has its own unique story ( or stories ) to tell .
in how to make an american quilt , the first hollywood release from australian director jocelyn moorhouse ( proof ) , we come to understand how the tales of the seven makers imbue their creation with passion and vitality .
all the sorrows , joys , longings , sufferings , and loves of these women are sewn into their quilt and , as their bittersweet memories are given expression , one young woman applies these lessons of the past to her own uncertain future .
motion pictures are filled with male bonding rituals ; how to make an american quilt presents a distinctly feminine alternative .
the " quilting bee " consists of seven members : sisters gladys ( ann bancroft ) and hy ( ellen burstyn ) ; sophia ( lois smith ) , a woman known for frightening children ; emma ( jean simmons ) , the timid wife of a perpetually unfaithful man ; constance ( kate nelligan ) , who has been having an affair with emma 's husband ; anna ( maya angelou ) , the leader of the group ; and marianna ( alfre woodard ) , anna 's daughter .
the project they 're busy with is the wedding quilt for hy 's granddaughter , finn ( winona ryder ) , who has just become engaged .
she 's spending the summer with hy and gladys , and away from her fiance , to decide whether a lifelong commitment is really what she wants , and whether it 's better to marry a friend or a lover .
one of the greatest pleasures of how to make an american quilt comes from watching an array of fine performances by an impressive ensemble cast .
from winona ryder , ann bancroft , ellen burstyn , and maya angelou to minor players like rip torn , claire danes , and kate capshaw , this film is overflowing with realized talent .
the performances are good enough , in fact , to cover up many of the script 's weaknesses .
how to make an american quilt is basically an unremarkable , if affecting , tale of love across the generations -- a sort of truncated american version of the joy luck club , with a dash of fried green tomatoes added .
there are probably too many characters .
so , instead of really getting to know a few of them , we are presented with quick glimpses into a single defining event in each of their lives .
we learn about the root of the smoldering resentment between gladys and hy , and are told the reasons why emma stays with her husband and sophia is so irascible .
there are other episodes as well : the love of anna 's life , marianna 's soul mate , and a look at the reasons why constance entered into an affair with her friend 's husband .
the sum total of these tales is meant to provide the framework for finn 's story : whether to go forward with her marriage or dally with a hunky stranger .
there is no emotional epiphany in how to make an american quilt .
the stories are all well - told , but it 's difficult to really connect with the characters -- their moments pass so quickly .
while we certainly feel something for each of the eight principals , our emotional investment is tenuous .
there is n't enough depth to pull the viewer in all the way , and many of the personalities and relationships feel half- formed , like a quilt with patches missing .
to put it bluntly , while i enjoyed watching this film , it did n't " do much " for me .
on the whole , how to make an american quilt is a nicely - understated drama that has a lot to say about love , passion , and monogamy in relationships .
finn 's segment is by far the most compelling , because she 's the focal point : her actions are shaped by everyone else 's experiences .
the other patches of this american quilt are successful only to varying degrees .
if there 's a disappointment here , it 's that the script does n't have more resonance , but the privilege of seeing such a fine cast in top form allows a viewer to enjoy this picture even if the story is somewhat conventional .
[A]: P


[Q]: bob the happy bastard 's quickie review : the odd couple ii grumpy old men , it ai n't .
hell , my fellow americans
, it ai n't .
walter matthau and jack lemmon team up again for an even more worn out vehicle
than any of their films over the past few years .
odd couple ii feels terribly generic , where in the first movie , made thirty one years ago , feels like a wonderful tale .
that 's like repackaging campbell 's soup in a generic food can , really .
how writer neil simon could 've made such a horrible mistake
in screen writing is beyond me .
throughout the movie , i really did n't laugh once . honestly .
i mean , there were dumb situations , yeah , like the cropduster who let these old geezers have it without any notice , but they just really did n't seem funny to me .
and that car rolling off the cliff ?
the only way i would 've seen humor in that is if they were still in it .
and the ending gets all super - mushy , too .
in the final twenty minutes or so , lemmon meets a girl he thinks is the one , then loses her ; matthau talks to his son ( a wasted jonathan silverman ) about his amrriage to lemmon 's daughter ; and , of course , lemmon and matthau have another roomie situation on their hands .
ooh , i really gave a lot away there , i 'm sure .
consider it a hospitable gester ,
you wo n't waste your time renting this muck .
[A]:
N