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

look back at all the times in your life when there was a fork in the path to the future .
some sort of decision had to be made , and , for better or worse , it irrevocably altered the course of your existence .
> from time - to - time , everyone thinks about the roads not taken , and how things might have turned out if the choice had been different .
perhaps even more dizzying to contemplate is how a seemingly minor action -- catching the 10 am train , for example -- could have an equally profound , yet less obvious , impact .
maybe that 's where you met your significant other , and , had you reached the platform just a few seconds later ?
film makers are no less fascinated by issues of destiny than anyone else , and that 's why there 's no shortage of movies about this subject .
the best of the bunch were probably made by the late polish director krzysztof kieslowski , who was obsessed with questions of fate and chance .
these themes weave their way through many of his movies , including decalogue , the double life of veronique , and the triptych of blue , white , and red .
however , they are most explicitly examined in a 1981 film called blind chance , where kieslowski presents the three different fates of one man after a minor action ( missing or catching a train )
changes the course of his life .
in his autobiography , kieslowski on kieslowski , the director describes his attraction to the concept this way : " [ the idea is ] rich and interesting ?
that every day we 're faced with a choice which could end our entire life yet of which we 're completely unaware .
"
while this approach has been the fodder for several notable dramatic films ( including , in a way , frank capra 's it 's a wonderful life ) , sliding doors is the first romantic comedy to plumb its depths .
the " road not taken " approach is n't just a plot device , either .
writer / director peter howitt expands upon both possible fates of a character after she just misses / catches a train .
the audience watches , with ever - growing fascination , how this one event impacts upon every aspect of her life : her future career , where she lives , whom she loves , and whether she has a family .
as her separate destinies diverge and then re - converge , she becomes two completely different individuals .
that woman is helen , played by gwyneth paltrow as a long , dark- haired brit .
one day , after losing her job as an advertising executive , she decides to return home in the middle of the day .
the scene of the pivotal moment is a train platform .
in scenario # 1
, she just slips through the sliding doors before the train pulls out of the station .
on board , she meets the cheerful , talkative james ( john hannah ) , a monty python fan who is taken with her beauty .
minutes later , in her flat , she walks in on her lover , gerry ( john lynch ) , in bed with another woman ( jeanne tripplehorn ) .
in scenario # 2
, she misses the train and , shortly thereafter , is the victim of an attempted mugging .
she does n't meet james and fails to make it home in time to discover gerry 's infidelity .
juxtaposed one against the other , while sharing many places , cues , and characters , the two stories proceed in parallel from there .
on one level , for viewers who enjoy pondering the workings of fate , sliding doors can be viewed as a deep and wonderful experience .
but , for those who just appreciate a romantic comedy characterized by solid acting , a script with a few twists , and a great deal of genuinely funny material , sliding doors still fits the bill .
one of its most obvious strengths is that it can satisfy many different types of audiences -- those who demand something substantial from their motion pictures , and those who could care less .
it should n't come as any surprise that the acting , at least from three of the four leads , is solid .
paltrow , who does double duty as two helens who are initially the same , yet gradually become much different , is the standout .
she plays both of her roles effectively and believably -- the shy , insecure woman who stays with gerry and the liberated , platinum - blond who severs the ties to her old life and embarks on a new career with a new man .
john hannah , known to most american viewers as the younger gay character in four weddings and a funeral , is instantly likable .
john lynch , taking a break from movies about ireland 's troubles , does a good job presenting gerry as a inept , selfish philanderer .
only jeanne tripplehorn , who plays an over - the - top vixen , seems out of place .
her attempts at broad comedy are occasionally jarring , and it 's occasionally difficult to see her lydia as anything more than a plot element .
one member of the supporting cast deserves special notice .
douglas mcferran , who plays gerry 's best friend , russell , is an absolute delight , stealing every scene that he 's in .
part of this is surely because he is given the best lines in the movie .
on one occasion , he has a marvelous monologue bemoaning how advances in the telecommunications industry have trapped men into a life of monogamy .
on another occasion , while laughing at gerry 's plight with the women in his life , he comments , " being with you makes the wait for the next episode of seinfeld more bearable .
"
but it 's not all in the dialogue .
mcferran tears into this part with relish ; his performance becomes one of the most memorable aspects of a top - notch comedy .
this is the first feature film for peter howitt , and he approaches the task with unimpeachable aplomb .
the script is shrewd and inventive , combining wit , romance , and intelligent melodrama into a crowd - pleasing whole .
sliding doors grants more than just a good time at the movies , however .
for those who are so inclined , its central theme offers an opportunity to ponder some of the more philosophical questions about the workings of the universe -- all while having a good time .
P

ever watch a very young child try and tell a joke that is beyond his , or her , sophistication ?
it 's full of stops and starts and usually , the punch line is ruined .
i felt the same way watching drowning mona .
skip a stone across water and you approximate the depth of this attempt at an ensemble comedy .
there are some slightly successful attempts at humor , but they only serve as window dressing .
there is a running gag about the town , verplanck , n .
y .
, being a test town for the then new yugo .
everyone drives a yugo , differentiating their cars with personalized license plates .
even the police chief drives one .
there is a certain sublimeness to the image of a lights and siren decked out yugo skittering its way through the town streets .
there also is a running gag about one of the characters , jeff , missing a hand and how it occurred .
it pokes gentle fun at the notion of urban legends .
it turns out the truth is more horrifying than any legend .
there are some sight gags that pop up as well , such as mona 's tombstone , which reads " demoted " , instead of devoted .
still , the core of the story maintains the flatness of a still pond .
the lynchpin of the film falls on the redundant and sporadic scenes involving mona ( midler ) .
each scene with her is the same : scream at someone , hit someone , then scream some more .
there 's no uniqueness or modulation to her or explanation for her meanness .
anyone off the street could have played the role , such as it is .
the other characters are walking cardboard cutouts .
each one is defined by one trait and no further attempt is made at deeper characterization .
there is a burly , female car mechanic , so of course , there is a forced lesbianism gag .
mona 's son , jeff ( marcus thomas ) is a simpleton , hence
you can predict his dialogue before it even plods its way from his mouth .
chief of police rash ( devito ) likes broadway musicals and loves his daughter .
there 's nothing more to him .
elle , the chief 's daughter ( campbell ) , is bland personified , a dutiful girl with no higher aspiration than to have a child and be married .
mona 's husband phil ( fichtner ) jeckle and hydes from shirking coward to reptilian letch .
bob ( affleck ) , elle 's betrothed , and business partner to jeff , is a mumbling , obvious dullard .
there is no contrast to any of the characters .
by having at least one character with some wit , or wits , to serve as counterpoint to the others , perhaps steinfeld 's attempt at satirizing a small town infested with ambitionless people might have come off better .
ostensibly a murder mystery , drowning mona gives you almost all the clues immediately , then lets you sit back and feel superior as you watch the cast of paper people fumble their way to finding the killer , who could be anyone due to mona 's loving manner with everyone on town .
even that aspect of the film fails , throwing in a convenient , ridiculous and unsatisfying wrap to things .
it 's been a while since i walked away from a movie theater in an angry mood .
what makes it all the more remarkable is that i rarely remember a comedy making me so angry for wasting my time at it 's ineptitude .
N

movies based on video games , such as street fighter or mario bros . , have never generated much interest at the box office .
but when the first mortal kombat movie came out in 1995 , it did surprisingly well .
with a simple story , a pulsating soundtrack , and lots of awesomely choreographed fight scenes , the movie moved quickly and displayed lots of energy .
it got my vote for ' the movie where i expected the least and got the most ' .
and , if you have n't had the opportunity , i would definitely recommend that you see it on video .
in the world of mortal kombat , based on the popular arcade game , dark forces from outworld try to infiltrate earth 's realm with the ulimate goal of total conquest and the destruction of humanity .
the mortal kombat refers to a competition , fought by human mortals against outworld 's minions , which if won , will guarantee earth 's safety for another generation .
mk2 picks up almost immediately after the humans return victoriously from competition .
despite their victory , however , a gateway has somehow opened , and outworld continues in its quest to conquer earth .
outworld 's warriors include an impressive collection of fighters , including shao kahn , mintoro ( a centaur ) , sheeva ( a four - armed ogre ) , and sindel .
earth 's mortal warriors , under the leadership of the benevolent god , lord rayden , includes liu kang , princess kitana , sonya blade and jax , who must fight against outworld 's forces .
it 's an easy enough premise , but unfortunately ( very unfortunately ) , the writers try to do too much with the movie
.
it is only a video game , after all , but the on - screen version tries to go beyond it 's comic book boundaries by adding depth , a conceptualization of self - worth , and worst of all , a love story .
this becomes very awkward , because all of the players are fighters and nothing more .
they are likable and impressive when they are showcasing their martial arts and fighting skills , but look extremely awkward and uncomfortable when they are required to actually act .
this becomes embarrassingly apparent
, for example , as the movie tries to develop a romantic bond between liu kang and princess kitana .
the original mk was smart in letting the players do what they do best .
they spoke little , but fought a lot .
thus , the movie was easy to digest .
however , mk2 tries to give these players a certain amount of depth , an element that was lacking in the first movie , but the attempt here fails miserably .
this uneasy feeling is readily apparent , for example , whenever you hear lord rayden speak .
not only does he talk in riddles and offer enigmatic ( e . g . useless ) advice , but he speaks so slowly as if to simulate infinite wisdom .
try reading this half as fast , and you 'll hear what i mean .
but the movie is not a complete fatality .
fight scenes are well - choreographed , highlighted by terrific acrobatics and agility .
and players of the game will be rewarded with the inclusion of practically every character from the video game , although their screen time amounts to nothing more than a cameo .
even if you 're not familiar with the video game , each fighter has their own costume and unique weaponry to easily differentiate themselves .
but it 's just too little of what movie - goers and especially fans of the game will expect .
oddly , the inclusion of the human element actually pollutes the purity of the mortal kombat essence . and the poor acting results in a muddled movie that offers the viewing audience little chance for survival .
( i am now talking very slowly as if to simulate infinite wisdom ) .
rent the first one , but the sequel is for kombat fans only .

N