instruction:
In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.
question:
eric rohmer 's " pauline at the beach , " is one of those small , deliberately paced , but charming foreign films in which not much happens plot wise , but a lot happens to the characters emotionally .
the film takes place during a few weeks of august at the normandy coast , and centers on six different characters , primarily pauline ( amanda langlet ) , a wise beyond her years 15-year - old who has come to stay for the summer with her older cousin , marion ( arielle dombasle ) .
on the first day at the beach , marion runs into an old high school flame ( fedoore atkine ) , and although he wants to rekindle their relationship , she is more interested in an older , more seductive womanizer ( pascal greggory ) , who is also secretly having an affair with a candy vendor ( rosette ) .
while pauline watches as an outsider at what is happening between all of the adults , she forms a relationship of her own with a young teenage boy ( simon de la brosse ) .
" pauline at the beach , " is not a film in which big dramatic things occur , and there is not a clear - cut , tidy conclusion to the story .
instead , it is a picture that simply observes its characters in every day life , and the surprises come from little character details .
the film is quite talky and slow moving , and so it is pretty safe to say it is n't for those who are only a fan of action movies , but is a treat for those viewers who often like to venture outside of the big - budget genre and see a good art film .
this is the first film by acclaimed director eric rohmer ( 1969 's " my night at mauds , " and 1971 's " claire 's knee " ) that i have seen , but his direction is assured and intelligent , as is the screenplay , which he also wrote .
" pauline at the beach , " is a film worth seeing .
answer:
P

question:
the following review encompasses two versions of dune :
dune : the theatrical version ( 1984 ) runtime : 137 minutes capsule review : cut down to just over two hours by nervous studio executives , the theatrical version of dune is a spectacular mess and may be incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the book .
the film 's visual splendour , mystical beauty and impressive action scenes only partly compensate for gaping holes in the narrative .
dune : the extended version ( 1988 ) runtime :
189 minutes capsule review : a bit of a throw - together assembled by mca tv special projects for cable television .
it was disowned by director david lynch
but it 's considerably closer to his original vision by virtue of its improved characterisation and clearer storyline .
quality dubs of this version from the out - of - print japanese laserdisc release are available from various dealers on the world wide web .
*
*
* the review
*
* * released in 1984 and made on a then mammoth budget of $ 40 million , the film of frank herbert 's cult novel dune was eagerly awaited by sci - fi fans .
director david lynch ( blue velvet , eraserhead , twin peaks ) was working on his biggest production to date , a mammoth undertaking filmed under trying conditions on location in mexico .
the screenplay was lynch 's own , chosen after the script submitted by original author herbert was rejected .
dune is set in a universe ruled by powerful families overseen by a successive line of emperors .
the key to cosmic power is the planet arrakis ( dune ) , a windswept desert planet that 's home to giant sandworms and the precious spice melange .
the spice is the most valuable commodity in the universe .
it extends the life and expands the consciousness of those who consume it .
most importantly , it allows the navigators of the spacing guild ( once human but now hideously mutated ) to " fold space " and navigate their spacecraft across mammoth distances instantaneously , enabling interstellar commerce and trade to flourish .
lynch 's film by necessity excises parts of the book while retaining the story 's two main strands .
one is the long - standing rivalry between two families , houses atreides and house harkonnen , and their battle for lucrative mining rights on arrakis .
the second strand is the emergence of young paul atreides as the reluctant messiah long - awaited by the natives of arrakis , the fremen .
the deeply religious fremen want control over their homeworld , and young paul may be the fulfilment of their prophecy that a man would come from the outer worlds and lead them to freedom .
unfortunately , this epic story unfolds in a confusing and haphazard manner in the theatrical cut of the film , which runs 30 to 60 minutes shorter than what lynch originally intended .
the thinking among universal 's oh - so - wise money men was that films over two hours in duration were not popular with audiences at the time and would not do well at the box office .
with lynch 's initial cut running at closer to three or more hours , the studio demanded that further cuts be made .
what a great idea !
why not trim down an already complex film so as to make it almost incomprehensible ?
the most glaring consequence of this one - eyed stupidity is a hopelessly jumpy narrative , leaving us with badly underdeveloped characters .
thus their personalities are vague , their motivations unclear and , in the case of paul 's father duke leto , their demise rather meaningless .
the end result is a distinct chill : we ca n't warm to most of the cast and we do n't care much for them .
and it hardly helps that the voice - over narration is sparse and that the dune - esque language and terminology sounds like so much gobbledegook to those unfamiliar with the book .
dune is also a very serous film .
the constant " self - talk " by various characters makes it so serious and self - absorbed at times that you may find it hard not to wince with embarrassment .
the overall impression is a world full of people so intense that no one is allowed a joke lest the universe come crashing down around them .
humour - or at least a gentle kind of humour as distinct from the harkonnen 's mad , sadistic kind - is hard to find .
you may balk at the comparison , but as a writer lynch could well have done with some lessons from george lucus ' star wars trilogy .
the theatrical version is still some way from being a complete disaster , however .
it still possesses enough of lynch 's stylistic quirks and enough visual invention to sustain the interest of viewers with a taste for imaginative sci - fi .
special effects whiz
carlo rambaldi 's giant sandworms are an awesome sight .
both the production design ( anthony masters ) and costume design ( bob ringwood ) are striking and original .
and the magnificent score by toto and brian eno is one of the most underrated soundtracks of the last twenty years .
with these elements in place and the benefit of freddie francis ' lush cinematography , the film is at least a feast for the senses .
see it in the widescreen format if you can .
and despite all the cuts , several cast members still make a strong impression , most notably kenneth mcmillan as the supremely nasty baron vladimir harkonnen .
sian phillips also registers strongly as the reverend mother gaius helen mohiam , leader of the bene gesserit religious order who 's secret aim is to manipulate paul 's destiny for its own shadowy ends .
as paul atreides , the young kyle maclachlan starts off somewhat shakily , but as his character grows in strength so does his performance
and he emerges as a credible leader of the fremen crusade .
the conclusion ?
any assessment of this film must take into account that frank herbert 's original novel is a complex piece of work and presents a tough challenge for any filmmaker .
david lynch took a brave stab at it and , partly due to forces beyond his control , ended up with an officially released version that fails in several key respects .
dune certainly confused and frustrated a lot of people on its release .
many chose to stay away altogether , as the film 's disastrous box office showing attests .
the extended version , however , is a rather different beast .
in 1984 lynch stated his intention to release his own special edition " director 's cut " of the film on home video , a clear indication of his dissatisfaction with the version that ended up in the theatres .
but , alas , he failed to do so , choosing to move on to other projects .
in a way , then , it is partly lynch 's own fault that what appeared instead was an unauthorised extended version , put together in 1988 by mca tv special projects for airing on cable networks in the usa .
stung into action , lynch successfully petitioned the director 's guild to take his name off the credits and replace it with " allen smithee " , the standard pseudonym for directors who wish to disown their own work .
he also had the screenwriting credit changed to the anonymous " judas booth " .
certainly , looking at the results of mca 's handiwork there 's at least half a dozen instances that , for sheer technical sloppiness , are good enough reasons for the director to object .
but these gripes must be considered in light of the improvements that the extended cut of dune offers in several crucial areas .
most of the changes involve the restoration or extension of cut scenes and the addition of extra narration , both of which fill many holes in the original version 's storyline .
paul 's relationship with his father and associates is more intimate , with moments of humour and warmth lacking previously .
the political skulduggery involving the emperor , the spacing guild , the bene gesserits and the two warring houses is far better explained .
paul 's initiation into the fremen way of life on arrakis is also fleshed out considerably .
and as further background , a new prologue has been added featuring narration and painted stills to give us a brief history of the dune universe .
as a piece of storytelling , then , mca tv 's version of dune is clearly superior .
as a piece of editing , however , it is at times surprisingly inept .
the use of painted stills in the new prologue works well enough , but their occasional appearance once the action begins is inappropriate .
there 's some sloppy cutting , too , and in a few instances shots even appear out of order .
and the use of repeated footage to fabricate certain scenes ( eg .
ships coming and going , soldiers coming and going ) is at times clearly out - of - context
.
this is the kind of thing to which lynch objected , and
rightly so .
it should also be noted that several questionable scenes and shots from the theatrical version were deleted to satisfy the censorship demands of u . s . television .
but the most notable omission is a gratuitous piece of nonsense from lynch that was n't even in herbert 's book .
the scene features baron harkonnen killing a beautiful young man in front of his slobbering henchmen by pulling out his " heart plug " .
its a surreal and disturbing episode that 's very lynch - esque but adds nothing to what we already know
: the baron is a nasty piece of work .
despite its own peculiar flaws , then , the extended version of dune is a generally superior film .
all up , it contains 35 minutes of restored footage and approximately another 15 minutes of either altered , fabricated or newly created sequences . unless the idiosyncratic lynch has a sudden change of heart , the " alan smithee " version remains the closest we 'll get to what the movie should have been .
on repeated viewings , one suspects it is closer than what lynch would be prepared to admit .
still , as one of this century 's great science - fiction novels , some fans and perhaps the late herbert himself would argue that dune deserved a better fate in its transfer to the screen .
with rumours circulating of a new six hour mini - series planned by production company new amsterdam entertainment in 1998 , it is unlikely that we have heard the last of the dune saga .
answer:
N

question:
is it just me , or have disney films gradually lost their appeal
?
i was almost stunned by the quality of " who framed roger rabbit ? " , a fun , unique look at a world where cartoons and people lived together .
"
the little mermaid " harkened back to , and perhaps surpassed , the classic disney animations from the first half of the century .
however , the endless stream of " the little mermaid " wanna - be 's is getting to me .
you know the spiel :
a lame plot recycled from some well - known story , colorful , almost psychedelic animation , the lead character who learns a valuable moral lesson , the comedic sidekick / sidekicks , the seemingly unattainable love interest , a few catchy songs , a few in - jokes for adults , and the occasional out of place warner - brothers - coyote - fall - off - the - cliff type joke .
it 's a formula , and like any formula , it gets tiresome .
that 's
why i 'm delighted to hear that disney recently picked up the international distribution rights to the works of ghibli , a japanese cartoon studio .
from what i 've seen of their movies ( " kiki 's delivery service " and the already english - dubbed and american- distributed " my neighbor totoro " ) , foreign audiences are in for a treat .
these movies , particularly " kiki 's delivery service , " are wonderfully original and entertaining .
" kiki 's delivery service
" starts with an unusual premise : kiki , upon hearing forecasts of clear skies , decides it is time for her to leave home .
this is unusual because kiki is n't a college student or a young adult making her start on the world , but a thirteen year old girl eager to begin her training as a witch .
her mother is also a witch , and as thirteen is the obligatory age for such training , her parents treat her leaving understandingly and put up only token resistance .
just the idea of a witch heroine may scare away some audiences , but no mention is made of the occult , and the subject is dealt with harmlessly throughout the movie : kiki 's mother acts as a village doctor , and kiki is able to do no more than fly on a broom .
kiki must choose a city to move to , and what she chooses is the co - star of the movie : a german seaport town , far removed from the country life she has been used to .
initially lost in the impersonal hugeness of her surrounding , she 's discouraged , and unable to support herself though her rudimentary skills as a witch .
on the verge of leaving for a new town , she uses her power of flight to deliver a pacifier to a baby who dropped it .
the favor eventually blossoms into her working as a courier , a one - persons delivery service .
this is where the movie becomes shockingly good .
kiki 's job is a catalyst for her realizing the beauty of the city and the world around her .
the townspeople she is put in contact possess an inner worth that does n't seem forced or artificial , but merely derived from looking at ordinary people in a different light .
they 're three- dimensional , impossible to quickly evaluate , possessing of faults , and understandably reserving in kindness towards a strange girl .
however , each one has something about them , some interest or trait , that makes them interesting and unique .
the personal beauty of the citizens is complimented by the beauty of the surroundings : the seaport town genuinely looks impressive , capturing the european charm of a medieval city adapted to the more modern needs of the 1950 's .
this beauty is beauty with depth ; for every detail left in , dozens are only hinted at .
i could probably go on all day , but i wo n't ; suffice it to say that many of these minor details could have been the highlight of the movie .
some of my favorites are kiki 's relationship with the baker 's husband : although he 's quiet , never shown speaking to kiki throughout the movie , and he initially scares her , his kindness wins her friendship .
in the garage of a deliveree 's house can be found a vintage model
t.
two old ladies have a relationship evolving from master - servant to friend - friend .
such details gives the impression that the beauty shown in the movie is only the tip of the iceberg .
added on top of this is a lesson on the importance of self - worth .
kiki initially seems to derive much of her self - worth from the beauty of her surroundings and the people around her , but an encounter with a rude girl crashes down her bewonderment , making her question the importance of such beauty .
this causes kiki to lose faith in herself .
however , kiki comes to realize not only the beauty of her surroundings , but the innate beauty inside her .
seeing kiki regain faith in herself is marvelous , and the principal device used to do it is so sublime that i do n't even want to hint at it .
the ending of the movie has a subtle charm combined with a sense of awe and , ironically , the most disney - esque moment i 've ever seen ; if you do n't hold your breath in wonder you might want to get medical attention .
the movie steers free of many of the disney conventions : there is no violence , however cartoonish , no song - and - dance number , and kiki 's pet cat jiji is more a friend than a comedic sidekick , although jiji is given many funny lines and scenes .
however , i would be surprised if disney does n't give jiji more jokes , or at least the voice of some comedian .
refreshingly enough , the moral lesson of the movie is not self - contradicted , a habit disney movies have gotten into .
" beauty and the beast " 's beautiful belle , for instance , learned that beauty was derived from a person 's inside , and was then rewarded by having the beast turn into a handsome prince in snazzy clothing .
kiki , on the other hand , learns to separate her wardrobe from her self - image , and nothing more is made of her early desires for better clothing than illustrating her increased maturity at the end of the film .
another difference with disney movies is in the style of animation for " kiki 's delivery service " : not as colorful and dynamic as disney animation can be , but with a greater attention to realism and detail , it fits the movie to a t.
this is particularly true with scenes of kiki 's flights .
the extreme realism of the birds in flight near kiki is magnificent to behold , and helps these scenes capture the wonder of flight better than any other film i 've ever seen .
i 'm not sure when or how this movie will be released in the united states .
disney tentatively plans a theater release of " monoko hime " shortly following the summer ' 97 japanese release , and should start releasing the other ghibli films after that .
i 'd guess that some will be released on video and some will be theatrically released in peak seasons with no competing disney release .
although the wait is unfortunate , it 's good to know that it 's being released at all , for
" kiki 's delivery service " is definitely a movie worthy of widespread promotion and release .
watch this movie .
along with " man bites dog , " and perhaps something by woody allen
, this is the best movie i 've ever seen .
answer:
P