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

[EX Q]: in the company of men made a splash at the sundance film festival because , in a year plagued by brothers mcmullen - style , earnestly shallow gen - x angst pictures , it seemed to be actually about something .
it angered people , started arguments outside the theater , riled things up .
it ignited a spark of excitement in what otherwise has been a disappointing year for independent film .
having endured my share of the hype , i waited calmly for men to reach the hinterlands wherein i reside , and then checked in to see what all the fuss was about .
does men live up to its press ?
well , yes it does .
and it may make you think twice before you consider dating anyone your office .
for the uninitiated , newcomers aaron eckhart and matt malloy play chad and howard , two corporate drones who are dispatched by their nameless company to a remote branch office for a six week assignment .
chad and howard are archetypes , examples of which you can no doubt find in your own place of business .
chad is the blond golden boy , genetically engineered for success , the natural charmer who seems to glide effortlessly up the corporate ladder .
howard is chad 's boss , but he is weaker of will , the clumsy practitioner of office politics who has achieved his position through dogged persistence rather than raw talent .
we first meet them awaiting their flight in a drab airport lounge .
there chad suggests a scheme worthy of a shakespearean villain : he and howard will find a vulnerable single woman at the branch office , woo her simultaneously , win her love , and then dump her .
the reason ?
both men have recently been dumped themselves , and chad sees an easy route to revenge against the fairer sex .
"
it 'll restore a little dignity to our lives , " he says .
howard , helpless against the force of chad 's will , agrees to the plan .
they quickly spot their prey in the form of christine ( stacy edwards ) , a fragile deaf woman working as a temp .
chad moves in for the kill , flashing his golden boy smile , plying christine with lunch , then flowers , then dinner .
howard follows suit , though his efforts are in contrast ham - handed and desperate .
flattered to have the attention of two eligible men , christine dates them both .
you can guess which one she falls for .
soon a tragic lovers ' triangle develops : christine loves chad , chad loves himself , and howard loves christine on the grounds that , since she 's handicapped and shy , she just might be wretched and lonely enough to settle for him .
adult social interaction never really progresses beyond the level of junior high , does it ?
in chad , writer / director labute and actor eckhart have created one of the most chilling monsters ever committed to film - hannibal lector may eat human flesh , but chad is an eater of souls .
his evil is as subtle as a viper 's , and as easy as his smile .
we watch in stunned disbelief as he back - stabs coworkers , humiliates his subordinates , and works his deadly venom into christine 's heart .
his character would be a joke if he was n't so chillingly real-
all of us have worked with a chad , and some of us may be him .
he 's the guy who takes your job and then laughs at you for your weakness .
if one of his co - workers should happen to go postal and walk into the office with a bag full of handguns , he had best have his escape route clearly in mind .
politics is his game , and the modern cubicle - filled office is his playground .
men wears the guise of a black comedy , but it functions best as allegory .
the most controversial moment in the film happens when chad humiliates a black temp by asking him how badly he wants to succeed in the company , then forces him to prove it in a manner i wo n't describe .
the scene is charged with racism and fraught with peril .
could it happen in the real world ?
probably not .
taken as allegory , however , it is representative of the treatment of the meek by the powerful in all facets of society .
maybe it 's just the english major in me , but chad , in his motiveless cruelty towards christine and his careful manipulation of howard , can be seen as a symbol of unbridled capitalism , of greed without conscience .
the entire film is a metaphor for social darwinism- only the strong will survive .
the marvel of labute 's multi - layered script is that it can disturb each member of its audience in an entirely different way .
but does the film work as entertainment ?
its darned funny in spots , particularly in the men 's room scenes , which demonstrate the lengths to which guys will go to hold a conversation while engaged in the most basic of bodily functions .
it works less well as drama , since by necessity the characters in an allegory tend to be flat ciphers .
stacy edwards gives a measured dignity to christine , and succeeds in making us care for her
, but by the end of the film we still know nothing about her .
likewise , chad and howard are simply the sum of their actions .
by the end of the film you 'll feel as if you 've met a genuine monster in chad ; perhaps we can also classify men as a horror film .
certainly those expecting a conventional hollywood resolution to the story will walk away disappointed . but the picture is often mesmerizing , and the script is a work of fine craftsmanship , which makes it well worth your time .
like all good films , it offers a myriad of parallels to the outside world .
while watching chad in his moment of triumph , i could n't help but think that bill gates must have felt the same sort of cold , merciless satisfaction when he finally stuck it to steve jobs .
there may be a little bit of chad in all of us , but some of us have taken chad - ness to the level of art .
[EX A]: P

[EX Q]: the love for family is one of the strongest driving forces in any man 's life , especially for those who have fostered their family under precarious circumstances .
thematically in cinema , love for family has been used frequently and emphatically to highlight more abstract aspects of characters ; it is rare , however , for it to develop as outstandingly as it does in roberto benigni 's neo - classic drama , life is beautiful .
through a central cast of father , mother , and son , benigni demonstrates the wonderful , undying love that a family shares in the best of times and the worst of times .
life
* is * beautiful for guido orefice ( roberto benigni , directing himself here for the sixth time in his career ) , an italian jew , master con man , and aspiring waiter extraordinaire .
living in 1930 's italy , he lives a carefree life of good fortune ; it is made even better when he happens upon a pretty schoolteacher named dora ( nicoletta braschi ) .
although dora is already engaged , guido manages to sweep her off her feet and persuades her to marry him instead ; the two have a child named joshua ( giorgio cantarini ) .
unfortunately for the happy family , the third reich and its nazi minions occupy italy and imprison all jews in work camps .
it is after the movie takes this dramatic turn that the movie 's theme of family love becomes the strongest .
although prior to this turning point benigni plays guido with a sort of goofy charm , he relaxes the role to ensure his son 's happiness .
now , instead of awkwardly seducing the sweet dora , he constantly reassures his son that everything will be all right .
benigni 's performance is truly a well - rounded one , and certainly one of the more fluid turns all year .
the supports are all strong as well , but the movie truly excels in its script .
life is beautiful is a self - proclaimed fable , one which tells its story in grand , two - part fashion .
in certain parts it manages to sink to the level of a " saturday night live " spinoff -- a number of humorous skits connected by a token plot -- but in the movie 's second half the script 's circular nature becomes admirably obvious .
characters make reprise appearances in fine form , and certain events which are intially curious become critically linked to the plot 's outcome .
in all , fans of foreign film will see this as a memorable motion picture , and novice movie - watchers may take this opportunity to see their first " artsy " film .
life is beautiful is an artsy movie by convention but
easily accessible to everyone , and above all is a fine thematic picture .
[EX A]: P

[EX Q]: a cinematic version of one of john irving 's novels is always cause for celebration even if , as in the case of " simon birch , " the treatment is merely " suggested by , " rather than strictly based on , the book .
suggested means that irving , author of the acclaimed " the world according to garp , " sold the rights to his novel " a prayer for owen meany " to the disney machine for $ 1 million , but would n't grant them permission to use either the title or any of the character names .
that 's an odd decision -- irving claims it 's to protect both himself and the novel -- but it 's one that does n't unduly harm the finished product .
irving 's books are rich and complex works , full of intriguing , colorful characters .
"
a prayer for owen meany " is no exception ; it tells the story of an unusual boy -- called simon birch in the film version -- who is uncommonly small in stature and possesses a high - pitched falsetto voice , " like strangled mice .
"
simon believes himself to be " god 's instrument , " placed on this earth to somehow effect god 's plan .
simon is played by ian michael smith , who suffers from a rare enzyme disorder known as morquio syndrome which , among other things , prevents bones , ligaments , and joints from developing normally .
smith 's debilitating disease makes him an obvious physical choice for " simon birch " ; however , the producers unwisely favored form over function -- smith 's acting abilities are limited at best .
another drawback is that in the book , simon 's condition is described the way irving describes any of his characters -- in careful , loving detail . watching " simon birch , " however , creates a different feeling altogether ; the audience is forced into a voyeuristic relationship with the character , surely something irving would not have intended .
simon himself tends to be too cute and irritating , a combination of smith 's rookie status as an actor and the precocious one - liners he 's forced to deliver , courtesy mark steven johnson , the film 's director and screenwriter .
fortunately , simon birch is n't the real star of the film that bears his name .
simon is more of a catalyst , allowing his co - stars to shape the story , and the actors who fill those roles to turn in outstanding supporting performances , saving the film from an obsequious , manipulative destiny .
first and foremost is joseph mazzello ( " jurassic park " ) , who is nothing less than remarkable as simon 's best friend , joe .
mazzello turns in a wonderfully layered performance for a 14 year old , ripe with laughter , pain , and tears ; he is certainly an emerging talent .
ashley judd
positively beams in her role as rebecca , joe 's single mother , and oliver platt is warm and tender as her boyfriend , ben .
david strathairn and jan hooks play the town 's reverend and sunday school teacher respectively and their contributions uphold the high standards set by the others .
there 's even a surprising yet effective uncredited cameo performance from .
. .
well , that would be telling .
perhaps " suggested by " the novel is the appropriate way to go after all , since " simon birch " only focuses on one chapter , one year , of simon 's extraordinary life .
the film also changes the book 's ending to one that is more melodramatic , yet necessary given simon 's lot .
the flavor of irving 's original novel remains , however -- the passions , friendships , and insecurities that come with a change of seasons to the little community of gravestown , maine , and the engaging oddballs , both big and small , who reside there .
[EX A]:
P