you make anyone think that loving is a thing that can be done and undone, and put on and put off at a mere whim

Boy, I wish I had a better memory for the crappy movies I've seen before. Thank goodness for the blog as a source of 'memory' in my old age! Three yeas and a nay this time around.

Bounce (2000) - "A man switches plane tickets with another man who dies in that plane in a crash. The man falls in love with the deceased one's wife."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: I saw it ages ago and could not recall whether I liked it or not
IMDB: 5.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 52% Audience: 32%

notable quote: "I want someone to say goodnight to, a last call of the day. I don't have a last call of the day. Do you?"
story: screwed up, irresponsible single guy does a favor for a family man, giving him his ticket on an earlier flight home. Plane crashes, married guy dies, single guy goes bananas with guilt. A year later he "checks in on" the widow and falls in love with her. Naturally, when she discovers his deception she boots him out—only, her choices weren't so clean, either. Ten minutes later, reconciliation occurs.
visuals: pretty people crying prettily...
costumes, hair & makeup: ...while wearing pretty clothes, with perfectly styled hair...
acting: ...in the most deadpan, unaffected, blasé fashion. Does anyone care about anything anymore, or is that dead, too?

intangibles: gross. Gwyneth is that snotty girl from college who never had a moment's stress but thought her life was harder than anyone's, and Ben was the guy who got the hot girl without ever having a damned clue. Hideous.
overall: not recommended

Under the Greenwood Tree (2005) - "In this lighthearted romance from Victorian novelist Thomas Hardy, the beautiful new village schoolteacher is pursued by three suitors: a working-class man, a landowner, and the vicar."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I'd seen Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and though I liked the language the story was overwrought and heavy. I wanted to give the author another chance. 
IMDB: 6.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 74%

notable quote: "The littler the maid, the bigger the riddle."
story: about as simple as it gets—woman comes back home to live with her father and teach at the local school. She catches the eye of the richest man in town, the preacher, and a farmer. Each has his pros and cons; which will she choose?
visuals: bucolic and lovely
costumes, hair & makeup: tasteful and simple
acting: understated, as befits a mild story. Keeley Hawes (Fancy Day) is as good as ever, and I enjoyed James Murray as handsome farmer Dick Dewy. 

intangibles: this is a quiet, feel-good movie
overall: recommended

Strangers on a Train (1951) - "A psychopath forces a tennis star to comply with his theory that two strangers can get away with murder."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: I would never turn down Alfred Hitchcock
AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Thrills (2001) #32

IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 98% Audience: 92%

notable quote: "'Let me remind you that even the most unworthy of us has a right to life and the pursuit of happiness.'

    'From what I hear, she pursued it in all directions...'"
story: watch it, and then read Roger Ebert's review. And then try to sleep at night (good luck)
visuals: typical Hitchcock, by which I mean brilliantly designed and shot. The carousel scene alone makes this worth viewing.
costumes, hair & makeup: eyeglasses!
acting: Patricia Hitchcock (Barbara Morton) delivered some amazing dialog, wonderfully

intangibles: it's a tense and creepy film that keeps you riveted
Academy Award nominee: Best Cinematography, Black & White 
overall: recommended

The Soloist (2009) - "A newspaper journalist discovers a homeless musical genius and tries to improve his situation."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I'd heard it was well done and was in the mood for something uplifting
IMDB: 6.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 56% Audience: 56%

notable quote: "I've never loved anything the way he loves music."
story: out-of-control columnist stumbles upon a schizophrenic musical savant. With good intentions and by accident, the two change each others' lives.
visuals: stark contrasts show through the methods of shooting
costumes, hair & makeup: likewise, huge differences between the haves and have-nots and revealed through clothing, hair and makeup
acting: Tom Hollander (Graham Claydon) was terrific in a small yet pivotal role

intangibles: though not the tear-jerking revelation that I'd hoped, it is congenial
overall: recommended

[the title quotation is from Under the Greenwood Tree]