how many times do I have to tell you people, I'm a businessman—make me an offer!

Average rating: 6.75. That means, in this case, 3 good ones and a meh+.

The Big Bad Swim (2006) - "A group of Connecticut residents with aquaphobia attend an adult education swim class, hoping to conquer their fears. Among the students are Amy (Paget Brewster), a calculus teacher in a failing marriage, and Jordan (Jess Weixler), a blackjack dealer and stripper whose younger brother, David (Avi Setton), constantly follows her with a video camera. Depressed instructor Noah (Jeff Branson) manages to bring hope to the students as they learn to swim, while a romance develops between him and Jordan."

source: DVD
I watched it because: it's been far too long since I've seen it
IMDB: 6.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 75%
my IMDB: 9/10

notable quote: "And, I'm not really an astronaut."

MPAA rating: NR

directed by: Ishai Setton

my notes: I love this film. It's a slow, sad, charming, funny, smart, thoughtful, romantic, depressing, enlightening thing. Mmm.

overall: very highly recommended

Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) - "Master thief Anthony Fait (DMX) pulls off a major jewel heist and somehow manages to escape from the SWAT team that's pursuing him. A Taiwanese agent named Su (Jet Li) is on Fait's tail and wants to take him down so that he can retrieve the stolen black diamonds. But when Fait's daughter (Paige Hurd) is kidnapped by a rival criminal and Su's ex-partner (Mark Dacascos), Su must work with Fait to save the thief's daughter and get his revenge in the process."

source: DVD
I watched it because: I'm in an action mood
IMDB: 5.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 26% Audience: 52%
my IMDB: 6/10

notable quote: "What are you, some kind of kung fu James Bond?"

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Andrzej Bartkowiak

my notes: I've got a soft spot for this film. Jet Li is quietly powerful, DMX is righteous fury. Anthony Anderson is hilarious and versatile as Tommy, and Tom Arnold (Archie) is funny, and vital to the story. Gabrielle Union (Daria) can fight like a demon - and the train sequence is steamy. There are some weak bits (Kelly Hu is a one-note character, and some of the effects are dated) but overall it's a winner. The fight in the rain is mindblowing.

overall:  recommended

He Walked by Night (1948) - "Roy Morgan (Richard Basehart) is a burglar who listens in to radio police calls, allowing him to stay one step ahead of the cops. After Morgan kills a police officer, Sergeants Brennan (Scott Brady) and Jones (James Cardwell) have little success in putting the clues of the case together. But when Jones is wounded in a shoot-out with Morgan, Brennan employs all facets of detective work, including forensics and informants, to find the elusive and clever criminal."
source: streamed on Vudu
I watched it because: I haven't seen a cop movie in a while
IMDB: 7.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 82% Audience: 62%
my IMDB: 5/10

notable quote: "And now the killer changed his tactics, his modus operandi. It would baffle the police. They always expected burglars to remain burglars, not go in for stick-ups. they'd never tie this up with him. While wearing a variety of disguises, coming and going like a shadow, ready to kill if cornered, he struck the bottle stores in a one-man blitz that had the robbery detail dizzy. "

MPAA rating: Approved (TV-PG)

directed by: Alfred L. Werker, Anthony Mann

my notes: pretty shallow. Jones was the most interesting character, which is saying something. It's not terrible but I certainly wouldn't seek it out again.

overall: only mildly recommended

The Blind Side (2009) - "Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless black teen, has drifted in and out of the school system for years. Then Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), take him in. The Tuohys eventually become Michael's legal guardians, transforming both his life and theirs. Michael's tremendous size and protective instincts make him a formidable force on the gridiron, and with help from his new family and devoted tutor, he realizes his potential as a student and football player."
source: DVD
I watched it because: I like sports movies, and this is one I hadn't seen
IMDB: 7.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 66% Audience: 85%
my IMDB: 7/10

notable quote: "'...we want to know if you would like to become part of this family.'

    'I kinda thought I already was.'"

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: John Lee Hancock

my notes: one review called it "undemanding entertainment that lacks a great deal of subtlety but is continuously entertaining and emotionally involving," which describes it perfectly. I liked it, though it would have been nice to learn more about Michael, theoretically the main character of the story. I'm partial to Tim McGraw, and enjoyed lots of secondary characters. It's a good one.

Academy Award winner: Best Actress—Bullock
Academy Award nominee: Best Picture—Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson
overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Cradle 2 the Grave]