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37. SHANE (1953)

Good movie, but I don’t think it deserves its lofty reputation. Gorgeous, thanks to the ever-looming Grand Tetons, it’s got very good performances, especially from Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur, who manage to have a relationship of real depth entirely in subtext. But it’s slow and some the writing is very labored.
Verdict: Overrated, and do they really need to say Shane’s name every damn second?

38. HOPE AND GLORY (1987)

I saw this in the theatre back in the day and remember liking it but thinking that it didn’t affect me as much as I thought it would. Watched it again, lo these many years later, and thought the exactly the same thing. Good WWII movie, with an unusual and compelling child’s point of view, but it’s lacking the emotional punch it seems like it should have.
Verdict: If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth watching.

39. AMERICAN FICTION (2023)

One of those movies that starts out better than it ends up, but it’s a very worthy effort, if for no other reason than Jeffrey Wright’s wonderful performance. The race relations material is trenchant and witty, the indictment of academia and culture works pretty well too. The family stuff is pretty trite, and distracts from the quality to be found elsewhere in the movie.
Verdict: Writer/director Cord Jefferson tries to do too much, but well worth seeing for Wright’s work. He’s terrific.