I just watched my first John Wayne movie and I think I am going to be spoiled from now on. Not only does The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance star Mr. Wayne but also Jimmy Stewart and it is directed by THE director of westerns, John Ford. I always shunned westerns as another man genre, but this movie kicked so much ass that either it has proven me wrong or the water in France has testosterone in it and I am losing my womanly reflexes.* Unlike so many westerns, this film wasn’t about the landscape but about the collision of two prideful men who are classy enough not to hate each other, despite an awkward love triangle. Oh, and they are united in their desire to bring down the nuisance of Shinbone, Liberty Valance, who has absolutely no redeeming qualities. One of them gets him, the other gets the girl. Want to find out who gets who? I highly recommend adding it to your Netflix list (or asking Stéphane if you can borrow it, for those of you living in a lame-ass country that has no NetFlix.)

I am bad with movie reviews, so go read about it at IMDB if you want a more cinephile opinion. I watch movies like I drink wine, I either like them or I don’t but don’t ask me for an essay about why.

I guess learning how to describe likes and dislikes would be a good exercise for an aspiring writer. Oh, well. Guess I will stay at the aspiring plateau for a while. Enjoy the glib comments while they last. For example, I liked this movie for the names of its characters : Ransom Stoddard, Marshal Link Appleyard, Dutton Peabody, esquire, and Major Cassius Starbuckle. The best one, however, is Amos Carruthers, played by Denver Pyle. Why even give Mr. Pyle a character name? I wish they had a Western Name Generator. That would be great.

* NOTE: I must also point out that the screenplay (written by men) is based on a story by a woman, Dorothy M. Johnson. Rock on with your bad self Dottie. It’s so nice to see a woman’s name in the credits of an old movie for something other than costumes or hairstyling.