These are the final five movies I watched in March.

40. (577.) Sleuth (2007)
This is the remake with Michael Caine playing Lawrence Olivier's part. This version seems to be an acting class for Caine and Jude Law. They're both good, but the treatment is impenetrable and academic, and the result is frustrating and a little boring for an audience that wants to see the truth behind the schemes and lies. If you watch just one Sleuth, make it the other one.

41. (578.) Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959)
I have a fear of open water, and I don't go on boats. So watching Gary Cooper and Charlton Heston try to wrestle a derelict ship to relative safety was almost traumatic for me. A little action + a little courtroom drama = enjoyable thriller (far better than any version of Titanic).

42. (579.) The Professionals (1966)
A fantastic western film that must have had more than a little influence on the fantastic western video game Red Dead Redemption. I've decided I really like Burt Lancaster, by the way. He's the only reason to watch From Here to Eternity and almost every other film I've ever seen him in.

43. (580.) The Cooler (2003)
From what I've seen reported, I don't think I'd like Alec Baldwin as a person, but I love him as an actor. He's a great in both comedic and dramatic roles. This is ostensibly William H. Macy's movie as a love-redeemed loser, but it's Baldwin who steals every scene he's in, of course.

44. (581.) The Seven-Ups (1973)
After French Connection, Gene Hackman's character went to France, but Roy Scheider's character stayed in New York. Although this isn't technically a sequel — Scheider's "Buddy" has a different last name here — this is a more satisfying follow-up than French Connection II. Like its predecessor, this film also has an amazing car chase that goes on and on in dramatic fashion. Very enjoyable.

I had complained to friends and family at the start of April that I hadn't enjoyed many of the movies I was watching in March. However, as I look back on this batch, I remember most of them fondly. Maybe my criticism was premature.

Anyway, I'm already up to 7 movies for April, so more movies coming soon.

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