Great Film: The Thomas Crown Affair
"Thomas" is the "Crown" Jewel for your collection... SEE IT!
This DVD was an impulse buy, pure and simple. My wife and I like Pierce
Brosnan, and I have enjoyed Renee Russo's other works, so what did I have to
lose? Only my mind! This film was positively one of the most enjoyable,
nail-biting, suspenseful romantic capers ever made.
A remake of the steamy 1968 Steve McQueen flick updated to the sleek and
self-referential 90s, "Thomas Crown" features Brosnan as the title character
- a bored billionaire businessman in the business of "acquisitions". For a
thrill, he heists an extremely valuable Monet from the New York Museum right
under the noses of security guards, cops, and about a thousand unsuspecting
museum-goers. Renee Russo is the very sexy, very worldly Catherine Banning,
whose insurance company underwrites the painting - and she is determined to
get it back at any cost... But the cost just may be her soul as she woos,
and then falls under the spell of the enigmatic Crown. Will Russo discover
the location of the Monet? Will she rat out Thomas Crown? Or is Crown
manipulating her affections like Bobby Fisher manipulates the pieces on a
chess board?
What we have here is a high-speed chase film whose vehicle is clever dialog,
rich and exotic direction, and more than a little sexual tension! Brosnan,
as Crown, is ever the cool Brit charmer whose every word and action are as
calculated as the movements of a Rolex. Russo smoulders every time she
appears on screen. And when the two of them get together, the chemical
reaction is pure dynamite.
Dennis Leary has a nice bit as a streetwise NYPD detective on the case, who
dispenses advice to Russo's Banning, and watches her begin to spiral out of
control. His role here most likely resulted in the deserved attempt at a
television series on ABC ("The Job").
The action in the film moves exotically from caper to cover-up and back with
dizzying speed... All the while, we are kept guessing about the motivations
of the two lead, and find ourselves eagerly anticipating their next move.
When the final checkmate comes, we are left totally bewildered, befuddled,
and baffled... which is most-likely the director's intention!
On all levels, "The Thomas Crown Affair" will steal the hearts of men and
women alike... but for different reasons - Men can enjoy the action and
thrill of the chase, and Crown's ability to win over the most beautiful
women and his attempt to get away with the ultimate heist... Ladies can
marvel at the suave Brosnan and his life of extreme wealth, and
all-the-while wonder if he will betray her, or if she will betray
him...
I will not betray you... I ain't saying!
Cast
- Michael McCann played by Denis Leary
- Thomas Crown played by Pierce Brosnan
- Detective Paretti played by Frankie Faison
- Heinrich Knutzhorn played by Mark Margolis
- Paul Cheng played by James Saito
- Catherine Banning played by Rene Russo
- Friedrich Golchan played by Charles Keating
