The Thomas Crown Affair

Plot synopsis:
Millionaire businessman-sportsman Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) pulls off a perfect crime by orchestrating four men to steal $2,660,527.62 from a Boston bank, along with a fifth man who drives the getaway Ford station wagon with the money and dumps it in a cemetery trash can. None of the men ever meets Crown face-to-face, nor do they know or meet each other before the robbery. Crown retrieves the money from the trash can personally after secretly following the driver of the station wagon, then personally deposits the money into an anonymous Swiss bank account in Geneva, making several trips, never depositing the money all at once so as to not draw undue attention to his actions.
Independent insurance investigator Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway) is contracted to investigate the heist and will receive 10% of the stolen money if she recovers it. When Thomas first comes to her attention as a possible suspect, she intuitively recognizes him as the mastermind behind the robbery.
Thomas does not need the money, and in fact masterminded the robbery as a game. Vicki makes it clear to him that she knows that he is the thief and that she intends to prove it. They start a game of cat and mouse, with the attraction between them evident. Their relationship soon evolves into an affair, complicated by Vicki's vow to find the money and help Detective Eddie Malone (Paul Burke) bring the guilty party to justice.
A reward offer entices the wife of the bank robbery's getaway driver, Erwin Weaver (Jack Weston), to "fink" on him. Vicki finds out that he was hired by a man he never saw, but whose voice he heard. She tries putting Erwin in the same room as Thomas, but there is no hint of recognition on either one's part.
However, while Vicki is clearly closing in on Thomas, using the IRS as leverage against his liquid assets, he forces her to realize she is also becoming hemmed in — by her emotions. When she seemingly persuades him to negotiate an end, his point is proven when a jealous Eddie stubbornly refuses to cut any deal.
Thomas organizes another robbery exactly like the first with different accomplices and tells Vicki where the "drop" will be, because he has to know for sure that she is on his side. The robbery is successful, but there are gunshots and the viewer is left with the impression that people might have been killed, raising the stakes for Vicki's decision.
Vicki and the police stake out the cemetery, where they watch one of the robbers make the drop, and wait for Thomas to show up so they can arrest him. When his Rolls Royce arrives, however, she sees that Thomas has sent a messenger in his place, with a telegram asking her to bring the money and join him — or else keep the Rolls Royce. She tears the telegram to bits and throws the pieces to the wind, looking up at the sky with tears in her eyes. Crown flies away in a jet.

Tags: mystery, comedy, boring, romantic

Review:
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".
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!
Like other films from that era of history, it's lost some of its shock with time but unlike true classics, Thomas Crown Affair has lost a lot of its charm.
This is a fun cat and mouse movie, not a documentary.The premise-an art theft-strikes me as more interesting than the original's robbery; besides, how many films have bank robberies?
In the end, Thomas Crown Affair works not because of the film's subjects or its characters .
It was wonderful - much better than the "original" The characters were more interesting, the plot more interesting!The entire cast gives marvellous performances, Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan are wonderful, sexy, intelligent and never boring!I am tired of hearing about Rene's age being a factor, there are sexy talented women of all ages!
Firstly, it's not a cookie-cutter remake of the original staring Mr. McQueen and Ms. Dunaway - so no comparison required.You might say Brosnan was typecast by Bond, and the idea of a suave player getting one over on yet another woman might be the obvious outcome, but not this time!
The movie provides glimpses into their lifestyles, and at the same time, keeps them both just outside what you'd expect from a wealthy businessman and a woman working for an insurance company.Supporting character Mr. Leary makes a cynical, yet caring detective attempting to save face by nabbing Thomas Crown - however it's quite obvious in a city the size of New York that a bored millionaire looking for thrills by staging a theft is not his priority.
They have a healthy appetite for each other so the love scenes in his apartment and 'island retreat' are the 'stuff that dreams are made of.'Yes, there are little snafus, such as a painting being folded in a manner that would permanently ruin it, and the usual gaffes that serious film-goers will pick over - but heck, it's just a movie and a love story - let yourself go and imagine you're a woman who's just crashed a black tie event in a dress making every man in the room salivate, or that you're the man she's heading for on the dance floor - then have fun with it .
An anticipation will build on and you will enjoy a climax every 15 minutes or so.This movie is one of its kind, not to mention Pierce Brosnan who looks tailor made for this role.Every few years a movie comes that you remember throughout your life, sometimes it may appeal to one group and detract another, but the people to whom it appeals, it touches their heart and they are deeply influenced by it.
Simple - In 31 years things have changed a lot in terms of movie skill and technology for the better.Sitting in my ultra comfy seat with my drink holder, hearing the sound track on a fantastic Sony Dynamic Digital Sound System, seeing fantastic footage and camera work on a huge screen, and watching Brosnan and Russo who were made for their roles smoothly cavort through this delightful romantic fantasy was my idea of movie heaven.Of course there was crass commercialism that came with the package.
The world may be falling apart so like we needed money spent on a remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair." But then heck if Tinseltown in all its unoriginality doesn't do a bang-up fun job of unreality with characters who have no place in the Unreel World, from the classy looking opening credits to Sting covering "Windmills of my Mind" over the closing credits.
In the opening scene I'm thinking, wait I know that woman's voice and voila it's Faye Dunaway from the original film as Crown's shrink - I cheered out loud (OK so I was the only one in the audience that got the joke).Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo are an age-appropriate couple with genuine fireworks and chemistry (with help from director John McTiernan and editor John Wright in the tango and copulation scenes).There's unconventionally good music choices - that tango is from Three Penny Opera of all things and a terrific use of Nina Simone's "Sinner Man" in a marvelous Magritte-inspired ironically tense heist scene.
Where Russo seems to let go and enjoy herself is a slip mistake that the character would never have done; Dunaway ALWAYS kept her cool in the original.Enter the cat and mouse thriller element of the film.
However, Brosnan and Russo do not have that touch, the spark was nowhere near as big, and the inclusion of a nude scene still does not bring it anywhere near the status of attraction that the original couple had.This film could have been a classic remake if it didn't try to be so politically correct.
The characters from, Catherine Banning (Russo) and 'Det. McCann' (Leary) and (Frankie Faison as) ' Det. Peretti' and of course Pierce Brosnan as the lead 'player' Thomas or 'Tommy' as friend to be Catherine would call him.
And frankly I couldn't wait for Dennis Leary (playing the cop) to catch them both and send them to Texas for a lethal injection.At one point in the movie Rene Russo throws a Renoir on a fire and the both of them look on like this is a fine old joke.
Actually, a lot of people thought this version was a lot more interesting and entertaining.This '99 re-make was more of a thinking man's crime movie that one normally sees these days in which violence and profanity are way overdone so many times.
However, this movie is far from family entertainment with amoral lead actors including Rene Russo baring her breasts a few times and Pierce Brosnan having sex with her at first opportunity.Speaking of morals, one gets tired of the film world constantly making the criminals the good guy and the police as someone to root against.
Neither of the two leads has an ounce of integrity....but we are manipulated into rooting for them.For nostalgia buffs, the let Dunaway play a small role in here, as the annoying psychiatrist.I really liked this film the first two times I saw but was totally turned off at the third viewing.
She also played the investigator in the earlier version, however the name of her character (Vicki Anderson) is different than the name of the investigator played by Renee Russo (Catherine Banning) in this updated version.The story is about a rich thief named Thomas Crown (Brosnan)who steals a 100 million painting by Claude Monet, but to what end.
However if you have young children you may want to see the film after lights out, because of the nude/love scenes performed by Renee Russo and Pierce Brosnan..
THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, in my opinion, is an excellent action movie with a little romance thrown in that has excellent performances.
Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend excellent action movie with a little romance thrown in that has excellent performances to all you Pierce Brosnan or Rene Russo fans who haven't seen it.
Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo are fine leads, and their chemistry is somewhat steamier than the original's, and there is also some great support from Denis Leary and Faye Dunnaway herself.
Especially pleasing in "The Thomas Crown Affair" are plot points that steer clear of developments exhibited in the original; this remake (for a change) is fresh enough on its own terms that any degree of familiarity with the 1968 version is immaterial.
The original "Thomas Crown Affair" showed a cool and disciplined Steve McQueen, a seductive and self-controlled Faye Dunaway and - very important - a really cleverly and well-planned crime.
The Thomas Crown Affair is a totally superfluous remake of an earlier Norman Jewison film (which by the way I have never seen).The story is good, although it is clearly a Bond spinoff (which at the time of the original were still "en vogue").
So much so, that because you can't imagine that you've guessed the ending within 15 minutes, you'll invent a better and more original movie.The acting is decent, but can Pierce play anything but an exciting, older white male?
Rene Russo gets out of acting by continuously taking off her top, apparently to prove that "older women still got it." This was a big deal when the movie came out, but now it seems distracting, unnecessary and forced.Unless you've never guessed the end to a movie before in your life, stay away from this horrid "Affair.".
Although the film is beautifully shot, it lacks a certain element - namely believability.From the moment of the robbery, which is full of inconsistencies, to the point where the insurance investigator decides that Crown is the thief (for no other reason that I could see but it was the only way the scripters could manage to move what remained of the plot forward) right up to the ending the film is laughably inept.As an attempt to make a 'sophisticated' film it failed simply because it treated its audience like morons.
Sophistication has to fail when the audience spends half the time wondering where on earth they managed to find a judge to sign a search warrant against one of the richest men in New York on no evidence at all, or why the police didn't arrest the insurance investigator after discovering her illegal activities.The obligatory sex scenes were equally laughable - making love on a marble staircase has to be the most uncomfortable experience ever (I do not speak from personal knowledge).Apart from some good camera work this film has nothing to recommend it and must rank as one of the worst films it has ever been my misfortune to see.This is a definite not-to-see..
This film version of the "Thomas Crown Affair" was full of romance, passion and lots of guessing games.
Pierce Brosnan,(Thomas Crown),"Grey Owl",'99 had lots of fun playing fantastic games with Rene Russo (Catherine Olds Banning), "In The Line of Fire",'93.
The characters are sterile, the acting is wooden and who really cares about them anyway.I would invite anyone who saw this movie to view the original to experience a dated but good treatment of the same story.
Dialogue seems like it was written by 14 year old, there is tons of unnecessary scenes than don't do much good to it, Crown (Brosnan) is just "way too cool" for a human and Russo is getting old and she is showing more than necessary.
THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR / (1999) ***Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Frankie Faison, Fritz Weaver, and Faye Dunaway Directed by John McTiernan.
I missed almost an hour (by choice) and understood the ending and surprised that it took that long to get there.I also felt that they played off the Bond/Remington Steele image but added a little too much sex into a romantic character and that destroyed the image quickly with nothing to replace it.In a world of fast paced movies I was hoping for something a little slower-but not this slow.Next time I'm in the mood for a nice romantic film this movie will remind me they don't make them like they used to and I'll head for the classics.Not a good last impression..
I think that Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan have an excellent chemistry together and Denis Leary makes a great cop who though starts out bitter, softens up quite a bit to someone you end up liking.
After a difficult experience with the 13th Warrior, director John McTiernan returns to his best form with this simple yet brilliantly entertaining romantically themed caper movie, that relies on the excellent interplay between the two main leads; some clever but simple dramatic set-pieces; clever dialogue; great chemistry between the actors, and stylishly photographed locations.
This movie shows that the director can deliver a great film without resorting to action sequences or blowing things up!This film is a clever and contemporary remake of the 1968 Norman Jewison directed, Steve McQueen starrer, and brings the themes very effectively up to date for a modern audience.
Due to circumstances early on in the film, he is pursued by insurance investigator Catherine Banning, also an outstanding performance by the charismatic Rene Russo, who flaunts her sexuality as a weapon to distract Brosnan's Crown character with a view to getting him arrested.
Dennis Leary and Frankie Faison are two down to earth and streetwise local detectives who work alongside Banning, and as the film goes on Leary's character, who starts off as a bit stereotypical, evolves cleverly into something more sophisticated, and ends up representing the most grown up and adult perspective on the chain of events that make up the film's plot.McTiernan's directing is clever, whether it's the opening and closing set pieces, dialogue scenes or a refreshing and stylish (but not gratuitous) take on sex scenes he melds this film together with real style, bearing in mind that this his first attempt at this genre, and shows his versatility as a director given the right material.
I enjoyed the chemistry between Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, not to mention "bravo!" to the powers-that-be for the great casting.
I thought Pierce Brosnan was a little more attractive than Steve McQueen, but he is not such a good actor, and Rene Russo looked cheap, superficial and unattractive, and I really didn't care whether she got him or not.
(Just like the movie Braveheart) If you haven't seen the THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, you don't know what you're missing!.
This is the best reason to see the movie.The heists at the beginning and end of the film are also excellent (especially the latter) but if you are looking for non-stop action then go see something else instead..
You can see that the most famous of roles has had an effect on his acting style, but I thought he was good if a little unimaginitive at times.Russo was the star for me, impressing as she usually does, despite the gratuituous sex scenes with Brosnan on the stairs - debatably unnecessary to the plot, but they no doubt brought in the crowds - with her slick and stylish approach to a challenging role.Definitely worth seeing, if only because Brosnan and Russo is a far more likely combination than Connery and Zeta-Jones in Entrapment..
Yet, the quasi-nonchalant act of Pierce Brosnan - Thomas Crown in this story - combined with a fascinating image, forms the quality of this film.
Pierce Brosnan plays Thomas Crown, one of the most smug rich guys you've ever seen in this romantic drama.
THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR is the best film that Pierce Brosnan has done so far.
Pierce Brosnan is not at his usual standard like in the James Bond films and Rene Russo was almost perfect for her character.
I have no idea whether or not Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway's chess scene was more erotically charged than Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo's more direct scene-on-the-stairs.
I loved this film; I got my £5.00's worth and I'm happy.It was just so good to see a tightly worked thriller with no-one under thirty in it; having recently seen 'Cruel Intentions' (ie Dangerous-Liasons-Lite with Sarah Michelle Gellar and hip young co-stars making a mess of a perfectly good story), it was good to see that McTiernan and Brosnan had obviously realised that to make a good remake you don't have to half the age of the cast.
Better than the Steve McQueen version this one is great.Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo are hot.
The movie works on a number of levels, but it is a character-driven film all the way.Thomas Crown is a man who has it all.
The Thomas Crown Affair is a "remake" of the Steve McQueen/Faye Dunaway hipster movie that in my opinion wasn't very good.
"The Thomas Crown Affair" is smooth.This is my favorite film by Rene Russo.
With that being said, I honestly think that while the 1999 version of "The Thomas Crown Affair", starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, does offer two hours of pure escapism to the audience, it suffers significantly from the fact that it is straight up forgettable.
It's fun, exciting, surprising, and peppered with action.Good acting, especially on the part of Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, and Denis Leary.
Sometimes the actor makes the movie, and such was the case with the original Thomas Crown Affair of 1968.
fantastic.brilliant.what the else i could say about this movie.i have seen the original one but this one is more convincing.Pearce Brosnan is fit for the character as 'Crown'.
fantastic.brilliant.what the else i could say about this movie.i have seen the original one but this one is more convincing.Pearce Brosnan is fit for the character as 'Crown'.
Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend excellent action movie with a little romance thrown in that has excellent performances to all you Pierce Brosnan or Rene Russo fans who haven't seen I enjoyed the movie a lot.Believe me you will definitely like it if you have not seen the movie yet.describe in one word it is 'BRILLIANT'.
Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend excellent action movie with a little romance thrown in that has excellent performances to all you Pierce Brosnan or Rene Russo fans who haven't seen I enjoyed the movie a lot.Believe me you will definitely like it if you have not seen the movie yet.describe in one word it is 'BRILLIANT'.
Laid-back caper movie, good acting by Russo and Brosnan.
The remake of the Thomas Crown Affair is a good remake of a much better movie, but in its own term it is certainly entertaining if you can look past the holes in the plot.