The Thomas Crown Affair

Director: John McTiernan
Screenplay: Alan Trustman, Leslie Dixon, Kurt Wimmer
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Faye Dunaway, Charles Keating

   What would you do if you were a billionaire? Maybe go sailing. Perhaps fly down to the Caribbean on a moments notice. And if you got bored, you could plan the perfect art theft. At least that's what billionaire Thomas Crown (Brosnan) does in The Thomas Crown Affair.

   Crown is a successful business man, owner of Crown Acquisistions, who seems to have everything, women, money, even his own bulding. So he plans to steal a painting from New York's Metropolitan Museum. This of course leads to a police investigation. Enter Catherine Banning (Russo), an insurance investigator, whose only job is to get the painting back, no matter the cost. Predictably, romantic sparks fly between Crown and Banning, and her loyalties become suspect. After some rather humorous dates and happenings (and a few romps in the sack), Banning is totally smitten with Crown.

   With an incredible opening scene the film only gets better. I have never seen the original 1968 make of the film, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in the roles of Brosnan and Russo respectively, I have read that it is also a very good film. If that is true, than this version does it justice. This movie, much like most McTiernan's other films (Hunt For Red October, Die Hard, Predator), is just action packed and fun to watch. McTiernan has an uncanny knack for bringing the viewer into his creation, in my opinion, more so than any other director.

   Brosnan's role is basically the same one that he has refined so well with his two (upcoming 3rd) Bond films. Russo is supercharged almost too much for the role. Although her character is driven, and by most standards rather wealthy herself, she seems to lack basic emotions, except for the end. Which to me makes her the most fleshed out character of the film. She grows the most. Leary takes his role with a grain of salt, I believe he's just playing himself. The rest of the cast does an adequate job.

   Bill Conti's soundtrack although not something to write home about, holds it's own. It's fun and plucky in the right places, and tense and thrilling in the other places. McTiernan's film is crisp and clean and something you'd expect from a first class director.

   I highly recommend this film, for guys and girls. It's fun and entertaining, which of course is why we go to the movies in the first place.

Grade: B+