The Thomas Crown Affair
When a priceless Monet painting is stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the police find themselves wondering which world-class art thief pulled the job. What they don't know is that the thief wasn't a professional, but an amateur. Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) was born poor but made his way through Oxford on a boxing scholarship. With his sharp sense for business and ruthless ambition, Crown has become a self-made billionaire; but despite his wealth and power, he still seeks new challenges, and he steals art not for the profits but for the sheer excitement. However, as fun as art theft might be, it's still illegal, and investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) is brought in to track down the culprit. Certain clues point to Crown, so Banning introduces herself into Crown's social circle. Police detective Michael McCann (Denis Leary) warns Banning against getting too close to Crown. She takes McCann's suggestion lightly -- until she finds herself falling for the suave thief. The Thomas Crown Affair was adapted from the popular 1968 caper film of the same name starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway; Dunaway appears in the new film as Crown's analyst. more..
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Faye Dunaway,Ben Gazzara
A romp of romantic larceny built out of spare parts we've seen in countless other films.
As absorbed as he is with his characters, McTiernan is still able to provide a couple of dazzling set pieces - the sustained opening heist (involving a pun-intended Trojan horse) is a doozy, while the Magritte-inspired, music-fuelled denouement is, well, inspired.
What The Thomas Crown Affair has to sell audiences is a fantasy of the life of the super-rich who jet off to Martinique on the spur of the moment, and the super-smart who operate outside the rules.
The remake has a superior caper but less chemistry.
Too expensive for its own good, too chic for comfort.
Favorite Actor - Drama/Romance
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2000)
Best Contemporary Hair Styling - Feature
Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards (2000)
Best Original Score
Satellite Awards (2000)
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