Editorial Review:Description:Thrill-seeking billionaire Thomas Crown (Brosnan) loves nothing more than courting disasterand winning! So when his world becomes too stiflingly safe, he pulls off his boldest stunt ever: stealing a priceless paintingin broad daylightfrom one of Manhattan's most heavily guarded museums. But his post-heist excitement soon pales beside an even greater challenge: Catherine Banning (Russo). A beautiful insurance investigator hired to retrieve the artwork, Catherine's every bit as intelligent, cunning and hungry for adventure as he is. And just when Thomas realizes he's finally met his match, she skillfully leads him into a daring game of cat and mouse that's more intoxicating and dangerous than anything either of them has ever experienced before!
Amazon.com:For the Hollywood remake rule, which dictates that an update of an older film be inferior to the original in almost every aspect,
The Thomas Crown Affair stands as a glorious exception. The original 1968 film, starring a dapper Steve McQueen and a radiant Faye Dunaway, was a diverting pop confection of mod clothes and nifty break-ins, but not much more. John McTiernan's new version, though, cranks up the entertainment factor to mach speed, turning what was a languid flick into a high-adrenaline caper romance. Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is now a man of industry who likes to indulge in a little high-priced art theft on the side; Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) is the insurance investigator determined to get on his tail in more ways than one. If you're thinking cat-and-mouse game, think again--it's more like cat vs. smarter cat, as both the thief and the investigator try to outwit each other and
nothing is off-limits, especially after they start a highly charged love affair that's a heated mix of business and pleasure.
What makes this
Thomas Crown more enjoyable than its predecesor is McTiernan's attention to detail in both the set action pieces (no surprise from the man who helmed
Die Hard with precision accuracy) and the developing romance, the witty and intelligent script by Leslie Dixon (she wrote the love scenes) and Kurt Wimmer (he wrote the action scenes), and, most of all, its two stunning leads (both over 40 to boot), combustible both in and out of bed. Brosnan, usually held prisoner in the James Bond straitjacket, lets loose with both a relaxed sensuality and a comic spirit he's rarely expressed before. The film, however, pretty much belongs to Russo, who doesn't just steal the spotlight, but bends it to her will. Beautiful, stylish, smart, self-possessed, incredibly sexy, she's practically a walking icon; it's no wonder Crown falls for her hook, line, and sinker. With Denis Leary as a police detective smitten with Russo, and Faye Dunaway in a throwaway but wholly enjoyable cameo as Brosnan's therapist.
--Mark Englehart
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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The Thomas Crown Affair
Excellent movie. It has something for everyone. Action, Sex, Suspence. It was a great movie and enjoyed every minute of it. I especially liked Rene Russo and Brosnan together. They enteract very well in a movie.
Rating: 
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Excellent Movie
This movie is definately one of my favorites. Pierce Brosnan & Russo have amazing chemistry and the acting from the two is impeccable. I am also a James Bond fan, and this movie seems to have a James Bond feel to it. Furthermore, the twists and turns in the movie is more than enough reason to watch it. It will keep you guessing over and over and you will be asking yourself, "How did he do that?".
Rating: -
Battle of the Sexes: TRUST
Trust and ego fight one another, the age-old battle, in a modern setting. All-time movie
Rating: -
LOVE this movie
This movie is excellent. Piece Brosnan is one of my favorite actors and he was fantastic with Rene Russo. Loved it!
Rating: 
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An affair to, um, forget...
Pierce Brosnan has this endearing sensuality that draws you to him, no matter what role he's playing. I'm a man and I can admit that without hesitation. That factor is really the only thing that saves `The Thomas Crown Affair' from being nothing more than passable entertainment. In other words, if it weren't for Brosnan I would have turned the film off almost as soon as it began, or at least the moment Russo walked onto the screen (more on her later). But no, I didn't. I watched the film in its entirety, and while it is not dreadful it is far less than worthy of your time and attention.
Now I have not seen the original, so I cannot compare the two (the reviews say that this one is superior, so I'm not in a rush to check out the original), but this `remake' definitely has the feel of a remake. You know, the way that remakes always feel (not always but most of the time) like they are missing something. This feels like it's missing something.
The film follows Thomas Crown, a wealthy businessman (millionaire at that) who is growing bored and so he decides to stage a robbery at the local museum. Catherine Banning is the insurance investigator hired to aid the police investigation. She immediately suspects Crown despite the department's disbelief, and so she targets him, and attempts to seduce him. Crown on the flip side is working her, from every angle in fact. In the end it boils down to a `does he love me, is he using me, should I rat him out, should I follow him' scenario, which quite frankly grows old very soon.
The initial robbery scene is expertly staged and choreographed; it's just a shame that it's the only remotely exciting scene in the film.
The acting is very hit or miss. Pierce is great, as usual. He is seductive and mysterious and enticing. He makes you want to know everything about him. Rene Russo is a major miss for me. From the second the walked onto the screen it was as if she was trying way too hard. I don't get the admiration for her performance, for it comes off rather cartoonish rather than grounded. She is very over-the-top and at times unbearable. Faye Dunaway (who starred in the original I hear) is also very over-the-top. Her character is a mere cameo performance and so she is forgivably over-the-top, but nonetheless she is far from good. I am not a fan of Denis Leary, but he works his character well enough and doesn't take away from the film at all. He doesn't add anything either, but that's a different story.
In the end `The Thomas Crown Affair' has its moments, however few they may be, but the overall appeal of the film is lacking for me. It's predictable and clichéd and rather dense. The dialog is choppy and at times you can see the actors choking on their words, and the formulaic plot (right down to the `omg you're cheating on me, wait no you're not') can be irritating. If only the acting could redeem this picture, but sadly Brosnan is working alone on this one.
