NOTE: This film depends on surprises. I purposely avoided being too specific about the plot, in order to preserve surprises for filmgoers.
THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (Metro Goldwyn Mayer, 1999/MPAA Rated R) Written by Alan Trustman (story) Peter Doyle, Leslie Dixon & Kurt Wimmer (screenplay) based on the original screenplay by Alan R. Trustman Directed by John McTiernan
Cast of Characters: Thomas Crown...PIERCE BROSNAN Catherine Banning...RENE RUSSO Michael McCann...DENIS LEARY The Psychiatrist...FAYE DUNAWAY Det. Paretti...FRANKIE R. FAISON Anna...ESTHER CANADAS
reviewed by Anthony Bruce Gilpin GRADE: *** (three of a possible four stars)
REVIEWER'S PROLOGUE--The preview screening of `The Thomas Crown Affair' contained two types of filmgoers: the ones old enough to remember the original 1968 film starring Steve McQueen and a very young Faye Dunaway, and those young enough to not be aware that there is another version. Two women of the latter demographic sat behind me shortly before the film began. `Wake me when Pierce takes his shirt off,' one of them quipped. ****************************** Those of you who are interested in seeing Pierce Brosnan without a shirt will find a lot to like about `The Thomas Crown Affair.' Those interested in seeing Rene Russo wearing far less will find even greater rewards in this remake of the 1968 romantic thriller. But director John McTiernan serves up more than just celebrity skin. `The Thomas Crown Affair' is a sleek, clever update on the story of the playful gentleman criminal and the beautiful, relentless investigator he toys with. The film combines a taut, witty, script, competent acting, and enough action and technical wizardry to remind you that McTiernan directed `Die Hard.' As a bonus, `The Thomas Crown Affair' is sexier than `Eyes Wide Shut,' without being nearly as bloated and self-important. This film is entertaining enough to stand on its own, and will satisfy fans of the original as well. The basics are the same as before: Thomas Crown (Brosnan) is a tycoon who makes money far too easily to find fulfillment from it. A 1990s guy, Crown sees a psychiatrist (a cameo by original `Thomas Crown' star Faye Dunaway) to discuss what's missing in his life. The Jet Set and the art of the deal bore Crown, so he amuses himself by masterminding a daring daylight museum heist, getting away with a $100 million painting, leaving not a clue behind. Well, almost. Catherine Banning (Russo), an insurance investigator working on commission, teams up with the baffled police detectives (Denis Leary and Frankie R. Faison) and quickly fingers Crown as the prime suspect. The problem is, they have no evidence. More interested in recovering the painting than with nailing the thief, Catherine enters Crown's world, engaging him in a sexy game of cat and mouse. Her strategy is to be frank about her intentions, and allow Crown's arrogance to trip him up. Neither of them planned on falling in love. In the end, Crown offers himself as a sacrifice to love. The question is, will Catherine accept the sacrifice, or the love? In the original film, Thomas Crown robbed banks. The shift to the art world was a good choice; it provides room for a lot of cultural subtext, and enhances the idea that a life of crime is only a hobby to Crown. Any remake of `The Thomas Crown Affair' has a great hurdle to clear: the chess scene in the original, leading Steve McQueen and the young Faye Dunaway into what was, arguably, the greatest kiss ever filmed. The Kiss, in which director Norman Jewison whipped the camera around McQueen and Dunaway in a dizzying spin, was a classic moment that filmmakers have been ripping off for 30 years. John McTiernan gave The Kiss its due, and put his own mark on it. Instead of a solitary chess game in a darkened room, Brosnan and Russo share a steamy dance at a society gala, kissing in the middle of a crowd. If `The Thomas Crown Affair' had been made in the 1940s, it might have starred Cary Grant. Like Grant, Pierce Brosnan has often been dismissed as a pretty boy with modest acting talent. The truth is that Brosnan is a much better actor than Grant ever was. As Thomas Crown, Brosnan gives an intelligent, nuance performance of a driven man who has nothing in life save his petty amusements. Rene Russo's performance proves that she can do extended sex scenes, and romp nude on a beach in Martinique for a significant portion of the film and still impress you with her *acting.* If anything, this film may be too sexy for its own good. The nudity is a bit more than is necessary to make the storyteller's point. In addition, Faye Dunaway's psychiatrist smirks and ridicules at her patient too much, and seems out of place in the life of a man defined by his arrogant self-confidence. And without giving anything away, the final caper is clever, but unlikely. Perhaps the greatest baggage the new film has to deal with is the original film's Oscar-winning song, `The Windmills of Your Mind.' Alan and Marilyn Bergman's lyric, with its vaguely psychedelic imagery, is clearly a product of the 1960s, and could have instantly dated the new film. But music director Bill Conti skillfully blends Michel Legrand's music with his own, producing a lush, textured and contemporary score. Be sure to stay until the closing credits for Sting's new vocal performance of `Windmills.' Even considering minor complaints, `The Thomas Crown Affair' is a better-than-average summer film for adults.
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