Die Thomas Crown Affäre

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! Instead we're treated to a sophisticated game of cops and robbers, played out in this stylish and seductive entertainment. Mr. Brosnan (Thomas) is at the top of his game and may be involved in something illegal. Ms. Russo (Catherine) is called in to investigate, claiming an office and sharing confidences with the local police department looking for clues. Catherine epitomises sophistication with hair, makeup and fashions styled to perfection. She's an understatement of success; a woman playing a man's game, bounty-hunting life and sex on her own terms and 'enjoying the chase'.

Once Catherine is on the trail of Thomas Crown you'll join her in a hedonistic game of one-upmanship. She's done this kind of work before and must stay on her toes if she's going to implicate the wealthy Thomas Crown. The local cops and cultured community believe Mr. Crown to be beyond reproach; an untouchable pillar of wealth and good taste.

These two characters exist in their luxurious world through strange circumstance and have made it their own through hard work and some bluffing. 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. Mr. Leary is guilty of a bit of cussing and jaded police behaviour, but ya 'gotta hope he's still on the force.

The story races from one clue to the next, and we glimpse a world where time means nothing, and money is just, well, not an issue. The film really sets the tone for the lush life with ultra-posh, elegant sets, millionaire-hobbies and exotic locations. The soundtrack is perfect, giving the entire movie an upmarket, worldly feel that befits a modern romance.

This is really a love story for anyone who imagines being whisked away from the mundane into places that you've only read or heard about in glossy magazines. It's a film for any person out there who'd like to have the freedom to do what they want and damn the consequences. Well, either that or have enough money to do anything, then disappear.

There is some hot on-screen chemistry between Thomas and Catherine, making the love scenes, coupled with the sexy music and breathtaking backgrounds, erotic. 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 . . .

In the end, for all their cunning, Thomas and Catherine must decide if they can trust each other, just like most men and women must do in any love story. What you may find hard to decide though, is who to root for, and who really wins the game of cat and mouse at the end of this movie.

I am very fond of the Norman Jewison original particularly for Dunnaway and for the song The Windmills of My Mind. This is a very worthy remake, and almost on par in my opinion, and I thought I'd never say that after seeing far too many pointless ones along the odd truly great one. The story is not quite as convincing here, it does have some great scenes that also some that don't quite work like the dance scene which was not very well filmed and didn't enhance the story as much as the chess scene of the original. However, visually it is very stylish, with striking locations, crisp photography and editing and great fashions. The direction as expected from John McTiernan is very convincing, the screenplay is taut and the soundtrack is memorable. 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. Overall, a more than worthy remake, loose of course but very stylish and classy. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A fun-filled flick by mingling a thrilling museum-heist caper with an outlandish love story . This is a good remake to the classic (1968) by Norman Jewison starred by Steve McQueen , Faye Dunaway , Paul Burke , Jack Weston ; this ¨The Thomas Crown Affair¨ (1999) by John McTiernan boasts a stunning cast , such as Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary , Ben Gazzara . Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan who produced too) is a handsome , self-made billionaire who delights in theft and as he just can't resist pulling off the perfect crime , a daring , engrossing daylight museum robbery . But the rich industrialist is mercilessly chased by a gorgeous and efficient insurance investigator (Rene Russo) and a cunning police inspector (Denis Leary) , both of them determined to nab him . Brosnan and Russo , together and the slickest gang that ever robbed a museum ! How do you get the man who has everything? When You Raise The Stakes , You Heighten The Attraction . Crime does pay. Handsomely. He was attractive , handsome, jet-setting millionaire - and he'd just pulled off the perfect crime!. She was charming , beautiful , a super sleuth - sent to investigate it ! How do you get the man who has everything? When You Raise The Stakes, You Heighten The Attraction. Crime does pay. Handsomely.

Amusing and entertaining yarn that combines the necessary ingredients for a fun-filled film , alongside a colorful cinematography by Tom Priestley Jr and atmospheric soundtrack by Bill Conti . Slick , lavish rendition with innovative techniques through the competent shooting , and being the best visual scenes the seduction match between the two and eventually falling in love . Made with strong production with the museum raid scenes tautly effective . The storyline is too slight and enjoyable , providing amusement and entertainment enough . This is an agreeable and fun reboot but everyone seems to be an overlong copy of the excellent original , being a bit too hard to make it looks effortless . Stars two great protagonists , Pierce Brosnan at his best as a stubborn thief who moonlights as an art robber and Rene Russo as an unscrupulous insurance investigator who happens to be tracking him ; both of whom expanding their characters enough for us to identify fully with them . The verbal sparring and emotional tricks between these two compelling stars are a complete diversion and real joy . Being well accompanied by a sympathetic support cast , such as : Denis Leary , Ben Gazzara, Frankie Faison, Fritz Weaver, Charles Keating , Mark Margolis and special appearance from Faye Dunaway as Brosnan's shrink .

The motion picture was competently directed by John McTiernan who delivers innovative techniques that really move the story along . McTiernan is a prestigious and veteran filmmaker , his greatest film was , of course , ¨Predator¨. John was offered the chance to direct Commando (1985), but turned it down , but then he worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger later on ¨Predator¨ (1987) and ¨The last Great Hero¨ (1993). He is a good filmmaker , though the present-day is retired, and known for directing high-energy, violent action adventures and powerful thrillers , such as : ¨Die hard¨, ¨Die hard with a vengeance¨ , ¨13 warrior¨, ¨The hunt for Red october¨, ¨The Last great hero¨,¨Rolllerball¨ , ¨Nomads¨ , among others . Rating : 7/10 . Worthwhile watching .

If you've seen the original version and don't see the point in watching a different version of the same story don't worry; apart from the protagonist's name and general themes there are more than enough differences to make this worth watching.

Thomas Crown is one of New York's ultra-rich; he owns his own company and partakes in expensive sports. He is also bored. To alleviate that boredom he stages a heist in a museum and walks away with a painting valued at one hundred million dollars. The police start investigating and are soon joined by Catherine Banning, an insurance investigator hoping to save her employers from having to pay out. She quickly suspects Crown and soon a flirtatious game of cat and mouse begins as she tries to prove her suspicions and he leads her on without giving her the evidence she needs.

Remakes are seldom quite as good as the original, making them somewhat redundant, but thanks to the differences I'd definitely recommend this. The way the robbery takes place and later behaviour makes this Thomas Crown a slightly less amoral character. The robbery itself is enjoyable thanks to the way it is undertaken; the lack of real threat to people in the museum makes it easier to enjoy without feeling guilty. Once Catherine Banning arrives her character is at least as important as Crown and her pursuit of him is a lot of fun. The cast does a fine job most obviously Pierce Brosnan who is suitably suave as Crown and Rene Russo who brings a mature sexiness to the role of Banning. Overall I still prefer the original but still recommend this fun mix of crime and romance.

Forget all the explosions, car chases, crazy villains, special effects... The Thomas Crown Affair is not an action movie. It´s not even a thriller. Instead, it´s a well-done cat-and-mouse movie that´s smart, entertaining and very sexy. If you had to use one word to describe the film it would have to be sophisticated. The movie might appeal more to mature audiences as both the leading man and the leading lady are over 40 years old. Pierce Brosnan can obviously do other roles beside James Bond, but the role of Thomas Crown is at least somewhat similar to 007. Both guys "enjoy women" and are very suave. Overall, Brosnan gives a solid performance and is overshadowed only by Rene Russo who simply oozes sexuality and class. She is simply perfect in her role and though she´s twice as old as I am I find her a real knockout. Not only is she extremely hot, but also a very talented and charismatic actress. A perfect combination! The classy dance scene between Brosnan and Russo belongs to the most sexually-charged scenes in history and the following love-making scene manages to be both sexy and stylish. Usually nude scenes in Hollywood movies seem somehow "uneasy", but in this movie the scene is done in real style and with sensual music the atmosphere is sizzling. Who would want a disposable bimbo like Britney Spears when you could have a real class-act woman like Rene Russo? I would also like to mention Bill Conti whose simple yet refined music is simply outstanding. Just listen to the music during the scene in which Crown and Banning go glider flying... You can just close your eyes and listen to this wonderful music. Now I have to find the soundtrack for this film! I guess I should mention that I´ve never seen the original Thomas Crown, but now I don´t even have to bother as its updated version is a true pleasure to watch. I have nothing negative to say about it so just go get this film on DVD and enjoy!