Thomas Crown Affair, The (1999)
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), directed by John McTiernan.
This remake of The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) is slick and rich-looking, with enough clever bits to keep it exciting. The personalities are more of a problem:
Pierce Brosnan is believable as an ultra-rich thrill-seeking magnate who fancies fine art. When he arranges intricate heists we have to figure him for a psycho, the sort who secretly wants to be caught.
Rene Russo is the insurance investigator who is instantly on to him, and liking the chase much too much. She seems way too tough for a rich kid, with that combination brass-knuckles and switchblade gizmo. Her excessive attitude is hard to take. She's the sexually dominant partner in their high-charged relationship. Russo deserves credit for doing nudity at age 45, older than the expected "babe" age range.
I like honest working-class police detective Denis Leary better than either. He doesn't give a damn about fine art. That Catherine Banning is out of his league: just as well.
The elaborate art thefts: I can't help thinking of Hudson Hawk (1991). It's an acceptable romantic action plot but I think the switcheroos toward the end tend to the silly side, redeemed by Nina Simone singing "Sinnerman". It's a good score throughout.
It was just after this that director McTiernan hired PI-to-the-stars Anthony Pellicano to do some illegal wiretapping. McTiernan later spent time in jail for that.
