The Thomas Crown Affair

1999's remake of the 1968 film about a multi-million dollar heist is certain an improvement on the original trading in a lackluster bank heist for stylish museum thefts of fine art. Casting Pierce Brosnan is the middle of his James Bond run as the bored rich man who steals art for his own amusement, the film never hits the Ocean's 11 level of cool but it certainly has some cachet. Opposite our thief we get Rene Russo as the insurance investigator suspicious of Thomas Crown who also starts dating him (first for access but later feelings do develop as the pair consistently trade barbs).

The script by Leslie Dixon and Kurt Wimmer is structured as a battle of wills between our two leads, each having a little fun at the other's expense until things finally turn serious for both of them. It also gives us Denis Leary as the hardworking cop invested in the case but at the same time admitting that these "swirls of paint" are "only important to some very silly rich people." And, as a nod to the original film, we get Faye Dunaway as Crown's psychologist who takes great pleasure in her narcissistic client falling for a woman who could destroy him.

The highlight of the film is the climactic museum heist where Crown proves his superiority by returning the painting he stole through lots of misdirection leading to the cops stumbling over themselves as he also makes his escape relatively unnoticed. Other notable moments include Crown crashing a sailboat just because he thinks its fun, the trick of dogs playing poker, the (unexplained) theft of the second painting, and the film's epilogue where he can't help but play one last trick bringing our two leads back together for good.

The film was a modest box office and critical success and has been released several times on home video over the years. Currently it is also available on a number of streaming services. Although a sequel was suggested, it never made it off the ground. The Thomas Crown Affair may not be a top-tier heist film, but it is certainly an enjoyable one thanks in large part to the unexpected pairing of Brosnan and Russo who are both perfect for the film.

• Title: The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
• IMDb: link