My first reaction as the movie started was, "Hey! I thought that this was James Bond? What's going on!" So let me warn you right away, The Thomas Crown Affair has nothing to do with James Bond. Apparently, Pierce Brosnan can play other roles (and thus appear in other films) as well.
And he is great in this one, which isn't too much of a stretch from his typical Bond role (one other thing I noticed about Brosnan is that he is one of the few actors today who has absolutely no sign of hair loss; perhaps this observation came from misgivings about the first signs of my own bald spot desparately trying to be born). Here he is Thomas Crown, a wealthy (which is an understatement) art lover, who seems to have everything. That which he does not have, he gets. Naturally, his thirst for a challenge lead him to the other side of the law. He thrives on overcoming all obstacles.
However, there is one prize which he has never captured: a woman's love. One reason is that he has never found a woman who could offer him any challenge of intellect, adventure, or wit. Until he meets Catherine Banning (Rene Russo). Thus the plot is set.
The movie is largely a big game. It is a fun ride. It doesn't have much realism, but I don't think that that is needed for this type of movie. Our mindset as an audience should be focused on fun and adventure, and this movie delivers terrifically on both. The thrill of a heist is always great for the moviegoer.
What brings the movie down, however, is the attempt at sexual excitement. True, Brosnan and Russo have a wonderful chemistry on screen, but the movie takes it too far. There was, in my opinion, no need for the movie to be so sexually explicit. I feel that these things are best left to the imagination. Personally, I was offended in seeing Brosnan's butt, and seeing Russo (pretty much all of her, at that) was not all that impressive. Many critics have hailed this movie as the sexual liberation of the 40-year-old. However, these critics are probably 40+ themselves. To me, a 23-year-old, Russo looked old, wrinkly, and saggy (and I would have rather not seen all of that). Below you can see her in her see-through dress, which was definitely NOT a turn on for me.
It's wild and fun. Just close your eyes when they start showing geriatric body parts.
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