Rating: 
Summary: One of the Few Remakes Better than the Original
Review: I have both the new Thomas Crown Affair and the old Thomas Crown Affair on DVD. I can say that both are among my favorite films of their generations--the Steve McQueen/Faye Dunaway (also some of my favorite actors of the period--McQueen in the Great Escape and The Getaway, Dunaway especially in this film, Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown) version had had a great caper film plot, a little romance, the split screen direction had never been used so well (and hasn't been beaten since), has great cinematography, a great 60s film score, suspense, the great glider shots, and my fave scene-the beach buggy ride. The film was a definite 60s movie with great stars and the maximum in sex and violence of its time--it's so great to see how much it's changed thirty years later in the new version, another great film (that in so many ways outdoes the original). Rene Russo outdoes Faye Dunaway big-time (which were big shoes to fill--who could forget the seductive chess game), and Pierce Brosnan, even though debonair in his own right, plays James Bond in this movie and not Thomas Crown. This movie by itself I realize is not that great--there's no way it would have been up for any real awards or honors, yet it is a greatly-made, well (not perfectly) crafted filmmaking, much as the original was. For one, the scene where Crown steals the painting ranks among my favorite movie scenes of all time, where everything going on is perfect--another great film score, sensationalism, the ways the scene was set up, how the fall guys were getting the museum ready and without anyone even noticing it for Crown to come in without a peep. Smooth, slick, in and out. The way the rest of the film goes--the great chemistry between Brosnan and Russo, the conversation they have in the restaurant--and then when the two start really start showboating for each other--Russo entering his house looking for the painting, the way she cuts in on the dance floor, the fantastic, acrobatic sex scenes. The film's only major flaw is keeping it unfaithful in the end compared to the original. It would have been nice to see a romance film that ended differently from every other film of it's genre. It's TOO 90s to have this particular finale, but that is what makes it such a great 90s film because it is faithful to the culture. John McTiernan's laid-back audio commentary is interesting, but other than that the film lacks Special Features other than the two previews (or trailers if you are into movie jargon) from the '68 and '99 films.
Rating: 
Summary: BROSNAN & RUSSO : GOOD MATCH
Review: PIERCE BROSNAN & RENEE RUSSO MAKE A HOT & SEXY COUPLE ! IT IS A PLEASURE TO WATCH THEM IN THIS GOOD ROBBERY MOVIE & THE SUSPENS IS INTENSE.GOOD MOVIE !
Rating:
Summary: cleverness is good and bad
Review: It is certainly refreshing to see an action/romance movie that treats its audience as if they had IQs above those of the average rutabaga. There are a handful of times when something just "isn't right" about the film--a mangled reference to time zones, for instance--but in general the viewer is able to admire the wit and urbanity of the title character, his antagonist..., and indeed the writer who created the characters. The love affair is a little contrived, and the film seems to be trying too hard to convince us of the sexual electricity between the very attractive lead couple of Brosnan and Russo. Their relationship occasionally boils but seldom simmers. But the acting (Dennis Leary aside--and I disliked him here less than I usually do) is solid throughout, and the art-theft plot coheres very well. I haven't seen the original McQueen/Dunaway film, but I was reminded of the classic "It Takes a Thief." This movie isn't as good, but being mentioned in the same breath with a classic of the genre isn't bad.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I thought it was full of action but it also had an underlying story: something almost unheard of if you compare it to movies like MI-2. The actors were right for the part and the whole product was incredibly entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: SAD...
Review: I never expectec that director McTiernan could deliver such a lousy movie, tasteless, without any rhythm and with a history without any real climax. It's plain boring. Russo and Brosnan are in the worst acting of their career( handicapped by the awful script), there's no chemistry between them. It's just another movie to watch when you absolutely nothing to do.
Rating:
Summary: Brosnan/Russo electrify the screen
Review: Magnificent is the only word I can use to describe this movie! From start to finish, TCA held me in suspense and the ending was quite a twist. Unfortunately, I have not seen the original, so it's difficult to benchmark this one against that. However, I would strongly recommend this to all those Pierce Brosnan fans out there, and definitely recommend it to the Rene Russo fans as well!
Rating:
Summary: The Thomas Crown Affair DVD Review: Entertaining and sexy!
Review: I've never watched the original movie from 1968 but after watching the 1999 version of "The Thomas Crown Affair", I wanted to see more. I must admit that the main motivator from watching this movie was an interview in Los Angeles Magazine with Rene Russo. The article was quite interesting and shedding more on the life of the beautiful Rene Russo of Lethal Weapon fame. In this movie, she was absolutely...delicious. Brosnan as Thomas Crown does a pretty good job. The hot love scenes in this movie is very hot! Denis Leary's presence in this movie is actually not that bad in this movie. After reading the special booklet that accompanied the DVD (Btw, I urge companies that include the books to please add them to the actual DVD), you do read about the differences between the two movies. One marked by betrayal and one marked by romance. Which do you prefer depends on the viewer. The cat and mouse storyline was very interesting but I felt the cat gave up to easily. It is a very good movie nevertheless and the movie is worth purchasing on DVD. It was nice to see the two trailers for both movies and although it doesn't carry the many extras that other DVD's may have these days, the DVD gets a B- in the extras department.. The DVD gives you a choice of widescreen or standard. The video is very good with some noticeable artifacts during the airplane scene during the middle of the film. But that wasn't so distracting to me at all. The audio is very well done and I liked the musical score for the film. This is a more of a dialogue movie but if you are looking for some deep audio using your equipment capability, you will find a few moments. As for the characters, sometimes watching Pierce Brosnan and Thomas Crown feels like your watching James Bond. Rene Russo...definitely sexy and beautiful! A great actress. I'm not sure how this movie did in the box office, but if this is one of the movies that bombed in the box office, as a movie aficionado, this movie is pretty good (not great) and worth viewing. Anyway, it's a beautiful DVD and I think fans of the celebrities or the movie will enjoy this movie. Just bare in mind that the two movies are different and it was meant to be that way. Second, don't read the book first, read it after the movie. Third, buy the DVD...it's definitely a steal!
Rating:
Summary: Hold's it own
Review: It's always difficult when you remake a popular film, with a star like Steve McQueen. But the 1999 version holds it own in most regards and delivers on all fronts. It has good romance and intrigue and is a fun film to watch. I recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good film, share about the trailer.....
Review: I saw the trailer and expected to be fascinated by a feast of clever burglaries, scenes of action and a touch of romance. What was delivered was a good romantic film, with one burglary and a clever twist. This film is compared to Entrapment. I believe the two are completely different films. Entrapment IS about burglary with a touch of romance. Thomas Crown is about romance with a touch of burglary. At the end of the day, I don't think TCA is anything special or different from the rest. However, it is an enjoyable movie. I would avoid the trailer!
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a movie for grown ups
Review: I had heard the Thomas Crown Affair was good, but I didn't expect it to be THAT good. What a refreshing change to watch a man and woman of the same age (wow, what a theory!) match wits, and how fun to watch the decadently wealthy and bored Thomas Crown entertain himself at the expense of others. A total fantasy, this movie is escapism at its best, and it's pretty sexy, too (even though the characters actually look close to their supposed 'movie' age... amazing!). I think that this is the perfect movie for anyone who wants to watch a fun, interesting film made, definitely, for adults. There are no Bond girls here, and Russo is just as gorgeous as she is smart. The dialogue reminded me of some of my favorite movies - from the '30s and '40s - where the exchanges between characters are just as important as the plot (if they aren't, in fact, the actual plot). As an avid female fan of action movies and thrillers - and not a big fan of bimbettes screaming to be rescued - it was a great thrill for me to watch this marvelous film. One caveat though - I loved it so much I recommended it to everyone, including my parents... forgot about the sex scenes for a moment. Oops. But apparently they didn't mind them -- they loved the movie.
|
