Film Revue
Created | Updated Jun 20, 2003
This week one of our researchers compares two films: One from the late 60's, and the re-make in the 90's.
The Thomas Crown Affair
In 1968, MGM studios released The Thomas Crown Affair. The movie, staring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, revolved around a robbery initiated by McQueen and the subsequent involvement of Dunaway, an insurance investigator. The movie, exacting the use of split screens, brings real suspense to the film; however, more notable would be the romance that grows between the two characters... actions that would merit the movie an R rating at the time. Indeed, when one thinks of the movie, one can't help but remember a certain chess scene between the two.
In 1998, MGM studios released 'The Thomas Crown Affair', a movie staring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.
This time, the plot revolves around Mr. Crown, a bored millionaire who decides to steal a Cezanne, and Russo, an insurance investigator who is after his head. While the movie provides plenty of action and a superb story-line, the movie does falter at the love affair between the two. Perhaps to make the story-line more 'down to earth', director John McTiernan employed the tact of gratuitous nudity... maybe to signify the giddy, 'first love' effect; unfortunately,
he failed miserably. The product turns out to be a glorious story line, great intrigue, seventeen minutes of gratuitous cleavage, one spanked (withered and ageing) posterior, and total 'gross out' to see two old farts going at it!
